Gluten Free Challah Bread

This is THE BEST gluten free challah bread you’ll ever try, and it’s super easy to make! It’s pillowy-soft and fluffy, with a deliciously rich, slightly sweet flavour. And the gluten free dough handles beautifully: you can easily braid your challah without having to worry about it tearing or cracking.

PREPARATION TIME:

Prep Time: 1 hour Cook/Bake Time: 30 minutes Proof Time: 1 hour h Total Time: 2 hours 30 minutes

INGREDIENTS

Gluten free challah dough:

• 20 g (4 tbsp) whole/rough psyllium husk (If using psyllium husk powder, use only 17g.)
• 345 g (1¼ cups + 3 tbsp) lukewarm water
• 215 g (1¾ cups + 2 tbsp) tapioca starch (You can use an equal weight of cornstarch (US)/cornflour (UK), potato starch or arrowroot starch instead.)
• 135 g (1 cup) millet flour, plus extra for flouring the surface (You can use an equal weight of finely milled/ground brown rice flour instead.)
• 80 g (¾ cup + 2 tbsp) oat flour (You can use an equal weight of sorghum flour, light buckwheat flour or white teff flour instead.)
• 50 g (¼ cup) caster/superfine or granulated sugar
• 8 g (2½ tsp) instant yeast (If using active dry yeast, use 10g.)
• 8 g (2 tsp) baking powder
• 7 g (2½ tsp) xanthan gum
• 7 g (1¼ tsp) salt
• 1 US large/UK medium egg, room temperature
• 2 US large/UK medium egg yolks, room temperature
• 40 g (3 tbsp) sunflower oil, or other neutral-tasting oil of choice

You’ll also need:

• 1 US large/UK medium egg, whisked, for egg wash
• 1-2 tbsp sesame seeds, for sprinkling the challah before baking (optional)

INSTRUCTIONS

Making the dough:

• I recommend making the dough using a stand mixer fitted with the dough hook attachment, but you can also make it by hand.
• Make the psyllium gel: In a bowl, mix together the psyllium husk and lukewarm water. After about 30-45 seconds, a gel will form.
• In a large bowl or the bowl of a stand mixer (if using), whisk together the tapioca starch, millet flour, oat flour, sugar, instant yeast, baking powder, xanthan gum and salt.Tip: If using active dry yeast instead, you need to activate it first. Mix it together with a tablespoon of the sugar and 120g (½ cup) of the water listed in the recipe (note that that means you’ll use less water to make the psyllium gel). Set aside for 5-10 minutes, or until the mixture starts frothing. Then, add it to the dry ingredients along with the rest of the wet ingredients.
• Add the egg, two egg yolks and oil to the psyllium gel and mix well to combine.
• Make a well in the middle of the dry ingredients and add the psyllium gel-egg mixture.
• Knead the dough until smooth and all the ingredients are evenly incorporated, then knead for a further 4-5 minutes (if using a stand mixer) or 6-8 minutes (if kneading it by hand). Use a rubber spatula to occasionally scrape along the sides and bottom of the bowl to prevent any dry patches of unmixed flour.Tip: This extra kneading time will make the dough EXTRA smooth, which is the key to a beautiful gluten free challah.
• The final dough will be slightly sticky to the touch – that’s okay, you’ll be working on a lightly floured surface so it shouldn’t be a problem. Resist the temptation to add more flour to the dough, as that can make the final challah too dense and dry.Tip: If you find the dough too sticky to easily handle (even on a floured surface and with floured hands), you can chill it in the fridge for about 1 hour before proceeding to the next step. This will make the dough firmer, less sticky, and therefore easier to handle.

Shaping & braiding:

• Turn out the dough onto a lightly floured surface and shape it into a ball, then divide it into four equal portions, each should weigh about 250g.
• Take one portion of the dough and shape it into a ball (keep the others covered with a sheet of plastic wrap/cling film or a clean dish towel to prevent them from drying out).Roll it out into a rough rectangle – the exact dimensions don’t really matter, aim for a size of about 8×5 inches (20x12cm).Working along the wider end, fold the dough over itself and press down gently to seal. Continue folding the dough over itself (and pressing down to seal), you’re essentially rolling it up into an approximately 8-inch (20cm) log. Pinch the seam together to seal it.
• Use the palms of your hands to roll the dough back and forth until you reach a length of about 15-16 inches (38-40cm). While you’re rolling it, make sure that you also create a slightly tapered shape, with the ends of the rope/strand slightly narrower than the middle.
• Repeat with the other three portions of dough, until you get four 15-16-inch (38-40cm) ropes or strands. Transfer them to a large sheet of parchment/baking paper – you’ll braid the challah on the paper, it’ll make it easier to transfer it to the baking sheet.
• Braid the four-strand challah loaf. Always start with the strand farthest to the right and and weave it towards the left through the other strands using the pattern: over-under-over. Repeat this pattern, always starting with the strand farthest to the right, until you have a fully braided loaf.Note that gluten free dough is a bit more fragile than regular dough made from wheat flour, so you do have to be a bit more gentle with it. I usually start braiding at the top third of the braid, braid towards the bottom, then rotate the challah by 180 degrees and finish off the other end – this tends to give me the prettiest end result. (See the blog post for detailed step-by-step photos of the braiding process.)Once you’ve finished the braid, tuck the ends underneath the braided loaf for a more polished final look.

Proofing:

• Use the parchment/baking paper underneath to transfer the challah onto a large baking sheet (trim the paper as needed to make it fit the baking sheet).
• Lightly cover the challah with a sheet of plastic wrap/cling film (to prevent it from drying out) and proof in a warm spot until doubled in size, about 1 hour to 1 hour 15 minutes.Tip: If your kitchen is on the cold side, put a cup of boiling hot water into your (turned-off) oven – that will create the perfect warm, slightly humid proofing environment.

Baking the challah:

• Adjust the oven rack to the lower middle position and preheat the oven to 375ºF (190ºC).
• Once the challah has doubled in size, brush it gently with the egg wash and sprinkle with sesame seeds (optional).
• Bake at 375ºF (190ºC) for 28-30 minutes until the crust is deep golden brown. If the loaf starts browning too much or too quickly, you can cover it with a sheet of aluminium foil, shiny side up.I like to check the doneness by inserting a toothpick into the centre of the loaf, much like you would with a cake: if your toothpick comes out with raw dough on it, the challah needs a bit longer in the oven.
• Immediately transfer the baked gluten free challah to a wire rack to cool – this prevents any condensation from forming underneath.
• Enjoy warm or cooled completely to room temperature.

Storage:

• This gluten free challah is definitely at its best fresh, on the day of baking, but it also keeps well for 3-4 days at room temperature in a closed container or well wrapped (to prevent it from drying out). I recommend toasting or reheating it on days 3 and 4.

• This gluten free challah is definitely at its best fresh, on the day of baking, but it also keeps well for 3-4 days at room temperature in a closed container or well wrapped (to prevent it from drying out). I recommend toasting or reheating it on days 3 and 4.