Gluten-Free Oat-Free Challah V2

Gluten Free

Dairy Free

This challah is for when we have guests who can not eat oats. Our regular challah is gluten-free oat challah. Version 2 of oat-free is basically the same as my Version 1 recipe, but I’ve just simplified and updated it a little.

Disclaimer: Version 2 has one outstanding question. I lost track while measuring quinoa flour and may have added it twice. Whatever I did was delicious. I have to make it again and update this recipe to be sure of the quantity of quinoa flour.

Preheat oven to 200 °F and then turn it off, or set oven to “proof” mode.

Put into a quart measure and set aside:

• 4 large eggs, beaten lightly with fork to break them up
• 1 tsp cider vinegar
• ¼ cup canola oil, or any without taste

Mix and set aside for glaze:

• 1 egg yolk
• 1 tsp water

Put into the bowl of a mixer and whisk a little to get rid of lumps:

• 1 ¼ cup brown rice flour
• ¼ cup millet flour
• ¼ cup quinoa flour (or maybe 1/2 cup – this is the question!)
• 2 Tbsp ground flax meal
• 2 Tbsp some other kind of GF flour: masa harina, sorghum flour, etc.
• ½ cup potato starch
• ½ cup tapioca flour
• 1/3 cup cornstarch
• 1 Tbsp xanthan gum
• 3 Tbsp sugar
• 2 tsp salt
• 2 ¼ tsp active dry or bread yeast (or 1 envelope)

Measure in a two-cup measure:

• 1 ¼ c very warm water – about 120 °F, or as hot as it comes out of the tap

Start the mixer on low and pour in the very warm water. Turn it up a little to mix.

Turn mixer up to medium and pour in the egg mixture. Mix on medium for 3 minutes. Scrape sides if needed.

Glop the dough (batter) into greased bread pan. This can make one regular challah or 4 small challettes. I like this pan for the full challah: challah pan. They used to make a pan for 4 small challettes but last I looked I could find it only on eBay. If you find a source for it, please let me know.

Make sure oven is off or on “proof”, place pan in oven, cover loosely with lightly greased foil tent and let rise for ½ to 1 hour, until double or about to overflow the pan. Remove pan from oven and preheat oven to 375 °. Uncover loaf and set the foil aside because you’ll use it again soon.

Bake at 375 ° in stages:

1. Bake for 20 minutes, then cover loosely with foil tent and return to oven.
2. Bake for 20 minutes more, then invert onto foil covered cookie sheet, glaze with the egg yolk mixture you prepared earlier, and return to oven.
3. Bake for 10 minutes more for small loaves, or 10-20 for one loaf.
4. Place in a warming oven before serving if you can; it’s much better warm.