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

    Ingredients

  • 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
sweet, flour, bun, wheat, pastry, dough, bread
Jocelyn Hsu

  • Step 1

    Preheat oven to 350°F.

  • Step 2

    Mix 1/2 tablespoon sugar with warm water. Add yeast and stir gently. Let sit for about 10 minutes.

  • 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.

  • Step 5

    Oil a large mixing bowl.

  • 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.

  • Step 7

    Punch the dough to remove air bubbles.

  • Step 8

    Remove the dough and separate into 3 parts (one for each loaf of challah).

  • 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.

  • 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.

  • 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.

  • Step 12

    Bake for 25 minutes.

  • Step 13

    Enjoy!