Chaya’s Pumpkin Challah Recipe (2 versions)

Today is a special double-recipe day! We are thrilled to offer not one, but TWO different Challah recipes from Chaya Parkoff, one of our wonderful educators. Chaya teaches our weekly class every Wednesday afternoon at 3:00 PM, where they have just begun learning from a book called Revel In Emunah based on the teachings of Rav Moshe Shapira of blessed memory on Maimonedes’ Thirteen Principles of Faith. You can join the class at anytime, even if you don’t have the book and even if you can’t come every week.

Now – on to the Challah!

Chaya’s Pumpkin Challah Recipe  (Updated 10/20)
Ingredients:
Yeast – 2 packs (can be rapid rise) or 2T
Sugar – 1T
Water – 1c warm
Pumpkin puree – 1 cup
Warm water 5 cups
White flour (preferably bread flour) – 5lbs 
Sugar 2-3 cups 
Salt – 1.5T
Vital Wheat Gluten 3T (this is VITAL!)

Directions:

1. Put yeast in a measuring cup or bowl that is at least 3 cups
2. Sprinkle the tablespoon of sugar over the yeast and gently mix
3. Pour the 1cup of warm (not hot) water over the yeast/sugar
4. Cover with a cloth and let the yeast proof (it should make bubbles after a few minutes)
5. In a separate LARGE bowl, combine and gently mix together the pumpkin, oil, 4 cups of warm water
6. In a separate not as large bowl, mix the flour, 1.5T salt, 2-3 cups sugar 
7. Add the yeast mixture to the bowl of pumpkin, oil, etc and gently mix together
8. Slowly add the dry mixture into the bowl of wet ingredients, mixing with your hand, moving the mixture around the bowl
9. Keep adding the dry ingredients until they are mixed in and keep kneading until the mixture feels not too sticky and not too dry (you can add flour a little bit at a time or the remaining half cup of water as needed)
10. Put some extra oil on your hands and shmeer all over the dough.
11. Cover the bowl with Saran wrap or a warm moist towel for Approx 2 hours until it rises.
12. Punch down.
13. Take challah with a bracha. (You can also separate challah for bracha before rising)

Instructions for taking Challah

1. Divide the dough into the amount of loaves you want (we make 8 medium loaves)
2. Braid and then Let rise again for another hour.
3. Mix egg in a glass and brush on loaves (add sesame seeds, poppy seeds, or any other topping you like)
4. Bake on 325 for about 45 minutes watching to make sure bottom doesn’t burn

Chaya’s Pumpkin Challah Recipe (Vegan version) Updated 10/2020
Ingredients:
Yeast – 2 packs (can be rapid rise) or 2T
Sugar – 1T
Water – 1c warm
Pumpkin puree – Approximately 14oz can ( can be 13 or 15oz)
Oil – 1.5 cups
Warm water 5 cups
White flour (preferably bread flour) – 5lbs 
Sugar 2-3 cups 
Salt – 1.5T
Vital Wheat Gluten 3T (this is VITAL!)

Directions:

1. Put yeast in a measuring cup or bowl that is at least 3 cups
2. Sprinkle the tablespoon of sugar over the yeast and gently mix
3. Pour the 1cup of warm (not hot) water over the yeast/sugar
4. Cover with a cloth and let the yeast proof (it should make bubbles after a few minutes)
5. In a separate LARGE bowl, combine and gently mix together the pumpkin, oil, 4 cups of warm water
6. In a separate not as large bowl, mix the flour, 1.5T salt, 2-3 cups sugar 
7. Add the yeast mixture to the bowl of pumpkin, oil, etc. and gently mix together
8. Slowly add the dry mixture into the bowl of wet ingredients, mixing with your hand, moving the mixture around the bowl
9. Keep adding the dry ingredients until they are mixed in and keep kneading until the mixture feels not too sticky and not too dry (you can add flour a little bit at a time or the remaining half cup of water as needed)
10. Put some extra oil on your hands and shmeer all over the dough.
11. Cover the bowl with Saran wrap or a warm moist towel for Approx 2 hours until it rises.
12. Punch down.
13. Take challah with a bracha. (You can also separate challah for bracha before rising)

Instructions for taking challah

1. Divide the dough into the amount of loaves you want (we make 8 medium loaves)
2. Braid and then Let rise again for another hour.
3. Bake on 325 for about 45 minutes watching to make sure bottom doesn’t burn