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Gluten-free sourdough challah sliced up close.

Gluten-Free Sourdough Challah

Natasha Levai
This delicious, soft, and rich gluten-free sourdough challah is great with butter, honey, and jam or on its own with a cup of hot coffee!
5 from 9 votes
Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 50 minutes
Fermentation 3 hours 30 minutes
Total Time 4 hours 35 minutes
Course Bread, Dessert
Cuisine Jewish
Servings 1 loaf
Calories 548 kcal

Ingredients
  

For the dough

  • 20 grams whole psyllium husks, not powder
  • 225 grams warm water, not hot
  • 115 grams potato starch, or cornstarch, or tapioca starch
  • 55 grams brown rice flour
  • 60 grams sorghum flour, not millet or amaranth
  • 55 grams sugar, or coconut sugar
  • 8 grams baking powder, make sure it is gluten-free
  • 6 grams xanthan gum, or guar gum
  • 8 grams salt
  • 220 grams gluten-free sourdough starter, active, not from the fridge
  • 40 grams neutral seed or vegetable oil
  • 1 egg
  • 2 egg yolks

For topping

  • 1 egg for the egg wash
  • 1-2 tablespoon seeds of choice (sesame seeds, linseeds, etc.)

Instructions
 

Mixing the dough

  • First, we will make psyllium gel. Add psyllium husks to the warm water and whisk to combine.
    Set the mixture aside for a couple of minutes to let the gel form.
  • In another large mixing bowl combine all of the dry ingredients: flours, starch, baking powder, sugar, xanthan gum, and salt.
    Stir to combine.
  • Take 2 eggs and separate the yolks from the whites. Cover the whites with a plastic wrap and place in the fridge.
    We will only need the yolks for this recipe!
  • Add all of the wet ingredients to the bowl with the dry ingredients: psyllium gel, sourdough starter, egg yolks, egg, and oil.
    Mix the dough very well. I prefer using an electric mixer with dough hooks but you can use your hands or a wooden spoon.
    Mix for 5 minutes if using a mixer and longer if doing it by hand. You want a smooth and evenly incorporated dough.

Shaping the challah (see pics in the post!)

  • Flour the working surface and transfer the dough to it. The dough will be very sticky at first but avoid the temptation to mix in more flour!
    Rather, dust the dough with flour on the outside and shape it into a ball. Use as much flour as you need to shape the dough.
  • Divide the dough ball into four equal parts using a bench scraper or a knife.
    You can weigh each part to make sure they are all the same size.
  • Take one part of the dough and shape it into a small ball. Then, start rolling it out on the working surface into a long rope with the palms of your hands.
    Keep rolling back and forth until the rope is about 16in/40cm. Try to make the rope thicker in the middle and thinner on the ends.
  • Repeat the rolling out process with the rest of the dough parts.
    Place the ropes onto a piece of parchment paper as you see in the picture in the post. Be careful and gentle with the dough to avoid tearing or breaking it!
    Take the farthest right rope and start weaving it through the other three. Then, take the one that is on the right now and weave it towards the left. Continue the process unit the challah is fully braided.
  • Tuck the ends of the challah under the dough, then repeat with the other side.

Proofing/Fermentation

  • Let the challah proof for 3.5-4 hours in a warm and draft-free spot. I like leaving my challah to ferment in the oven with the oven light turned on. This creates the perfect temperature for rising.
    If you are going to proof the dough on the counter, make sure to cover it with a kitchen towel. It is best if you figure out a way to cover it without the towel touching the dough!

Baking

  • Once the dough is proofed, it will puff up but it won't quite double in size.
    Whisk an egg with a fork and brush the challah with it. You can use a silicone brush!
    Generously sprinkle the challah with sesame or linseeds.
  • Cover the dough with foil loosely (shiny side up) so as not to press it down.
    This way we prevent the top from burning during the first baking part.
    Place the covered dough into the oven, add a baking dish with water to the bottom of the oven, and turn the oven on to 430F/220C.
    You don't need to have a preheated oven for this step. Let the dough heat up together with the oven.
    Once the oven is fully preheated, start the timer and bake the challah for 30 minutes.
    Then, take the water and the foil out, lower the temperature to 350F/175C, and continue baking for another 20 minutes.
    Let the challah cool for 20 minutes before eating. Enjoy!

Nutrition

Calories: 548kcalCarbohydrates: 62.6gProtein: 15.7gFat: 27.3gSaturated Fat: 6.8gCholesterol: 710mgSodium: 880mgPotassium: 402mgFiber: 7.8gSugar: 14.6gCalcium: 170mgIron: 3mg
Keyword Gluten-free sourdough challah, Gluten-free sourdough discard recipes, gluten-free sourdough recipes, gluten-free sourdough starter recipes
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