VEGAN CHALLAH RECIPES

Steps:

• Mix the sugar, oil, salt, and ? cup water in a large bowl until everything is dissolved. Using warm water helps.
• In a separate bowl sprinkle the yeast over the 3 tbsp water. Sprinkle a dash of sugar on top. Set aside for at least 5 minutes until foamy looking.
• In the large bowl, add 1 cup of flour and mix. All the clumps may not go away. It’s okay, you can go on to the next step!
• Add about ½ cup of flour and the yeast mixture to the large bowl and mix.
• Slowly continue adding flour. As your mixture becomes thicker, add the flour more and more slowly. Add flour until the dough only slightly sticks to your hands.
• Knead the dough with your hands in the bowl at first for approximately 5 minutes. You’ll need to coat your hands with flour as needed, and continue reapplying the flour throughout so that the dough remains only slightly sticky to the touch. Then transfer the dough to a lightly floured surface and knead for 10 minutes more.
• Alternatively, you can knead in a stand mixer using the dough hook for 10 minutes on a medium setting.
• Transfer the dough back to the bowl (make sure it is lightly floured). Sprinkle flour on top of the dough and cover with a damp washcloth. Let is rise until doubled in size, for at least 30 minutes.
• After the dough has risen, preheat your over to 350 degrees F. Transfer your dough back to a lightly floured surface. Divide the dough into 3 equal balls of dough.
• Roll the dough balls into strips between your hands.- If you are going to stuff the challah, create a divet in the dough with your fingers down the center of each strip that you are going to fill.- Fill the divet with your selected topping and then pinch the edges of the dough together to close the dough.
• Braid the strips together by placing them side by side. Take the three ends of each of the strips and bring them together while the other ends are angled outwards.
• Bring the outside strip on the right to the middle of the other two strips. Then, bring the outside strip on the left to the middle of the other two. Repeat until you've braided all the way down. Fix the ends of the challah by braiding and tucking the ends underneath the loaf.
• Place the challah on a parchment paper lined tray. Cover the loaves with hand towels and let rise until doubled in size and puffy, at least 30 minutes.
• Put your tray in the oven. Bake for 20 minutes.
• While your challah is in the oven, create the wash for the top of the challah by mixing equal parts non-dairy milk with maple syrup.
• After the 20 minutes, remove the challah from the oven and wash with the mixture you created. As you are placing the wash, place your toppings on top, using the wash as a sticky surface for your toppings.
• Place the tray back in the oven for 20-30 more minutes, until golden brown and a fork placed in between the braids comes out clean. Another method you can try is tapping the bottom of the challah and seeing if it sounds hollow.
• Once your challah is done, let it rest on the tray for a few minutes and then transfer to a wire rack to cool.

Steps:

• In a medium bowl, combine the yeast and a pinch of sugar. Pour 1 cup (240 ml) of warm water over the yeast mixture while turning the bowl so it stirs itself. Rest for 5 minutes, or until the yeast has bloomed and is bubbly, then add 2 tablespoons of melted coconut oil.
• In a separate medium bowl, mix 3 tablespoons of melted coconut oil, the remaining 3 tablespoons of warm water, and the baking powder.
• In a large bowl, whisk together 3 cups (385 g) of flour, the table salt, and remaining ½ cup (110 g) of granulated sugar. While stirring, add the coconut oil and yeast mixtures to the dry ingredients and combine with a spoon. Once the dough is smooth, gradually add up to 1 cup (125 g) of flour and incorporate by kneading the dough with your hands (you may not need all of the flour).
• Knead until the dough isn’t sticking to the sides of the bowl, then transfer to a large bowl greased with coconut oil. Cover with a damp towel and let rest on the counter for 2 hours, or until the dough has doubled in size.
• Punch down the dough and turn out onto a floured workspace. Knead gently to get out any large air bubbles, and form into a log shape. Depending on the braid you are planning to do, cut the dough into the appropriate amount of even pieces.
• Braid into desired shape (braiding options below) and transfer to a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Cover with a damp towel and let rise again for 1 hour.
• Preheat the oven to 325°F (165°C).
• Lightly brush the challah with melted coconut oil for a nice shine and bake for 25-30 minutes, brushing with more coconut oil halfway through, until golden brown. To check for doneness try knocking on the bottom of the bread. If it sounds hollow, it’s done!
• Cool completely on a wire rack before slicing.
• Enjoy!