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Gluten Free Oat Challah

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I just don’t want to be eating different things than everyone else” is one of the most frequently heard comments that I hear from people who eat gluten-free.  They don’t want to stand out or be different from everyone at the table.  A child that is at a birthday party or has friends over doesn’t want to be singled out as “the kid that can’t eat what all the other kids are eating.”  One of the bigger challenges is Shabbat or Yom Tov, when meals are the focal point.  After Kiddush, when Hamotzi is said over the challah, the GFE (Gluten-Free Eater) either can’t eat the challah or has to pull out something home made that doesn’t even come close to what everyone else is eating.  The Challah is passed around and the GFE has to say “no thanks”.  To some GFE’s it’s like wearing a sign that says “look at me…I’m a GFE!” When developing gluten-free recipes, I have found it’s important that the result is something that everyone will eat and doesn’t scream “gluten-free”.  This is especially important for challah!
 
Now according to many poskim (Rabbinic authorities), in order to say a Hamotzi bracha on challah it has to have a significant amount of flour made from one of the following five types of grains: wheat, barley, rye, oats or spelt.  Oats are considered a gluten free grain, which makes oat flour a good choice for gluten-free challah**.  The key is getting the oat flour challah to be light, fluffy, and to taste like the challah most people eat every Shabbat.  What makes baked goods light and fluffy?  Air…little pockets of air in the baked bread.  Some of the ways to get air into a recipe is to beat air into it, add a carbonated liquid, or add some sort of leavener such as yeast.  When dealing with a heavy flour, such as oat flour, we need all the help we can get.  I’ve added tapioca and potato starch to take the place of some of the oat flour in order to lighten the recipe.  Yeast and carbonated liquid will help with the leavening, but the beating option is out – beating will thicken the starches and be counterproductive. 
 
In a “gluten flour” bread recipe, the gluten acts as a binder and gives you the elasticity that you want in a good quality bread dough.  Since there is no gluten in oat flour we need something to actually bind the whole recipe together, which is why we add xanthan gum and starch.
 
Finally, there is the issue of the challah shape.  Many people resort to making little challah muffins because gluten-free challah dough is notoriously loose and sticky.  There are two easy ways to remedy this.  The first is to buy one of the cool braided challah shaped pans.  You can spoon the dough into the pan, let it rise and bake in the pan, and it comes out challah shaped!  Excellent!  The second alternative is to separate the dough into sticky dough balls, place them in a loaf pan and let them rise.  When the dough bakes it gives the appearance of being braided…just like a “normal” challah!  With this challah recipe, a GFE can become just an E (eater!)….exactly like everyone else!
 
Hey everyone!  My version of this recipe just appeared in the 2011 Rosh Hashana edition of Mishpacha Magazines “Kosher Inspired” (Hooray!!)!  If you didn’t get the actual magazine (with my article inside!) I hope you enjoyed it here!!
 
 
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Gluten Free Oat Challah

5 Stars 4 Stars 3 Stars 2 Stars 1 Star 5 from 1 review
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Ingredients

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  • 2 tablespoons yeast
  • 1 tablespoon sugar
  • 1/2 cup warm water
  • 4 – 4 1/2 cups certified gluten free oat flour (whisk to remove lumps)
  • 2/3 cup tapioca flour (starch)
  • 1 1/3 cup potato starch
  • 1 tablespoon xanthan gum
  • 3/4 cup sugar
  • 1 teapsoon salt
  • 4 large eggs
  • 1/2 cup canola oil
  • 1 cup seltzer
  • 1 large egg
  • 1 tablespoon warm water
  • sesame seeds, poppy seeds, dried onion (optional)

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Instructions

  1. Preheat oven to 350° F.
  2. In a small bowl combine the yeast, tablespoon of sugar, and warm water. Allow the yeast to proof for 5 minutes.
  3. In a large mixing bowl whisk together 4 cups oat flour, tapioca flour, potato starch, xanthan gum, sugar and salt. Make a small well in the center of the dry ingredients. Add the eggs, canola oil, seltzer and yeast into the well in the dry ingredients. Mix until the ingredients are just smooth and combined. Allow the dough to rest for 2 minutes. If the dough is particularly sticky or loose add the remaining ½ cup of oat flour and mix until the dough is smooth. Spoon into braided loaf pan, or form small dough balls and place into standard loaf pan to form braids. Cover the loaf and let rise for one hour. If baking in a standard loaf pan, combine the large egg and warm water and brush over the risen loaf. Top with sesame or poppy seeds if desired. Bake for 30 minutes until golden brown.

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Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Rising now….can't wait to eat some decent gf challah! Thanks for the recipe and shabbat shalom!

    Reply

  3. Thanks so much for posting this recipe… have been looking for a GF Challah!!

    Reply

  5. I made this with a little variance using a gluten-free flour mix since I didn't have the individual flours. I made two smaller challot and was able to braid them before I let them rise. They were amazing. Thanks so much for the recipe!

    Reply

  6. Thanks so much for your comment!!! I'm SO impressed that you were able to actually BRAID them! I'd love to see a photo the next time you make them.

    Thanks again for your comment…you can find more gluten free recipes under the gluten free tab or by searching for GFE (gluten free eater).

    Sharon

    Reply

    • I’d verutne that this article has saved me more time than any other.

      Reply

  7. Hello there! This is a good read. I will be looking forward to visit your page again and for your other posts as well. Thank you for sharing your thoughts about kosher bread. I am glad to stop by your site and know more about kosher bread. Keep it up!
    In addition to meat, all other produce of ritually unclean animals, as well as from unhealthy animals, were banned by the Talmudic writers. This included eggs (including fish roe) and milk, as well as derived products such as cheese and jelly, but did not include materials merely "manufactured" or "gathered" by animals, such as honey (although, in the case of honey from animals other than bees, there was a difference of opinion among the ancient writers). According to the rabbinical writers, eggs from ritually pure animals would always be prolate ("pointy") at one end and oblate ("rounded") at the other, helping to reduce uncertainty about whether consumption was permitted or not.
    Gluten Free Kosher Bread – For An Authentic And Healthy Choice.

    Reply

  8. How do I make gluten free oat flour challah without tapioca starch & xanthan gum? I don’t usually make this kind of challah, & don’t have time to run out and get those two other ingredients. Need to make this before Shabbos….
    Is the challah really going to be terrible without those ingredients? What can I substitute instead of those ingredients? Can I use baking powder/soda?

    Reply

    • Well…sorry I didn’t see this before Shabbat! In the future if you have an urgent question please pm me – I’ll answer super speedy quick. I think you could probably add additional potato starch instead of the tapioca starch – I just wouldn’t guarantee that it would come out the same as with the tapioca. The xanthan gum gives the challah a better texture. Leaving it out might make the challah more dense – you could try baking powder for leavening. I’d be curious as to how it turned out. If you try it please let me know! Kosher Everyday readers…what do YOU think? I hope you can give Basya some help too!

      Reply

  9. It’s not 6:36 it’s 1:36 EST

    Reply

  10. How much is this supposed to rise? I let it rise for about 2 hrs (in my oven). What is the density of this challah supposed to be? I felt that it was denser than I expected. It wasn’t like focaccia bread dense, but it wasn’t light like challah. I loved the flavor and texture but wished it was a bit lighter in density. Trying to figure out what went wrong.

    Reply

    • This is one of the final products… I know the yeast definitely activated because it rose and got bubbly. Maybe I mixed it too much or the seltzer was not room temp? /Users/RebeccaParmet/Desktop/IMG_7172.jpeg

      Reply

    • Thanks for your question. The dough is supposed to rise in the pans for around an hour. In order to make sure that the challah isn’t too dense, you MUST be careful to measure the ingredients properly. Don’t pack any of the flours – scoop them then level. If you add too much of any of the flours it will be more dense. Please let me know if this helps! Thanks!

      Reply

  11. I made this challah. It was more breadlike than other oat challah I have made and rose beautifully. However, it was dry. What can I do to keep it from getting dry.

    Reply

    • Thanks for your question Nina. Please make sure you are measuring the ingredients accurately. If you over measure the ingredients it will be dry as the Sahara.

      Reply

      • I have made this recipe twice more. I took great care with measuring. Dry as sand. Any modifications to suggest? Maybe some honey instead of sugar? Less of something? More of something?

        Reply

          • I have continued to work with the recipe and this last try I was successful.
            Here are some questions that came up:

            > Do you sift the flour? the other ingredients?
            > Do you weigh the ingredients?
            > If so, what weight of flour do you use?
            Thanks

          • I have been working with your recipe for a couple of years now, with success and failure. I think I finally worked out a consistent path to success.
            A. I weigh all dry ingredients in grams.
            B. I sift all dry ingredients
            C. Since I bake muffins I leave in for 25 minutes.

            My 9 year old gluten free granddaughter has been missing “real” challah. This method works for her and all the other gluten free people in my family.
            Thanks

          • Thanks so much for your suggestions and kind words! I’m so glad it works for your family! All the best, Sharon

          • Sharon, have you ever used an electric mixer to mix the dough?

          • Thanks for your question Nina. No, I never use an electric mixer. It would deflate the dough. The solution to your issue is to whisk all the dry ingredients before mixing in the wet ones until no clumps of flour exist. That’s probably one of the most critical steps to the process. It also helps to aerate the dough – which is what helps this Challah to be light and airy. Please let me know how it turns out! All the best, Sharon

          • Sharon, have you ever used an electric mixer to mix the dough? I am getting small clumps of dry ingredients in my dough

          • Thanks for your question Nina. No, I never use an electric mixer. It would deflate the dough. The solution to your issue is to whisk all the dry ingredients before mixing in the wet ones until no clumps of flour exist. That’s probably one of the most critical steps to the process. It also helps to aerate the dough – which is what helps this Challah to be light and airy. Please let me know how it turns out! All the best, Sharon

  12. i’m going to try this.
    can i add raisins?
    i was told expanded modified tapioca starch will make it more chewy? has anyone tried using some or part of the starch in this way?

    Reply

    • Thanks Rachel! Yes you can. I have never tried expanded modified tapioca starch…if you do please let me know how it turns out!

      Reply

  13. I am so glad I stumbled on your site by accident but your GFC looks amazing I can’t wait to try it I can’t eat white pot so I will try arrowroot in place hope it works . I have never seen gluten free bread look so wonderful . I have a bread maker did you ever try any GFB in a bread maker? Also would like to try Bobs Red mills 1/1 APF .Thanks

    Reply

    • Thanks for your comment Rivka! I don’t use a bread maker for this recipe. It’s pretty easy to mix by hand, and I worry that a bread maker will deflate the dough. Please continue to follow Kosher Everyday for more awesome recipes!!!

      Reply

  14. Hi Sharon. I love this recipe. Quick question…if I dont have potato starch what is the best substitute?

    Also, how do PM you?
    Thanks,
    Sara

    Reply

    • Hi Sara! Thanks so much. Maybe consider corn starch…it’s probably the closest. I’m not sure what you have in stock. You can find me on Instagram @koshereveryday and on Facebook too. I’d love to hear from you! All the best, Sharon

      Reply

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Kosher Everyday is dedicated to the memory of my father
Dr. Theodore Saltzberg - Tuvia Ben Nachum Z”L and Mother Yetta Saltzberg - Yenta Bat Shmuel Nechemia Z"L
May their memories be for a blessing - Yihi zichrom baruch.
 
Look for additional information about Kosher Everyday at www.koshereveryday.com,
everydaygluten-free.com, JewishExponent.com, aish.com, Mishpacha Magazine’s Kosher Inspired Magazine,
The Chicago Tribune Syndication,
or on Facebook at Kosher Everyday.
 
These recipes are for sole, personal use of visitors to Sharon Matten -Edible Experience Kosher Everyday. Kosher Everyday recipes are for your enjoyment but are not to be posted or reprinted without express permission from Sharon Matten. Thank you!!
 

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