Gluten Free Vegan Oat Challah

I’m developing an egg-free version of my Gluten Free Challah. This recipe is a work in progress. I’ll change this comment when I consider the recipe finished, but until then it’s subject to change. If you try my recipe and want to share anything you’ve learned, I’d love to read your comments. Scroll all the way down to the end of this post for links to the baking pans I use, and general notes. Otherwise, my most recent experiment is at the top.

Experiment #3 6/28/19 and again 2/14/20

1. Create a warm place for the challah to rise. If your oven has a “proof” setting, turn that on, otherwise preheat oven to 200 °F, then turn oven off.
2. Mix all dry ingredients together in large mixer bowl:
   • 2 cups GF oat flour
   • ½ cup GF rice flour
   • ¼ cup GF potato starch
   • ¼ cup GF tapioca flour
   • 2 teaspoons xanthan gum
   • 2 Tablespoons sugar
   • 1 ½ teaspoons salt
   • 2 ¼ teaspoons active dry yeast
3. In a pouring cup, measure  oil and almond milk;  set aside.
   • ¼  cup sunflower oil
   • ½ cup almond milk or any parve milk
   • Prepare egg replacer with saffron. Mix:
     – 2 Tablespoons ground flax seed meal
     – ¼ teaspoon saffron threads, crumbled
     Add:
     – 6 Tablespoons (3/8 cup) water
     Stir well, then let sit for 5 minutes
4. Stir egg replacer into oil and milk mixture.
5. Measure ¾ cup very warm (120 °F-130 °F) water into a pouring cup.
6. Turn mixer on low and pour in the  warm water to mix with the dry ingredients.
7. Add oil-milk-egg mixture and mix in.
8. Turn mixer up and mix on medium for 3 minutes.
9. Take challah, if that is your custom.
10. Scrape down sides, cover bowl loosely with parchment paper, and place in proofing (or warm and off) oven.
11. Let rise for an hour.
12. Spoon dough into greased pans: 4 challette forms (or 1 big challah form).
13. Cover loosely with parchment paper.
14. Place in proofing oven and let rise for an hour.
15. Remove pan from oven and preheat oven to 375 °F. Place the parchment paper on a cookie sheet and set aside for stage 2 of baking.
16. Bake uncovered for 18 minutes.
17. Invert loaves onto covered cookie sheet and glaze, if desired, with simple syrup, or a little sugar or honey dissolved in water. 1 tsp of glaze is probably enough for one recipe.
18. Sprinkle with seeds if desired, then return to oven.
19. Bake challettes uncovered for 26 more minutes.

Results of Experiment #3:

Delicious! It’s still a somewhat dense bread, and it would be nice to figure out a way to make it lighter, but until I come up with any other ideas, this is the recipe.

Experiment #2 6/14/19

1. Create a warm place for the challah to rise. If your oven has a “proof” setting, turn that on, otherwise preheat oven to 200 °F, then turn oven off.
2. Mix all dry ingredients together in large mixer bowl:
   • 2 cups GF oat flour
   • ½ cup GF rice flour
   • ¼ cup GF potato starch
   • ¼ cup GF tapioca flour
   • 2 teaspoons xanthan gum
   • 2 Tablespoons sugar
   • 1 ½ teaspoons salt
   • 2 ¼ teaspoons active dry yeast
3. In a pouring cup, measure  oil and almond milk;  set aside.
   • ¼  cup sunflower oil
   • ½ cup almond milk or any parve milk
4. Prepare egg replacer. Stir together and let sit 5 minutes:
   • 2 Tablespoons ground flax seed meal
   • 6 Tablespoons water
5. Stir egg replacer into oil and milk mixture.
6. Measure ¾ cup very warm (120 °F-130 °F) water into a pouring cup.
7. Turn mixer on low and pour in the  warm water to mix with the dry ingredients.
8. Add oil-milk-egg mixture and mix in.
9. Turn mixer up and mix on medium for 3 minutes.
10. Scrape down sides, cover bowl loosely with parchment paper, and place in proofing (or warm and off) oven.
11. Let rise for an hour.
12. Spoon dough into greased pans: 4 challette forms (or 1 big challah form).
13. Cover loosely with parchment paper.
14. Place in proofing oven and let rise for an hour.
15. Remove pan from oven and preheat oven to 375 °F. Place the parchment paper on a cookie sheet and set aside for stage 2 of baking.
16. Bake uncovered for 20 minutes.
17. Invert loaves onto covered cookie sheet and glaze, if desired, with simple syrup, or a little sugar or honey dissolved in water.
18. Sprinkle with seeds if desired, then return to oven.
19. Bake challettes uncovered for 25 more minutes.

Results of Experiment #2:

Really good. Better texture than first time. The lack of egg makes it seem a little less challah-like, but it tastes good, so that’s okay. I’d like the top a little darker but if anything I think it should be cooked a tiny bit less, not more. Ideas for next time: (1) add ¼ teaspoon saffron threads to flax meal before adding the water, and (2) change baking times to 18 & 26 minutes.

Experiment #1 May 2019

1. Create a warm place for the challah to rise. If your oven has a “proof” setting, turn that on, otherwise preheat oven to 200 °F, then turn oven off.
2. Mix all dry ingredients together in large mixer bowl:
   • 2 cups GF oat flour
   • ½ cup GF rice flour
   • ¼ cup GF potato starch
   • ¼ cup GF tapioca flour
   • 2 teaspoons xanthan gum
   • 2 Tablespoons sugar
   • 1 ½ teaspoons salt
   • 2 ¼ teaspoons active dry yeast
3. In a pouring cup, measure  oil and almond milk;  set aside.
   • ¼  cup sunflower oil
   • ½ cup almond milk or any parve milk
4. Prepare 2 egg-equivalents from Bob’s Red Mill Egg Replacer Mix (Gluten Free, Vegan) according to package directions. (Mix 2 Tbsp Egg Replacer with 4 Tbsp water and let sit for 1 minute.)
5. Stir egg-equivalent into oil and milk mixture.
6. Measure ¾ cup very warm (120 °F-130 °F) water into a pouring cup.
7. Turn mixer on low and pour in the  warm water to mix with the dry ingredients.
8. Add oil-milk-egg mixture and mix in.
9. Turn mixer up and mix on medium for 3 minutes.
10. Scrape down sides, cover bowl loosely with parchment paper, and place in proofing (or warm and off) oven.
11. Let rise for an hour.
12. Spoon dough into greased pans: 4 challette forms (or 1 big challah form).
13. Cover loosely with parchment paper.
14. Place in proofing oven and let rise for an hour.
15. Remove pan from oven and preheat oven to 375 °F. Place paper on a cookie sheet and set aside.
16. Bake uncovered for 20 minutes.
17. Invert loaves onto covered cookie sheet, glaze with simple syrup, and sprinkle with seeds if desired.
18. Return to oven and bake challettes uncovered for 24 more minutes.

Results of Experiment #1:

Good for a first try. Challah was a little too heavy and moist, but tasty. Next time maybe a different egg substitute, and longer cooking.

General Notes and Links:

Glaze: we happen to have simple syrup in the refrigerator so that’s what I’ve been using, but I would think you could use honey or sugar dissolved in warm water, or stevia, or agave, or maple syrup, etc. You just want something to make the top a little shiny and pretty and brown, add a little sweetness, and give the poppy seeds or sesame seeds something to stick to.

Pans: I like these silicone molds (these are affiliate links)
Four small challettes
One full loaf (I have not yet tested this recipe in the full loaf pan)