I used to be afraid of baking, especially bread
baking. I distanced myself from any recipe that required yeast or kneading. The
idea that baking is a science, only accessible to those with the innate ability
to understand that science and its nuances, discouraged me. I was never very
good at science. But as someone that loves Jewish food, I knew I wanted to
learn how to make homemade challah. The moment after I made my first challah I
wondered: “What took me so long?”
Once I got into challah-baking I couldn’t stop.
To my surprise, challah isn’t all that hard to make, the dough is very
forgiving, and it comes together relatively quickly. There’s no three-day
proofing required. I tried countless recipes, and decided I needed to develop
one that would make my own ideal loaf. I like my challah with a little chew,
not too yeast-flavored, not too sweet. Once I got a basic recipe down, it was
easy to start playing around with flavors and ingredients.
During the High Holy days, when entertaining and
round challahs abound, this recipe offers a celebratory animal-friendly
offering. I love being able to make dishes that any guest at my table can eat,
and it’s great to have an option for folks with plant-based diets. Vegan
challah is as easy to make as egg-based challah, and tastes just as good. In
these loaves, the maple replaces honey, and the fig and rosemary bring extra
sweetness and fall flavor into the mix. If you’re not feeling fig and rosemary,
you can easily skip out on either or both and still make a delicious vegan
loaf.
If you’ve ever been curious about baking challah,
Rosh Hashanah is a great time to give it a go.
I can safely predict that your friends and family will be very happy you
did.
Vegan
Maple Fig Rosemary Challah
Makes 2
loaves
Dough:
2 cups warm water (between 105°F-110°F, warm but
not too hot to the touch)
4½ teaspoons (2 packets) active dry yeast
2 teaspoons sugar
⅓ cup oil (olive, canola, sunflower)
¼ cup maple syrup (Grade B or Grade A dark amber)
1 tablespoon kosher salt
Egg replacer mixture (see below)
7½ cups (1185 g) bread flour, plus more for
dusting and as needed
⅓ cup fig preserves or jam
⅓ cup roughly chopped rosemary, plus more for
garnish
Egg
replacer:
½ cup warm water
½ cup oil
2 tablespoons aluminum free baking powder
Vegan egg
wash:
¼ cup unsweetened almond or soy milk
1 tablespoon oil
2 teaspoons maple syrup
Start by adding the yeast and sugar to warm
water. Stir, and then allow the yeast to activate for 5 minutes or until it
looks thick and foamy at the top. If your yeast remains in clumps then it is
not properly activated.
In a small bowl combine the oil, maple syrup and
salt. Reserve.
In a separate small bowl, make the egg replacer
mixture by combining the water, oil, and baking powder. The baking powder will
cause the mixture to fizz.
Once the yeast is activated, add the flour to a
large bowl. Make a well in the center of the flour. Add the maple syrup mixture
and the egg replacer mixture to the well. Add the activated yeast with warm
water to the well. Begin to combine everything together, it is easiest to use
your hands. Once the mixture forms a ball, begin to knead the dough.
Knead until the dough is mostly smooth and
elastic, and doesn’t stick to your hands, about 5-7 minutes (and if it’s not perfectly smooth, don’t
worry, it will still work out). If you find the dough is too sticky, add
flour a few tablespoons at a time until the dough doesn’t excessively stick to
your hands as you knead. The amount of flour that is needed can often depend on
the weather, temperature, and the brand of flour.
Lightly grease a large bowl with oil, and then
place the dough in the greased bowl. Cover the bowl with a damp clean kitchen
towel, and allow the dough to rise in a warm (not drafty) part of the kitchen
for at least 1 hour or until the dough has about doubled in size. The rate at
which the dough rises will depend on the temperature of the kitchen.
After the dough has doubled in size, punch it
down. Lightly dust your work surface with flour, and transfer the dough onto
it. Divide the dough into two. Transfer half the dough back to the bowl and
cover while you’re braiding the first round of challah. For the High Holidays
it’s traditional to make round challahs, but the shape and number of strands is
up to you. I like to do a 4-strand round challah, and this demo video from Challah Hub is very
helpful!
Divide the dough into 4 evenish-sized pieces, and
form and roll each piece out so that it is about 12”-14” long. Take one piece
and flatten it out a little so that it is a long rectangular shape. Spread 2
teaspoons of the fig preserves in an even thin layer over the dough. Sprinkle
with about 2 teaspoons of chopped rosemary. Press the sides together to seal
the fig and rosemary inside the dough. It can be a little messy or imperfect.
Finally, roll the sealed dough into a rope shape. Repeat with the remaining 3
pieces of dough.
Braid the challah into a round. Place the challah
on a parchment lined baking sheet and cover with a very lightly damp towel.
Repeat the braiding process for the second half of the dough. Allow the covered
braided loaves to rise for another 30 minutes.
Preheat the oven to 350°F.
In a small dish, combine the almond milk, maple
syrup, and oil. Brush each loaf of challah with the wash. Bake the challah
loaves for 30-40 minutes, or until the challah is a deep golden brown - exact
timing will depend on the size of your challah and your oven. Once baked and
still hot, brush a second time with the wash mixture. Transfer to a rack and
allow to cool.
Extra challah can be frozen, defrosted and
reheated.