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I have finally figured out how to make a delicious gluten-free challah recipe that even your gluten-eating friends will enjoy.
That’s right, I’ve cracked the gluten-free challah code (with the help of Kveller.com – more on that in a bit).
If you’re Jewish AND gluten-free, it’s likely you miss indulging on yummy, doughy challah every Friday night. In fact, every Friday night I sit back and watch my family devour the challah. The smell and texture of fresh baked challah… oh how I miss thee!
On my quest to find a good gluten-free challah recipe, I found this article on Kveller.com about how challah can only be “taken” if made with one of the five grains mentioned in the Torah, which are barley, rye, wheat, oat, and spelt. The only gluten-free grain of the five is oat. Apparently bread made from other grains can be Kosher, but you cannot say, “hamotzi” or call it a challah. I had no idea!
I understand some people with celiac disease or gluten sensitivities cannot eat oats, but fortunately I can, as long as they are certified gluten-free oats. (Read more about why oats may or may not be gluten-free in this article, Are Oats Gluten-Free?)
Verid Meir, the author of the article at Kveller.com, says she consulted with a rabbi who told her “… that while no teshuva (responsum) has yet been written on this topic, the oat flour must be at minimum 51% of the total flour in the bread.”
The gluten-free challah recipe below consists of 51% oat flour (I used gluten free oat flour by Bob’s Red Mill), along with other ingredients. I make this recipe often but the shape changes each time. I often make it in my challah-shaped mold pan, which is what will give the sticky challah its shape. Unfortunately you cannot braid this gluten-free challah recipe, it’s just to sticky! If you do not have the following challah-shaped mold pan, you can use a basic loaf pan.
Alternatively, I found this non-stick challah mold pan on Amazon. I really like this one and I have a feeling it is easier to clean than the silicone one I have.
I also often make this gluten-free challah recipe in my mini loaf pan too. I simply double the recipe so I can fill up all the cavities in this 18 cavity mini loaf pan. This allows me to create mini-gluten-free challahs just for me (since everyone else is eating the regular challah). These store well in the freezer.
I should warn you – I ALWAYS get mad compliments when I make this gluten-free challah recipe. It’s become a signature recipe for me (although I’m always telling them I got it on Kveller.com). Your friends will all want a copy of the recipe, and they’ll beg you to make it again and again!
Gluten-Free Challah Making Tips
You can make this gluten-free challah recipe with eggs or with flax eggs. I’ve made this recipe with eggs and personally I don’t think it’s as good as when I make it with the flax egg mixture instead. The flax egg mixture really adds a nice chewy texture to the bread.
To make one flax egg, simply combine 1 tablespoon of ground flax meal with 3 tablespoons of warm water. Let the mixture sit for five minutes. (Note: You’ll need 2 flax eggs for this recipe.) It will gel and then you have a flax egg to use in lieu of a regular egg. Instead of water, you can make a flax egg with applesauce – I like to do this for Rosh Hashanah when I make a gluten-free sweet raisin challah.
You can read more about this gluten-free challah recipe and its origins here. I hope you enjoy it as much as my family enjoys it.
While it doesn’t taste like challah, per se, it’s got a nice, spongy texture and is truly delicious. Enjoy it as gluten-free challah at your Shabbat table or even as a bread substitute any time of the year (works well for break-fast on Yom Kippur too).
The next time you want to make gluten-free challah, I hope you’ll try this gluten-free challah recipe. It requires a little work, but the effort will be rewarded with a delicious tasting gluten-free challah bread.
Not in the mood to make gluten-free challah yourself? Try “Blends by Orly” – this is a gluten-free challah mix in a box!
I am very grateful to Meir for her research and story in helping those of us who cannot eat gluten still enjoy not only a wonderful gluten-free challah recipe, but also one that we can use to say, “hamotzi,” too. Thank you!
Classic bread made gluten-free to suit the dietary needs of everyone at your holiday table.
- 1 Tbsp. active dry yeast
- 1 1/4 cups warm water
- 1/4 cup honey
- 1/4 cup avocado or vegetable oil of choice
- 2 Tbsp flaxseed meal mixed with 6 Tbsp warm water this equals two flax eggs
- 1 tsp. apple cider vinegar
- 1 1/2 cups gluten-free oat flour 200 grams
- 1 cup tapioca starch/flour 140 grams
- 1/2 cup brown rice flour 40 grams
- 1 Tbsp. xanthan gum
- 2 tsp Kosher salt
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Add yeast, warm water and honey in the bowl of your standing mixer. Whisk together and allow the mixture to bubble for a few minutes.
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Add oil, flax eggs and apple cider vinegar and mix together until incorporated.
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In a separate bowl, combine oat flour, tapioca flour, brown rice flour, xanthan gum and salt. Mix together.
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Slowly add dry ingredients to wet ingredients until well incorporated.
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Add dough to a lightly greased loaf pan (or even better, use a challah mold pan, which you can find on Amazon).
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Cover dough with a clean dishtowel and let it rise for at least two hours.
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Preheat oven to 375 degrees and bake challah for about 40-45 minutes.
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Remove from oven and cool on a cooling rack. Shabbat Shalom!
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