Gluten Free Challah, or the-most-beautiful-braided-bread-ever, or egg bread or Shabbat Bread, Bread for Hannukah or Rosh Hashanah or even Easter … whatever you call it and for whatever occasion you bake it, it’s a true treat, with or without apples and raisins.
Even if you’ve never made homemade bread or if you’ve never braided bread dough, this recipe will make you look like a super star in the kitchen! The dough is soft and easy to work with when made with my gfJules Flour, and you can braid or shape it (or not!) however you like!
Some folks braid it like so …
Others bake it into crown shapes or even bake off in muffin or popover tins for individual rolls.
Gluten free challah this good is great any time. Why wait for the next Jewish holiday or even for Friday? You can even prep this dough and refrigerate it overnight to bake the next day!
Just gather your ingredients … make sure the liquids are at room temperature.
Mix your dough then transfer it to your bench or clean counter dusted with gfJules gluten free flour to keep it from sticking.
Then divide it into balls — 6 equal balls for 2 loaves with 3 strands each. Then channel your inner child and hearken back to your playdough days. This is where it gets fun! Start rolling, not pressing, but gently rolling out each ball into long strands of dough that can be braided. Watch my video below for more instructional detail.
Each strand will then be braided and finished at each end by scoring with a fork, wetted with a finger dipped in water and then pressed gently to seal together and smoothed.
Brush with egg wash before rising and baking.
If you like, you can also add raisins and apples once the braid is finished and transferred to a parchment-lined baking sheet.
Allow the bread dough to rise for 20 minutes, brush with another egg wash or spritz lightly with water, then bake OR cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate to bake the next day.
The next day, remove the tray to the counter while you preheat your oven and then bake. Voila! Amazing bread!
NOTE: don’t allow the gluten free challah to rise even more the next day, or you’ll lose some of the definition in the braids. It still tastes delicious, of course, but wasn’t quite as pretty because it rose TOO much and actually ended up being flatter than if it had been popped into the oven with just the right amount of rise.
It’s a wonderful treat for anyone at any time of year, especially now that you have this wonderful gluten free version to make and enjoy!
In fact, it’s not only a truly delicious bread, it’s also one that will impress any guest or crowd. The braids merely look like it took a skillful baker to weave, but that can be our little secret.
When made with my gfJules Flour, these braids will be such a nice surprise to work with!
The dough will be unlike any gluten free dough you’ve worked with before — soft and pliable, not at all brittle. Make sure you follow my directions and ingredients exactly, so you can expect these same results.
The dough should not resist when you’re working with it, but it shouldn’t be super wet either. You’ll get the hang of it after working with it.
You’ll be making beautiful gluten- and dairy-free challah that will have everyone marveling at your baking prowess! And it’s not just pretty to look at — it’s a wonderful bread to tear apart and enjoy in any setting and with any meal, or on its own.
See how flexible this dough is in this quick time lapse how-to video on braiding bread.
Feel free to skip the apples and raisins, or add your own toppings like sesame seeds and sea salt (as pictured below). Or braid into a crown!
To recap: just proof your yeast, measure your ingredients, make the dough, braid, rise and bake!
The eggs in this bread help to keep it moist and fresh for days, thus, on the off-chance there are any leftovers, enjoy it with hummus, peanut butter, honey, or plain (or make French Toast or overnight gluten free French Toast Casserole!).
Fitting that it is the manna that just keeps giving! Enjoy this recipe for the gift that it is — there’s just nothing like soft, fresh baked bread, and it means so much to be able to enjoy the best bread, gluten free!
It is truly one of the most gorgeous and delicious breads you can make and bring to share for any occasion, so why wait?
A lot of readers ask if they can use my gfJules Gluten Free Bread Mix instead of my gfJules Flour to make this gluten free Challah recipe, so I’ve retooled the recipe to make it possible to make this recipe from the mix as well.
Just follow the recipe card below this one if you have my gfJules Gluten Free Bread Mix and want to make gluten free Challah with gluten free bread mix instead!
Gluten Free Challah Braid
Gluten Free Challah Braid
Gluten free challah is great anytime you're craving insanely good bread ... which is all the time, right? Made with soft, never-gritty gfJules Flour, it's easy to braid the dough and easy to please anyone with this bread!
Ingredients
Gluten Free Challah Ingredients
- 3/4 cup warm water
- 1 package gluten free yeast (Fleishmann's® or Red Star® - NOT platinum)
- 1 tsp. granulated cane sugar
- 1 cup yogurt of choice (not Greek style), room temperature (I like vanilla flavor) (So Delicious® Vanilla Coconut Yogurt* - (I like vanilla flavor, but plain is fine)
- 1 tsp. apple cider vinegar
- 5 large egg yolks at room temperature (slightly mixed)**
- 1/3 cup safflower oil OR sunflower oil OR non-GMO canola oil OR other mild oil like avocado
- 4 Tbs. honey OR agave nectar OR maple syrup
- 4 cups (540 grams) gfJules® All-Purpose Gluten Free Flour
- 1 Tbs. psyllium husk powder (added for smoother texture, but if not using, reduce total water by 2 Tbs.)
- 3 Tbs. + 2 tsp. granulated cane sugar
- 1 1/4 tsp. kosher salt
- 1/2 tsp. baking soda
- 1 1/2 tsp. baking powder
Toppings
- 1 large egg, mixed with 1 Tbs. water
- poppy seeds, sesame seeds, raisins, diced apples or other toppings (optional)
Instructions
Preheat your oven to 200º F, then turn it off. Prepare a baking sheet by lining it with parchment paper.
In a small bowl, divide out ~1/3 cup of the total 3/4 cup warm water. Add to it the yeast and 1 teaspoon of sugar to proof the yeast; set aside. (If using quick rise/rapid rise yeast, you may simply add to dry ingredients instead.)
In the bowl of your stand mixer***, add the rest of the wet ingredients (remaining water, yogurt, cider vinegar, egg yolks, oil, honey) and mix until combined.
Whisk together the dry ingredients in a separate bowl (gfJules Flour; remaining sugar; psyllium, salt, baking soda, baking powder).
If proofing yeast, after 5 minutes of proofing, stir in the bubbling yeast-water mixture into the wet ingredients (note: if your yeast isn’t bubbling at this point, throw it out and start again with fresh yeast).
Gradually stir the dry ingredients into the wet until fully integrated, adding more warm water by the tablespoon if needed so that the dough is not tight or stiff — you should be able to pull the dough gently without it feeling tight or like it would bounce back — if it’s too stiff, add more warm water.
Mix 1-2 minutes more on medium speed to integrate any additional water and ensure all ingredients are fully incorporated. The dough should be workable; keep in mind you will be braiding it, so it can't be too loose or too tight (think of Goldilocks dough!).
Once the dough is combined, divide it in half and divide each half into three equal-sized balls (6 balls total). Roll each ball out into an 18-inch coil or log on a clean, flat surface dusted very lightly with gfJules All Purpose Flour.
Pinch together one end of each coil, scoring and wetting them slightly with water to help them join together at the top, then braid them, finishing by connecting them at the other end.
Gently transfer braid to the parchment-lined baking sheet. Repeat for the second set of three balls. You may divide the dough into as many balls as you like, counting on at least 3 balls per loaf. Roll each to equal lengths of coil and braid into 1 or more loaves.
In a small bowl, mix the extra egg together with a splash of water and brush over each loaf well, coating the entire top surface. Sprinkle the fruit or any toppings at this point, then place the tray (covering the loaves with wax paper or parchment sprayed with cooking oil) in a warm location for 20 – 30 minutes.
Once risen at least slightly, place the uncovered tray in an oven preheated to 350º F (static) or 325º F (convection) for 20 minutes (less time for smaller loaves). A toothpick inserted into the center of the bread should come out dry or with dry crumbs.
(Optional: instead of baking right away after rising, brush again with egg wash or spritz with water and cover with plastic wrap. Refrigerate overnight. Remove to the counter while pre-heating your oven. Remove plastic wrap and bake as directed.)
Remove to cool on a wire rack.
Notes
*If you don’t have yogurt on-hand, another good dairy-free substitute is 1 cup full-fat coconut milk (shake it well before measuring) + 1 tablespoon vinegar (not malt vinegar) or lemon juice.
**for a vegan egg-substitute, check my comprehensive vegan substitutes article for ideas. I have not tried anything in this recipe yet myself, but one reader used 1 Tbs. Just Egg per yolk and her challah loaves turned out beautifully!
***A stand mixer is recommended due to the thickness of the bread dough. A hand mixer is not recommended. You may mix by hand, but mix well. Alternatively, use a bread machine for mixing dough.
Nutrition Information
Yield 14 Serving Size 1Amount Per Serving Calories 245Total Fat 14gSaturated Fat 3gTrans Fat 0gUnsaturated Fat 10gCholesterol 94mgSodium 365mgCarbohydrates 19gFiber 2gSugar 15gProtein 5g
Please keep in mind that nutrition information provided is per serving, which may vary. While we have taken care to provide you with the most accurate nutritional values possible, please note that this information may differ significantly depending on the exact ingredients and brands that you choose to use to make this recipe. Additionally, where options are given for ingredients, the resulting calculation may include all ingredient options instead of only one per line, skewing the totals significantly.
Gluten Free Challah from gfJules Bread Mix
Gluten Free Challah from gfJules Bread Mix
Delicious gluten free challah made from an easy gluten free bread mix!
Ingredients
- 1 gfJules Gluten Free Bread Mix (with yeast packet)
- 4 Tbs. (56 grams) granulated sugar
- 3/4 cup water
- 3/4 cup yogurt of choice (not Greek style), room temperature (I like vanilla flavor)
- 1 tsp. apple cider vinegar
- 4 large egg yolks, slightly mixed*, room temperature
- 1/4 cup mild oil like sunflower, safflower, non-GMO canola, avocado, etc.
- 4 Tbs. honey, agave or maple syrup
Toppings
- 1 large egg mixed with 1 Tbs. water or milk
- poppy seeds, sesame seeds, raisins, diced apples, etc. (optional)
Instructions
Preheat your oven to 200º F, then turn it off. Prepare a baking sheet by lining it with parchment paper.
Bring all ingredients to room temperature. In the bowl of a stand mixer (recommended)**, add the wet ingredients (water, yogurt, cider vinegar, egg yolks, oil, honey) and mix until combined.
Gradually stir the gfJules Bread MIx + yeast packet into the wet until fully integrated.
Mix 1-2 minutes more on medium speed to ensure all ingredients are fully incorporated.
Once the dough is combined, divide it in half and divide each half into three equal-sized balls (6 balls total). Roll each ball out into an 18-inch coil or log on a clean, flat surface dusted very lightly with gfJules All Purpose Flour.
Pinch together one end of each coil, scoring and wetting them slightly with water to help them join together at the top, then braid them, finishing by connecting them at the other end.
Gently transfer braid to the parchment-lined baking sheet. Repeat for the second set of three balls. You may divide the dough into as many balls as you like, counting on at least 3 balls per loaf. Roll each to equal lengths of coil and braid into 1 or more loaves.
In a small bowl, mix the extra egg together with a tablespoon of water or milk and brush over each loaf well, coating the entire top surface. Sprinkle the fruit or any toppings at this point, then place the tray (covering the loaves with wax paper or parchment sprayed with cooking oil) in a warm location for 30 minutes.
Once risen at least slightly, place the uncovered tray in an oven preheated to 350º F (static) or 325º F (convection) for 20 minutes (less time for smaller loaves). A toothpick inserted into the center of the bread should come out dry or with dry crumbs when done.
(Optional: instead of baking right away after rising, brush again with egg wash or spritz with water and cover loosely with plastic wrap. Refrigerate overnight. Remove to the counter while pre-heating your oven. Remove plastic wrap and bake as directed.)
Remove to cool on a wire rack.
Notes
*see this post on vegan egg substitutes for suggested egg yolk substitutes. I have not tried anything in this recipe yet myself, but one reader used 1 Tbs. Just Egg per yolk and her challah loaves turned out beautifully!
**A stand mixer is recommended due to the thickness of the bread dough. A hand mixer is not recommended. You may mix by hand, but mix well. Alternatively, use a bread machine for mixing dough.
Don’t wait for the next special occasion to bake this incredible gluten free challah bread!
I hope you love this recipe as much as we do!
Pin for later!
Is this successful with a flax meal–and water/flax milk/coconut milk–substitute for egg?
Thank you
Hi Gen, I wouldn’t recommend an egg replacer in this recipe, as it is an egg bread. Most of my recipes work well with an egg replacer (if an egg is even called for in the ingredients), but when a recipe calls for this many eggs, the results will be radically different. I wish I had a better answer here!
~jules
Can I use your bread mix to make the Challah bread? It looks delicious!
Hi Jules…
Do you have any recommendations for this bread in high elevation? We live in the mountains in Colorado. My dough turned out a dry, I tried to add liquid but wasn’t successful. The bread tastes amazing but doesn’t look so good. I also need to order your gf flour blend…I was so excited about the recipe I used a similar blend because I will have to order yours online, so next time I will wait to make it when your flour blend arrives. Thanks, Christine
Oh my goodness…Jules! Thank you!! This challah is absolutely delicious. I baked it plain on this 1st attempt but will definitely be adding chocolate chips, raisins, sesame seeds etc the next time. I love the texture of the challah as well…I have only 1 major issue…I might eat it all before my kids and husband get home..OY!! Oh well…happy baking and eating. Thanks again for a terrific recipe and a wonderfully versatile GF flour mix!
Hi Lisa,
That’s wonderful to hear, and a good problem to have! 😉 I love your idea of all the additions on future loaves. Have fun!!!
~jules
I just bought your GF all purpose flour and want to make our weekly Challah, however I wanted to know if your flour will work as a replacement in any flour recipe. I have a special recipe I love to use that normally uses bread flour. Can I replace it with yours?
Hi Chantay, generally yes, you can just use my gfJules Flour in another recipe, but breads can be tricky. Have a look at this article on baking gluten free breads and this one on converting recipes to gluten free. You may want to use my Flour to make my gluten free challah recipe first, then you’ll have a better idea how the dough should behave in your recipe when made with gluten free flour. Let me know how it goes!
~jules
I love your recipes. I do not have your flour mix on hand right now, but would like to try making this now anyway. I know your mix has xanthan gum added to it, so how much would I have to add to this recipe to make it work? Thanks.
Would love to substitute using something other than yogurt. Any suggestions?
I just tried this recipe as a substitute for an old family recipe called julekai (Christmas cake). I added 1 tsp vanilla and 1 additional Tbs sugar. Right before I rolled it out, I added some frozen, pea-sized pieces of butter, about 1/4 cup. Then I rolled it into two sheets, each about 9×11 inches. I spread the center with cinnamon, sugar, brown sugar, chopped hazelnuts, and dark chocolate chips. Then I folded the edges up about 2 inches on each side to make a smaller rectangle. I let them rise and baked them until golden. They were delicious and the closest thing to the original recipe I have had yet. Thanks for posting this recipe!
Wow, Abbey, your Christmas Cake sounds divine! I can’t wait to try that modification this holiday season! Thanks so much for sharing, and I’m so happy to hear you loved this dough with your recipe! It’s one of our family’s favorites, as well!
Just bought your kindle edition of your latest book so that I can have it on my iPad as I shop. I downloaded your other cookbooks. Makes for a bulky 3 ring binder. Thanks for the kindle edition.
Fantastic, Shelley! I know keeping around all those cookbooks can get to be cumbersome!
I loved to bake bread, but I’ve been GF for 11 months. While my GI is much happier, my baking skills have been tested, challenged, and frustrated! I just tried this recipe and there was no way I was going to roll that dough out to braid. It was way to sticky. I added more flour, but I’m not sure how that effects the dough given it isn’t glutinous. How much more flour can I add to get it not to stick so much? Thanks. I wanted to make a challah for Thanksgivukkah in few weeks.
Hi Michelle, did you use any ingredient substitutions with the challah recipe? Did you use my Jules Gluten Free All Purpose Flour? Let me know so I can better help you figure out how to get this recipe right next time! Did you bake it out anyway? If so, how did it turn out?
I did use your all purpose flour, which I recently stalked up on for the holiday season. I didn’t have rapid rise yeast, so used the red star original. Other than that I tried to follow the recipe per se.
I couldn’t bread it, but I was able to shape and bake it. Tasted wonderful and the non-GF in my household enjoyed it tremendously.
It was just really sticky. I measured out the flour, but it felt like there wasn’t enough.
I guess it will just take practice and jolly gee won’t that be a shame. (Heehee)
I love your attitude about the practice and taste-testing, and it’s great that you are experimenting BEFORE you need the recipe! I wonder if you are measuring the flour differently than I do. Do you have a food scale? If so, 1 cup of my flour = 135 grams. If not, just make sure to scoop flour and put it into your cup measure then level with a knife. If it still feels too sticky when you’re done, add more and mix it in until you think you could braid it and see how that goes for comparison. Luckily you love the taste, so it’ll still be a winner regardless.
I do have a food scale. I’ll try that this Friday . Thanks for the help. It is appreciated.
Measured the flour by grams and added a bit extra and was able to braid my Challah for Thanksgiving / 2nd night of Hanukkah dinner. Thanks for all the help!
Fantastic Michelle! That’s so wonderful to hear! Happy Hanukkah!!!!
I must admit that this recipe is delicious–but I made a big mess! LOL! Just bought a new bread machine and I really want to try the Challah recipe–mess free this time….I hope. How can I adapt it to work using a bread machine? Thanks!
Hi Elyse – you can use the dough setting on your bread machine, but in order to braid it, you’ll have to take it out after that and braid then bake in the oven. You could just let the dough bake in the breadmaker as a regular loaf, though. Glad you’re enjoying the recipe!
I am making this again today! The last time I made 8 or 9 little braided loaves and froze the extras. I love being able to again unwind the braids bite by bite! I did not notice any change in quality even being frozen for up to 8 weeks. Just 20-30 seconds in the microwave and it’s like they are just cooling out of the oven!
That’s wonderful, Louise! I’ve had good luck freezing these loaves, too, but your idea to make a lot of small loaves and freeze them is wonderful! Thanks for sharing!
Thank you for this recipe. I used to make this every Easter until my son was diagnosed with Celiac. All these years we have been missing out. Can’t wait to try it. I like to incorporate the raisens in at the last minute instead of sprinkling them. Hope it works.
I’m sure your raisin method will work wonderfully, Pat. Enjoy!!
Have you ever tried freezing some of the dough and baking later? I’m afraid that if I made two loaves, one would go stale before I could get to it, and halving the recipe looks complicated (what with the five egg yolks).
Do you a recipe for pancakes? I attempted to use the flour with a traditional pancake recipe and it didn’t turn out very well. The pancakes were gummy and did not brown.
Any assistance will be greatly appreciated.
Thank you
Hi Vikki – anytime you need a recipe, just type it into the search bar on my blog. Pancakes come up several times!
Here’s a great pancake recipe for you! https://gfjules.com/gluten-free-life//pancakes/
Thank you, thank you, thank you!!! I’ve been trying to make great Easter Bread for years and your recipe was my solution. I added the zest of one orange and one lemon. I made 12 rolls in my muffin pans sprayed with Pam (I had a little dough left over) and cooked them for about 17 minutes on 350. I put a powdered sugar/water glaze on top after they came out of the oven. So crazy yummy!!!!
https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=506872526024111&set=a.358578797520152.110850.358168717561160&type=1&theater
That sounds divine, Alexis! Thanks so much for sharing your modifications! Glad I could help bring Easter Bread back to your table!
Hi Jules, We are a vegetarian family and I’m wondering if your all purpose flour contains gelatin?
thanks
Hi Cheri – I do don’t gelatin either, so no worries! My flour is free from gluten, the top 8 food allergens (including eggs and dairy) and is also vegetarian. Hope that works for you!
Hi Jules, how many loaves will this recipe make? (I can’t wait to make this! )
Hi Jennifer – if you follow the directions as written, it makes 2 loaves. You could easily make 4 smaller loaves though, just by dividing the dough again. Enjoy!
This is from one of my favorite cookbooks. I’m going to have to give it a try this weekend.
Hope you love it as much as we do in my household, Susan! (PS – glad my cookbook is one of your favorites!)
Your flour and recipes are great and you have shown us how to make many things gluten free. There is one thing I have been looking for and wondered if you had tried it, a loaf of sourdough bread. I would love to try it if you have any suggestions, we enjoy your many ideas!
Thanks so much, Carolyn! I am working on a sourdough right now, and hope to publish the recipe soon! So glad you’re enjoying my other recipes – keep the ideas coming and I’ll do what I can to help!
~jules