Need a gluten free, dairy egg free challah recipe. Ideas?

My son has many allergies and I need to send a challah to school. I want to make one he can eat

Lara
  • Posted by: Lara
  • April 19, 2018
  • 2642 views
  • 11 Comments

11 Comments

Nancy
Nancy April 22, 2018
Looking over the answers, including from Bascula, HalfPint and Tamar, it sounds like there's a dilemma between making challah that's recognizable but that your boy can't eat or challah that he can eat (GF with oats) but that's unrecognizable as the usual bread...
Maybe volunteer to make food another week, a Jewish food he can eat in its recognizable (or close to recognizable) form.
Wishing you success as you solve this problem.
 
Tamar
Tamar April 21, 2018
There are certainly recipes for gluten free vegan challah like bread. You can even buy a cute silicone pan in the shape of a challah to bake it in, so it appears braided.However, this will not pass as challah for other kids. The taste texture and color will all be different.

I have a friend who is vegan and has a child with celiac and they are observant Jews. Over the years she has experimented with dozens of recipes. She has gotten to a point where she can make challah that she and her gluten free son like, but they really taste and look nothing like typical challah.

Good luck!
 
Bascula
Bascula April 20, 2018
I don't know, it seems to me that challah without eggs or dairy is not challah. Can you make it the traditional way and he would not eat it? I'm sorry but I don't think all things can be substituted.
 
HalfPint
HalfPint April 20, 2018
Challah is supposed to be pareve, so no dairy (i.e. butter). It's usually oil. It can be made without eggs ("water challah"). Challah can be made from five types of grain - wheat, barley, rye, oats or spelt. This is the hard part since only oats are gluten free.
 
Lara
Lara April 20, 2018
He is 9 and all year he has been doing that (he leaves the room bc he doesn’t like being different). Given our turn to bring, wanted something like a typical egg challah (we are reformed) he could eat
 
Nancy
Nancy April 19, 2018
Almost any bread recipe that he likes can be shaped & baked as challah.
It's supposed to be a "rich bread," so include some addition (if your son can eat it) like butter, fine olive oil, sugar &/or dried fruit.
 
Nancy
Nancy April 19, 2018
Ignore the butter idea; forgot about that allergy when i was writing.
 
Lara
Lara April 20, 2018
I disagree ... challah is more than just the shape. Is is for Hebrew school so it needs to be a true challah. Thx though
 
Nancy
Nancy April 20, 2018
@Lara - Agree with you completely, and, yes, answer was intended for use in Hebrew school, as your question implied. Sorry answer didn't meet with your pleasure.
Here are two challah discussions, one legal definition and one cooking/historical.
1) https://www.chabad.org/library/article_cdo/aid/484183/jewish/What-Is-Challah.htm
2) in NY Times, Dec 1, 2015 (but I'm having trouble with the link)
So, quantity (of flour) is important. But/and the beautiful plaited loaves (largely from middle European cooking) are customary but not required. As are eggs (custom, optional).
What, out of curiosity, is your definition?
 
HalfPint
HalfPint April 19, 2018
I have not made this but it looks good:
https://queerveganfood.com/2012/12/21/gluten-free-vegan-challah/

 
Lara
Lara April 20, 2018
I saw that ... was hoping to try something someone did. Thx
 
Recommended by Food52

Popular on Food52