Vegan Challah

 

This recipe differs from the recipe for vegan hamburger buns in that is has a higher proportion of vegetable pulp.  It was also made with rapid rise yeast.  This was not intentional, but resulted in a very fluffy crumb.

 Vegan Challah

1 medium-large  cooked potato, about 6 ounces
2 ounces cooked sweet potato

2 ounces cooked winter squash such as butternut or pumpkin

(you should have a total of 10 ounces (1 1/4 cup) cooked mashed vegetables)

2 pounds and 2 ounces all-purpose flour (about 7-8 cups)

1 cup water (use water from cooking the potatoes, plus enough added to make one cup)
1 cup unsweetened soy milk

1 tablespoon, 3/8 ounce (about 1 1/2 packets) yeast (I think I must have used rapid rise yeast, which I recommend.  This dough rose like The Challah That Ate Cincinnati).
 

1/4 cup olive oil

1/4 cup date syrup, malt, or sugar (or honey, if cool)
1 tablespoon salt

optional:

For the holiday season, you may want to add:

2 1/2 ounces (1/2 cup) golden raisins, or Persian green raisins, or any other raisins moistened in a little tea or water (not quite enough liquid to plump them up, just a little, you know?)

Clockwise from 1:00  Black Afghan raisins, Manouka raisins, green Persian Raisins, purple raisins, golden raisins.  Persian greens are the sweetest.  Manoukas are amazingly delicious, but you must deseed them by hand.

Vegan Glaze
(optional)

1/4 cup water
1 Tablespoon agar
poppy seeds

Measure reserved potato water and if necessary, add enough water to make one cup.  If the water has become cool, reheat it.  Combine the water and soy milk in a mixing bowl.  The mixture should be warm.  Sprinkle yeast over the surface and add half the flour.  Mix with the paddle.  Leave the spongy dough in the mixing bowl to rise for 45 minutes.

Mix the dough once more with the paddle.  Remove the paddle and add the potatoes, syrup, oil,  salt, and remaining flour.  Knead with the dough hook for four or five minutes.  This dough can also be kneaded by hand.  The dough will be somewhat softer and stickier than typical bread dough, but worry not.

Turn the dough into an oiled bowl and allow to rise for another 40 minutes.  Punch it down, separate challah, and divide the remaining dough into twelve pieces for three 4-strand challahs or two 6-strand challahs. Allow the dough to rest a few minutes. Roll the dough bits into strands and allow them to rest another few minutes.  You might also let them rest in the middle of rolling if they are showing some resistance.    

Weave the strands into challahs.  

You can make six-strand koyletsh 

or Dem Rebns Khale (pull apart challah)

or challahpakhes

or challahsaurus

or shlisl challah

And of course for the joyous holidays, crown challahs.

Cover and and allow to rise another 45 minutes.

Heat the oven to 350F (Mark 4)

Bring 1/2 cup water to the boil.  Sprinkle the agar over the water and cook until clear.  Brush the tops of the risen buns with glaze, and sprinkle with poppy seeds. Bake the Challahs for about 35 minutes, rotating the pans after about 15 minutes. 

Just get a load of that tender, fluffy crumb.  No one could believe this was vegan.