Learn how to make and braid pumpkin challah that is both vegan and kosher. This recipe also includes easy braiding tutorial videos.
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Author: Katharina Arrigoni | BesondersGut

This fully vegan pumpkin challah recipe comes with several braiding options and video tutorials.

vegan pumpkin challah

Pumpkin Challah – Ingredients You’ll Need

The following is an overview of the ingredients needed to make a vegan pumpkin challah loaf. For the exact measurements, be sure to refer to the recipe card below.

vegan pumpkin challah

For the poolish

  • For the poolish, you’ll need water, white spelt flour, bread flour/white all-purpose flour, and fresh yeast.
  • For the pumpkin purรฉe, you’ll need a small, shiny organic pumpkin
  • For the dough, you’ll need the poolish, refined canola oil, water, pumpkin purรฉe, fresh yeast, sugar, bread flour or white all-purpose flour, and salt.
  • For brushing/sprinkling, you’ll need Maple syrup, Fine salt, and decorating sugar.
Vegan Pumpkin Challah

ย How to Make Vegan Pumpkin Challah

Poolish/Pumpkin Purรฉe

The day before: Put the water in a small bowl and stir in the yeast. Add the flour, mix well and cover. Let sit for two hours at 21-23ยฐC (69.8-73.4ยฐF) so the yeast starts to ferment. Continue to ferment in the fridge until the next day. The batter should at least double in size.

Vegan Pumpkin Challah Dough in a bowl

Remove the seeds from the pumpkin and cut into cubes, including the shell. Steam, let cool, and purรฉe. Let the purรฉe cool completely. Ideally also prepare the pumpkin purรฉe the day before and keep it in the fridge until needed.

Dough/First Proof

The next day: Put all the ingredients (except the 10-20g of water) in the order shown in the recipe in a mixing bowl and knead for 7-8 minutes at a low speed. The dough will be a bit sticky and even slightly gummy. But don’t worry! Continue to knead gently for 5 minutes and add 10-20g of water to the dough if and as required.

The dough should ultimately be soft and smooth.ย  You can also knead the dough by hand to the specified consistency, but this can take a few minutes longer.ย The ideal dough temperature after kneading is 23โ€“25ยฐC (73.4-77ยฐF). Cover airtight at 21-23ยฐC (69.8-73.4ยฐF) for one hour.

Shaping/Second Proof

vegan pumpkin challah loaves

Place the dough on an unfloured work surface. Depending on the braiding method, divide it into the number of pieces required (weigh each piece for more precision). Let the pieces sit for 10 minutes covered with a kitchen towel and then roll into strands using as little flour as possible. Lightly flour the strands, braid, and place on baking paper. Cover and let rise for another 30-45 minutes.

Braiding (with video tutorials)

8-Strand Braid Video Tutorial:

5-Strand Braid Video Tutorial:

(Note: the text overlay in the following two videos is in German, but the visuals should be easy enough to understand even if you don’t speak German!)

4-Strand Braid Video Tutorial

Note: The challah loaves in the pictures are 10-strand spiral braids. The method is the same as that of the 5-strand spiral head, only that the two strands are combined.

two pumpkin challah loaves

Brushing/Baking/Topping

pumpkin challah loaf with a piece torn off

Just before baking, brush the braid with maple syrup and bake for 35-45 minutes in a well-preheated oven at 190ยฐC (374ยฐF) without steam. After baking, but while the loaf is still warm, brush again with maple syrup and sprinkle with a bit of fine salt and an ample portion of decorating sugar โ€“ an awesome combination, I swear!

Vegan Pumpkin Challah – RECIPE CARD

Use this recipe card to save or print this vegan pumpkin challah recipe. For additional photos, be sure to read the full post above.

two vegan pumpkin challah loaves on a wire rack

Vegan Pumpkin Challah

5 from 2 votes
Learn how to make and braid pumpkin challah that is both vegan and kosher. This recipe also includes easy braiding tutorial videos.
Print Recipe Pin Recipe
Prep Time: 1 hour 5 minutes
Cook Time: 45 minutes
Rest/Proof Time: 14 hours
Total Time: 15 hours 50 minutes
Author: Katharina Arrigoni | BesondersGut
Servings: 1 large loaf

Ingredients

For the poolish

  • 100 g water
  • 50 g white spelt flour
  • 50 g bread flour/white all-purpose flour
  • 1 g fresh yeast

For the pumpkin purรฉe

  • 1 small - shiny organic pumpkin

For the dough

  • 1 poolish - cold
  • 80 g refined canola oil
  • 40 g water - +10-20g water
  • 90 g pumpkin purรฉe - You can use the rest of the pumpkin purรฉe for toppings, sauces, etc.
  • 8 g fresh yeast
  • 15 g sugar
  • 400 g bread flour/white all-purpose flour
  • 10 g salt

For brushing/sprinkling

Instructions

Poolish/Pumpkin Purรฉe

  • The day before: Put the water in a small bowl and stir in the yeast. Add the flour, mix well and cover. Let sit for two hours at 21-23ยฐC (69.8-73.4ยฐF) so the yeast starts to ferment. Continue to ferment in the fridge until the next day. The batter should at least double in size.
  • Remove the seeds from the pumpkin and cut into cubes, including the shell. Steam, let cool and purรฉe. Let the purรฉe cool completely. Ideally also prepare the pumpkin purรฉe the day before and keep it in the fridge until needed.ย 

Dough/First Proof

  • The next day: Put all the ingredients (except the 10-20g of water) in the order shown in the recipe in a mixing bowl and knead for 7-8 minutes at a low speed. The dough will be a bit sticky and even slightly gummy. But don’t worry! Continue to knead gently for 5 minutes and add 10-20g of water to the dough if and as required. The dough should ultimately be soft and smooth.ย 
  • You can also knead the dough by hand to the specified consistency, but this can take a few minutes longer.ย 
  • Ideal dough temperature after kneading: 23โ€“25ยฐC (73.4-77ยฐF)
  • Cover airtight at 21-23ยฐC (69.8-73.4ยฐF) for one hour.

Shaping/Second Proof

  • Place the dough on an unfloured work surface. Depending on the braiding method, divide it into the number of pieces required (weigh each piece for more precision). Let the pieces sit for 10 minutes covered with a kitchen towel and then roll into strands using as little flour as possible. Lightly flour the strands, braid and place on baking paper. Cover and let rise for another 30-45 minutes.ย 

Brushing/Baking/Topping

  • Just before baking, brush the braid with maple syrup and bake for 35-45 minutes in a well-preheated oven at 190ยฐC (374ยฐF) without steam. After baking, but while the loaf is still warm, brush again with maple syrup and sprinkle with a bit of fine salt and an ample portion of decorating sugar โ€“ an awesome combination, I swear!

Notes

  • This recipe makes either one large or two smaller pumpkin challah loaves.
  • If you use this recipe to bake two smaller loaves, shorten the baking time by approximately 10 minutes.
Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!
Vegan Pumpkin Challah

Recipe & photography by Katharina Arrigoni (BesondersGut).

More Vegan Challah Recipes You Might Like

If you enjoyed this vegan pumpkin challah recipe, you might also like these other challah recipes by Katharina Arrigoni.

You’ll also find a vegan cacao challah recipe by Katharina Arrigoni in our official Best of Vegan Cookbook.

SAVE/PIN/SHARE THIS PUMPKIN CHALLAH RECIPE

vegan pumpkin challah loaves

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One Comment

  1. Any tips to keep the dough from breaking apart when braiding? I had an issue keeping the pieces from breaking as I braided.. My challah had a lot of cracking during the back and doesnโ€™t look nearly as smooth.. any tips to prevent cracking as well?
    Loaves are cooling and I canโ€™t wait to have a piece!

5 from 2 votes (2 ratings without comment)

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