Vegan Gluten-Free Braided Challah Recipe for Hamotzi

Vegan Gluten-Free Braided Challah Recipe
for *Hamotzi

This is a delicious Braided Challah Recipe for Hamotzi,
(Birchat Hamazon).
Vegan, Gluten-Free, Dairy-Free, It is also a
great yeast dough for any shaped dinner rolls.
FOR
OAT FLOUR  
I use a coffee grinder for finer results. Mine is nothing elaborate,
just a Chefman on I bought on Amazon because it had the biggest
capacity. (I get no commission for saying that).

Recipe for Shabbat Oat Flour Challah and to say the
Hamotzi blessing (Birchat Hamazon).

This is so quick and easy to put together. The results
are so rewarding. You can hardly believe you made this.

For your cultural enlightenment, the Challah introduces
the especially beautiful meal we are thankful to have
every Friday evening. Traditionally, it is a homemade
showbread. Thus the reason it is braided, either minimally
with 3 strands or elaborate with 4 to 6 strands.

This has been a real challenge being gluten-free
and wanting a real braided challah for Shabbat.

Somehow, substitutes weren’t satisfying. Also, I wanted
my religious guests to enjoy real homemade braided
challah, without having to bake two separate recipes.

*If challah is to be used to say the Hamotzi blessing,
more than 1/2 the flour needs to be one
of the 5 grains.  Oat flour is the only gluten-free flour
allowed as one of the 5 biblical grains for the hamotzi
blessing.

Ingredients
To Make 1 big braided loaf, or  2 small
challahs and 4 to 6 small rolls.

1/4 cup lukewarm water (105—115°)
2 1/4 teaspoons of dry yeast
1 tbs. coconut sugar or honey
2 tbs. 100% maple syrup or honey
1 large egg Or Vegan Egg Substitutes
1/3 cup oil
1-3/4 cup gluten free oat flour
 oat flour
( the only gluten free of the 5 biblical grains flours that is
approved for the Hamotzi blesssing).
3/4 cup tapioca starch/flour
2 tsp xanthan or guar gum, preferred, (or use ground flax seed)
1 tsp baking powder
1 tsp. salt

Optional: Egg-wash for shine (1 egg yolk + 2 tsp water +
1/2 tsp salt). Sprinkle on sesame or poppy seeds if desired.

Note:
a) If this is your first time baking braided gluten-free braided bread,
you may want to start by making rolls.

They are really easy to make and give a feel for rolling the strands of
the braided loaf. I just make a long strand and lift the end of the strand
over the opposite side and put it through the opening to look like a knot.

b) Gluten free dough gets only one rise. For letting the dough rise,
I like to get my oven to warming mode (about 90-100 degrees-F or
40 degrees-C, turn it off) and leave the light on.

C) Set a pot of steamy hot water on the bottom shelf, and insert
the braided shaped challah dough to rise for about 35-45 minutes,
until puffy size. Don’t let it over-rise and become pock-marked.
It will have risen too much and may fall or fail when baking.

If you prefer to use a mold, use a different recipe.
See my batter recipe to pour into a silicone or tin mold
that work perfectly every time. A lot less involvement to make it.

Directions

I heat the oven on low for 30 seconds and shut it. Then
leave the light on. I use the oven to let the shaped dough
rise, covered with a damp dish towel.

I set an ovenproof bowl of hot water on the low rack
to add moisture. (leaving the water in the oven while
baking).  That is a method also used when baking pitas.

Mix:
In the bowl of a stand mixer with the paddle attachment,
(or in a bread machine pan), combine 1 cup lukewarm
water with 2 1/4 tsp (1 packet) of yeast, 1 tbs. honey, maple
syrup, or coconut  sugar. Let sit for about 3 minutes.

Add honey, oil, egg (or egg sub.)  and mix together.

In a separate bowl, mix together GF oat flour, baking
powder and salt.

Add the dry flour mixture into the mixed wet ingredients bowl
and mix on medium speed for 3 minutes. The dough should feel
soft and quite sticky, but not like a batter. If the dough is too dry,
add another tbs. water.

To Shape
Turn the dough out onto a surface lightly floured with gluten
free blend or rice flour. You can buy it such as Bob’s Red Mill,
or grind any rice into flour in a coffee grinder. Divide dough into
three equal-sized parts.

Sprinkle just enough flour on top of the dough to prevent it from
sticking to your hands. Carefully roll each portion into three long
ropes. Keep them thick and moist. Add more flour only if needed to
prevent the dough from sticking too much to manage.

You want to keep this dough as moist as feasible, so shaping
it is a challenge. You may even brush it with water after
it is shaped. But you want to create a braided (Gluten-Free)
challah. (Otherwise I suggest using a mold and my
Challah mold recipe).

Roll each piece by hand into a long strand.

Place each rope parallel to each other on the pan. Cover
a cookie sheet pan with parchment paper.
Lay the strands of dough on the parchment paper. Pinch
the top ends together and braid the dough
(Left strand over middle,
Right strand over the left strand,
Middle over right,
and repeat with left strand over middle, etc).

If the dough sticks to your hands, you can dip your fingers in
oil. Stick the ends of the dough together with water if they
aren’t sticking. (Dough should be sticky enough as is.)

Brush the braids with water so they are quite wet.

Cover the shaped dough and place in your pre-warmed
oven on the center rack, Put an oven-proof bowl of hot water
on the underneath rack while dough is rising and while it bakes.
I prefer keeping the braided dough so wet that plastic covers or
upside down containers sre preferable since they won’t stick to
your dough.

Let the dough rise for 25 to 30 mins. just until
it appears a bit puffy. Don’t let it over-rise or it will
dry out when baking.

It’s ready when the shaped dough has risen to
where your pressed fingerprint almost stays indented,
and it looks a bit puffy and enlarged.

After the shaped dough has risen for about 20 minutes,
move the covered dough, it to a warm draft-free spot,
perhaps above the preheating oven, while the oven
preheats.It’s not necessary for the oven to be fully
preheated.It’s more important to get it into the oven
before it over-rises.

You don’t want it to over-rise. It should rise a bit more
in the oven. Test it by pressing your finger on it. If it
indents, and doesn’t spring back, stop! Bake it!

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit
(190 degrees Celsius) 

Bake Pre-heat oven to 350º F:

When ready to bake, brush the top the risen challah with
optional egg-wash for shine.

(Egg-wash: Mix 1 egg yolk + 2 tsp water), and bake the the
challah for approximately 30-40 minutes, or until the crust is
a golden brown and an inserted toothpick comes out clean. 

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