Recipe

How to Make Fluffy Challah Bread 3 Ways

By Jocelyn Hsu at University of California – Berkeley

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
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

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!