I have been making challah for years without a recipe because my wants change. Sometimes I want a whole wheat challah, sometimes I want a unbleached white flour challah with rainbow sprinkles, and sometimes I want a hearty mixed wheat flour with fruit inside, etc. The challah I am presenting today is a mixed wheat challah. Know that these proportions might need to be altered for you, specifically with the amount of flour you put in. The key to challah, in my opinion, lies in the imperfection of the bread and how it feels between your fingers. *My advice is to mix the flour slowly into the wet mixture and use your hands as the mixing tool. At first you will use your hand as a spoon and swirl the ingredients together. When the dough gets thick and sticky, keep kneading and adding flour until the dough is just barely tacky and would stick to your clean hands but is not overly dry. Don't worry, the dough will get less tacky in the rising, punching down, and braiding process (where you will be lightly dusting it with flour.) Good luck!
Ingredients:
2 packets dry yeast
Sugar to feed yeast, approx. 2 tsp
2 cups warm water
2/3 cup oil (I like olive for the rich contrast to the sugar, but choose your poison...just not actual poison...)
1/4 cup sugar/agave/honey
2 cups unbleached all purpose flour
1 cup whole wheat flour
Extra oil for covering dough while rising
Glaze:
Nondairy milk/Fruit juice
Cinnamon/other delicious spices
Directions:
Get a large bowl that will get you through the mixing to rising process!
Combine warm water with yeast and its delicious sugary snack and let it rest for 5/10 minutes until the yeast bubbles. If it doesn't bubble start over because that yeast is dead. DEAD!
Mix in by hand sugar and oil. Slowly add flour as described in the opening paragraph*. You may find you need more or less flour. Use your judgment. I like less flour because it gives the challah a cake-like consistency.
Knead the challah until the ingredients are fully integrated and the consistency is just barely tacky.
Sprinkle the dough with a touch of oil and roll the dough around in the bowl until it is covered on all sides.
Cover the bowl with a warm damp cloth and put in a warm place to double in size. This should take 1-2 hours depending on...well, everything from the outside temperature to the passing clouds. Be patient!
When the dough doubles in size, punch it down and lightly knead. The dough should be slowly springy (meaning, the dough slowly returns to its original shape after being punched).
This is the fun part!! Braiding!!
YouTube has everything and can explain braiding the best! I used four braided and three braided on different loaves to show you variety. My "Challahween" pumpkin and witch broom challot are three braided with rehydrated raisins as decorations.
My only advice in braiding is keep the surface you are working on clean and lightly floured. Add flour in gentle sprinkles. You do not want to overload your delicate dough at this stage.
Let the braided challot rise again for about 15-20 minutes (otherwise they get bubbles during the baking process).
**THIS is the process that most vegan recipes miss!** Glaze the challot with nondairy milk using a paper towel or pastry brush and then lightly sprinkle with cinnamon. This will make that lovely "egg glaze" brown color.
Bake at 350 degrees for about 30 minutes or until the challah makes a "hollow" sound when you knock on them.
Let cool (or don't) and enjoy!!
Happy Challahween!
