I tried challah for the first time in my freshman year at a Challah for Hunger event, and I have been obsessed since. When I used to live a block or so away from Berkeley Hillel, I would walk over every Thursday night to buy a loaf (or three) of freshly baked vegan challah.
Unfortunately, Berkeley Hillel is no longer a few minutes away, so I didn't eat challah for over a year. This semester, I wizened up. With a craving for chocolate chip challah and a jar of active dry yeast sitting in the fridge, I made my own loaves of challah.
The vegan challah recipe turned out so well that my roommate and I devoured a whole loaf right when it came out of the oven. The next day, another roommate finished a second loaf.
Vegan Challah
- Prep Time:1 hr 30 mins
- Cook Time:25 mins
- Total Time:1 hr 55 mins
- Servings:3
- Medium
- 3 1/2 cups flour
- 1/4 cup vegetable oil
- 1 tablespoon active dry yeast
- 1 1/4 cups warm water
- 1/4 cup + 1/2 tablespoon sugar
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/3 cup chocolate chips
- 1/3 cup shredded cheese
Ingredients
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Step 1
Preheat oven to 350°F.
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Step 2
Mix 1/2 tablespoon sugar with warm water. Add yeast and stir gently. Let sit for about 10 minutes.
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Step 3
Add flour, 1/4 cup sugar, salt, and vegetable oil to a mixing bowl and mix well. You can also knead with your hands.
#SpoonTip: If the dough is too sticky, add a bit more flour, 1 tablespoon at a time. If it's too dry, add a bit more oil or water. -
Step 4
Place dough on floured surface and knead. Poke the dough to see if it bounces back. If yes, you're good to go.
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Step 5
Oil a large mixing bowl.
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Step 6
Place dough into oiled bowl and cover with plastic wrap or a damp towel. Let it rise for at least 1 hour, or until the dough has doubled in size.
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Step 7
Punch the dough to remove air bubbles.
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Step 8
Remove the dough and separate into 3 parts (one for each loaf of challah).
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Step 9
Take a chunk of dough and separate it into 3 parts. Roll out each part, and braid to become a vegan loaf. Place braided loaf on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper.
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Step 10
Take another chunk of dough. Separate into 3 parts equally. Roll out each section and flatten it a bit. Add chocolate chips to the middle of each piece. Then pinch the dough together to form a tube with chocolate in it. Braid the 3 strands together and place on baking sheet.
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Step 11
Repeat step 10 with cheese instead of chocolate chips. if you want more cheese, you can sprinkle more on top of the loaf.
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Step 12
Bake for 25 minutes.
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Step 13
Enjoy!