My good friend Aviva is in rabbinical school. Aviva writes a fantastic blog about her rabbinical school journey called Becoming Rabbi, which you can read by clicking here. I’m currently in LA visiting family and friends, and Aviva and I decided that we would catch up while making loaves of the traditional Jewish Sabbath bread challah. Aviva lives in Bel-Air, a gorgeous neighborhood in Los Angeles made famous by The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air. I’m currently living in West Philly so visiting Aviva at her beautiful Bel-Air home to make challah seemed especially appropriate!
Aviva is a whiz at making all kinds of challah. She knows how to craft perfect loaves of crunchy yet gooey raw vegan challah (we worked together at the raw vegan retreat center, where Aviva honed her craft), traditional (non-vegan) challah, and glutenous vegan challah, but never before had Aviva made (cooked) gluten-free vegan challah!
We were both up for the challenge and spent several hours making the bread and waiting for it to rise while gabbing, catching up with her wonderful hubby, listening to music (Aviva always has the latest and coolest mixes), and just enjoying the spirit of making Shabbos bread. Here’s the recipe we used, adapted from several challah recipes to include our gluten-free twist. I hope you enjoy making it and sharing it with loved ones, whether you celebrate Shabbat or just want some seriously awesome gluten-free vegan bread!
Gluten Free Vegan Challah
(Serves 6-8)
The braided challot prior to heading to the oven.
Ingredients:
Dough part 1:
2 1/2 tsp gluten-free rapid rise yeast
1 cup warm water
4 1/4 cups gluten-free flour
1/3 cup coconut palm sugar, xylitol or regular raw sugar
1 tsp salt
4 Tbs canola oil
Dough Part 2 (Egg substitute):
3 Tbs canola oil
3 Tbs warm water
2 tsp baking powder
Instructions:
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Pour the yeast into the water along with a pinch of sugar in a large bowl. Mix these until well combined. Let the mixture rest for a couple minutes until bubbly and creamy. Add the sugar, salt, and additional 2 Tbs of canola oil and mix. Beat the “Dough Part 2″ egg replacement ingredients with a whisk until it fizzes and pour this into the yeast mixture. Add the flour, one cup at a time, until the mixture is thick and difficult to stir. Transfer the dough to a lightly floured surface and knead it until it is springy and elastic (about 5-10 minutes).
The ingredients for “Dough Part 2″ work as the binding agent or “egg”. Add part 2 to part 1 right before you mix the flour. Transfer the dough to a lightly oiled bowl. Cover with a slightly damp cloth or plastic wrap and set in a warm place for an hour and a half. After this, transfer the dough to a lightly floured surface and separate the dough into equal portions, depending on how many challot you care to make. We made 4 pieces and 4 challot. Divide each piece into 3 pieces and roll out into 3 equal-sized strands. Pinch the ends together and braid the dough.Place on a baking sheet or greased pan and bake for 30 minutes. Enjoy! 
Aviva and I, holding our freshly baked gluten-free vegan challah!
These dark green kale leaves were beautiful when I picked them up at the Glendale Farmers’ Market near our new home, but wow, did they look crazy amazing after being doused in their spirulina-Vitamineral green coating! The above photo represents my first-ever attempt to make dehydrated kale chips with an algae coating. The 
