zenbelly

recipes for real life

  • About
  • Cookbooks
  • Recipes
  • House & Home

Grain-Free Challah – 1st edition

September 23, 2014 by zenbelly 72 Comments

This past week, I was chatting with my friend Jennifer of Predominantly Paleo about the Jewish food we missed from our childhoods and pre-paleo days, and challah was at the top of the list.

paleo challah
paleo challah

Paleo Challah that has the texture and taste of real challah? It’s a Rosh Hashanah miracle

Since I have compulsive recipe developing issues, I basically RAN to the kitchen to play mad scientist. It was one of those recipes that I decided to lock myself in the kitchen for until I perfected. I do that sometimes. (And we don’t have a dishwasher, so just imagine what it looks like in here a lot of the time.) In this case, I realized that Rosh Hashanah was coming up in a matter of days, so I had to get it right by then. HAD. TO.

Speaking of Jennifer, her and I are doing some fun collaborations these days, and she’s got a recipe up on her site that’s another Rosh Hashanah must-have. Apple Kugel! Go make it. And keep your eye out for more creations from the #YiddishKitchen.

paleo challah

An important note about this recipe, and most grain-free doughs: They’re different than the gluten containing doughs you remember, and even different than gluten-free versions. The “dough” for this challah is more like cake batter, even though it’s a yeast dough. It will rise due to the yeast, but it won’t be kneadable. It’s pourable, like cake batter. Because of this, you won’t be able to braid this bread like you would traditional challah. So you’ll need to pour it into loaf pans instead.

BUT WAIT! Because there is apparently nothing that you can’t buy on Amazon, you could, instead, buy a challah mold. (Yes, of course I bought one) I got this one, which it turns out is a braided loaf pan, but not necessarily a challah mold. The finished bread looked a bit like a caterpillar, or as people said on Instagram, a baby’s butt (in a good way), or perhaps even boobies. (I’m quoting here, don’t judge).

paleo challah

There’s also this option, which I believe yields a more traditional challah shape. I’m not completely sure of the volume of it though, but will report back when I know more. (I mean, a girl needs more than one challah mold, right?!) It looks deeper, so you might need to adjust the cooking time.

It’s also important to note that this recipe makes either 2 8″ loaves OR 1 large braid (like the one I got, above) plus about 9 “rolls”, which you can make in a muffin tin. It’s sort of random, I know, but to make the recipe yield just one large braid, I would have had to cut the recipe back to 3/4, which would have made the measurements kind of difficult.

One last thing! Please get a kitchen scale. The cup measurements are not nearly as reliable as the weights provided. There are a huge variety of them available, and they’ll up your kitchen game like whoa. Trust me.

Regardless of the shape you wind up making it, this challah is off the chain, real deal challah. As my Jewish sista from another mista Jennifer says: “It’s so good it will make you challah“

paleo challah

Print

Grain-Free Challah

paleo challah
Print Recipe
Pin Recipe

5 Stars 4 Stars 3 Stars 2 Stars 1 Star

No reviews

Challah isn’t off the table just because you’re grain-free!

  • Author: zenbelly
  • Prep Time: 20 minutes + time for the dough to rise
  • Cook Time: 20-25 minutes
  • Total Time: 2 hours
  • Yield: 2 8″ loaves or 1 large braid + 9 muffins/ rolls
  • Category: breads
  • Method: bake
  • Cuisine: jewish

Ingredients

  • 1/2 cup warm water (warm enough to feel warm on the inside of your wrist, but not burn)
  • 1 tablespoon active dry yeast
  • 1 tablespoon honey
  • 8 eggs
  • 12 tablespoons butter, melted and cooled
  • 1/4 cup honey
  • 150 grams almond flour (about 1 1/2 cup)
  • 200 grams tapioca starch (about 1 3/4 cup)
  • 200 grams potato starch (about 1 1/4 cup)
  • 2 tablespoons psyllium husk
  • 1 1/2 teaspoons salt

Instructions

  1. In the bowl of your stand mixer, or a large bowl if using hand beaters, whisk together the warm water, honey, and yeast. Set aside for 5 minutes; it should get foamy and active.
  2. In a medium bowl, whisk together the eggs, melted butter, and honey.
    Set aside 1 tablespoon of this mixture to use as your egg wash.ย 
  3. Whisk the egg mixture into the yeast mixture, and then add the almond flour, tapioca starch, potato starch, psyllium husk, and salt.
  4. Allow it to rise for 60-90 minutes, until the dough is at least doubled in size (the warmth of the room will determine how long this takes). It still won’t be the consistency of a traditional bread dough, it will be more like cake batter. Once risen, preheat your oven to 350.
  5. If using loaf pans:ย Grease with butter. Pour half of the dough into each, and bake for around 10 minutes. After 10 minutes, brush with the egg wash you had set aside. Bake for another 10, or until golden brown and it bounces back when you lightly push on the top.If using a challah mold:ย Brush the inside of the mold with the egg wash you have set aside and pour in the dough so it reaches to about 1 inch below the top. Pour the rest into parchment lined muffin tins, about 3/4 full. Bake the muffins for 10 minutes, and the loaf for about 25. Allow to cool before removing from pans.

Did you make this recipe?

Tag @zenbelly on Instagram and hashtag it #zenbelly

L’Shanah Tova!


All of the links on zenbelly.com are for information purposes, however some are affiliate links to books, products or services. Any sponsored posts are clearly labelled as being sponsored content. Some ads on this site are served by ad networks and the advertised products are not necessarily recommended by Zenbelly.

Filed Under: breads & muffins, Rosh Hashanah Tagged With: glutenfree challah, grainfree bread, grainfree challah, jewish paleo, paleo challah, paleo rosh hashanah recipes, yiddish kitchen

« The Zenbelly Cookbook Table of Contents
Fresh Cranberry Pumpkin Scones »

you might also like:

Comments

  1. Sarah says

    September 24, 2014 at 6:00 am

    Have u made this without psyllium husk??

    Reply
    • zenbellyblog says

      September 24, 2014 at 8:54 am

      Nope.

      Reply
  2. Lexi @ Lexi's Clean Kitchen says

    September 24, 2014 at 10:55 am

    This looks AMAZING!!!! Happy New Year ๐Ÿ™‚

    Reply
    • zenbellyblog says

      September 24, 2014 at 6:51 pm

      Happy New Year!

      Reply
  3. Jess says

    September 24, 2014 at 12:52 pm

    Does the recipe really call for 12 tbsp of butter?

    Reply
    • zenbellyblog says

      September 24, 2014 at 2:24 pm

      Sure does.

      Reply
  4. Deitan says

    September 24, 2014 at 1:37 pm

    Wow! So excited to try this! If I do not have psyllium husk do you think I could substitute ground flax meal?? I was reading somewhere that it could be swapped out, but have also run into comments about it not producing the same results. Thank you for being so committed to producing recipes like these that allow us to experience those memories long gone with lifestyle changes!

    Reply
    • zenbellyblog says

      September 24, 2014 at 3:15 pm

      It’s worth a shot but I can’t say for sure how it would come out… The psyllium is very absorbent and helps the texture be more bread-like. But the flax might do something similar! My guess would be it might be a big different, but should still work. Let me know how it goes!

      Reply
      • Deitan says

        September 25, 2014 at 10:38 pm

        I made it today and it was a great success! I used the ground flax meal instead of psyllium husk. Thinking of the difference in the behavior of the two ingredients I upped the flax to a generous 3 tbls. I was a bit short on the potato starch so I made up the difference with tapioca flour. In with trying to make sure I was following the recipe I accidentally poured all of the egg mixture into the dough (Oy!) so I just stirred a little honey into some heavy cream. It made two fairly light, fine crumbed loaves that were compared to cake by my kids. Was very popular with an extra drizzle of honey ;0) Thank you again for doing all the footwork to encourage us all to persevere in adapting to a healthier us!

      • zenbellyblog says

        September 29, 2014 at 1:39 pm

        So glad to hear it! Thanks! ๐Ÿ™‚

  5. Barbara Brown says

    September 24, 2014 at 3:57 pm

    Is there a substitute for psyllium husk, which I can’t find locally? Might xanthan gum work? Thank you for this timely recipe!

    Reply
    • zenbellyblog says

      September 24, 2014 at 6:52 pm

      I don’t know for sure. It’s absorbent and helps with the texture. Not sure if xanthan gum does the same thing or not!

      Reply
    • Suzanne says

      October 28, 2014 at 2:45 pm

      I would go online to find the psyllium husk rather than using xanthan gum.

      Reply
  6. Allison says

    September 24, 2014 at 7:47 pm

    Looks amazing! I have all the ingredients so will be making this in a few days ๐Ÿ™‚

    Reply
  7. ari says

    September 24, 2014 at 10:41 pm

    i have a serious nut and dairy allergy, and man oh man does this look great. maybe i’ll give this a shot with sunflower seed flour and coconut oil and hope it works out! ps wouldn’t 12 tablespoons be 6 oz/ .75 cup? wondering for the coconut oil measurement is all ๐Ÿ™‚

    Reply
  8. amyayers2 says

    September 25, 2014 at 12:28 pm

    This bread tastes AMAZING!!!!

    Reply
  9. Leah says

    September 25, 2014 at 4:06 pm

    I am not Jewish but I fell in love with Challah when I was in culinary school. I LOVE making it and love eating it. SOOOOOOOO excited to try a grain-free version that my body will love me eating as well. ๐Ÿ™‚ YAY!!! Thanks!

    Reply
    • Dorene says

      October 31, 2020 at 7:15 am

      LOL lol, I don’t think you have to be Jewish to love Challah bread. I absolutely love bread and love my Challah. I can’t wait to try this one. I just cracked up laughing when she said she had a Challah mold!

      Reply
  10. mishmish says

    September 27, 2014 at 6:40 am

    My sister-in-law made this for me in a large muffin pan. AMAZING! We all loved it. I’m not sure anyone could even tell it was grain-free!

    Reply
  11. Sarah B says

    October 5, 2014 at 11:44 am

    Do you know what the approximate calories per loaf or per recipie may be? Thx

    Reply
    • zenbellyblog says

      October 7, 2014 at 9:36 am

      Not a clue!

      Reply
  12. amcken3 says

    October 9, 2014 at 2:30 pm

    DANG! I can’t have tapioca or potatoes =(

    Reply
    • Laura Harmasch says

      October 17, 2014 at 10:01 pm

      GMO free corn starch acts similar I think.

      Reply
    • zenbellyblog says

      October 19, 2014 at 9:37 am

      If you can do other starches, you could experiment with them; they tend to act somewhat similarly.

      Reply
  13. Max says

    October 17, 2014 at 6:36 pm

    I’m allergic to almonds.. Do you know of a good substitute?
    Thanks

    Reply
    • zenbellyblog says

      October 18, 2014 at 9:50 am

      Cashew flour acts similarly, or sunflower flour, although it will change the taste quite a bit.

      Reply
  14. Ana says

    October 17, 2014 at 6:51 pm

    Anything to substitute the yeast?? Allergic to it!

    Reply
    • zenbellyblog says

      October 18, 2014 at 9:51 am

      unfortunately, no. it would be best to just go with a yeast-free challah recipe.

      Reply
  15. Jenny says

    October 17, 2014 at 8:26 pm

    Just making this now – looks great took it out of the oven and the middle was still totally raw….

    Reply
    • zenbellyblog says

      October 18, 2014 at 9:49 am

      What size pans are you using?

      Reply
  16. KarraLynn says

    October 21, 2014 at 1:56 pm

    Have you used this to make french toast, by chance?

    Reply
    • zenbellyblog says

      October 22, 2014 at 12:57 pm

      YES. omg it’s so amazing for French toast! Seriously just like I remember it from my pre-paleo days.

      Reply
      • KarraLynn says

        October 22, 2014 at 1:04 pm

        SOLD. I was never a big bread eater, but I would throw myself into oncoming traffic for some great french toast. Can’t wait to try it!

      • zenbellyblog says

        October 22, 2014 at 9:16 pm

        ๐Ÿ™‚

      • Maureen says

        December 9, 2014 at 9:36 am

        What about an overnight french toast casserole? Would it hold up?

      • zenbellyblog says

        December 10, 2014 at 8:52 am

        I think so! The texture is so close to regular bread, I’m guessing it would work. Maybe don’t try with a giant batch the first time, though- just to be sure! And please let me know how it turns out if you try it!

  17. Leslie says

    November 2, 2014 at 3:55 pm

    Just curious if you ever tried this recipe with the other Challah mold and if so, which mold did you like better? I’m looking forward to making this!

    Reply
    • zenbellyblog says

      November 3, 2014 at 9:25 am

      I only tried it with regular bread pans, and the longer, skinnier metal mold. I need to try it with the silicone one, too. I like the shape of that one better. As far as actual result, I think you’d be good either way, just keep an eye on it, in case the shape difference = different thickness.

      Reply
  18. Kim says

    November 4, 2014 at 11:36 am

    Thank you for this recipe! I can’t wait to buy the silicone mold and give it a try! I love making traditional challah, but I recently discovered that I have a wheat allergy. Two of my nieces have celiac disease, and I can’t wait to surprise them with this!!

    Reply
  19. Lori says

    November 13, 2014 at 8:05 am

    I split the recipe in half and made one loaf as an experiment. It came out less egg-y than I’d have thought, but the resulting product was quite good. Even my “I don’t understand why you had to ruin everything by going Paleo” daughter liked it. I’m not sure if one more egg would fix that or if I should leave it as is. Even better, the bread toasts well, as I discovered this morning. This is great since my plan is make toasted bread cubes to use in chestnut stuffing for Thanksgiving. Thank you!

    Reply
  20. Gemma says

    November 13, 2014 at 8:42 pm

    Have you tried freezing extra rolls and/or loaves? We probably wouldn’t consume the whole recipe, so I wonder if it’d work to freeze and defrost…

    Reply
  21. Gemma says

    November 13, 2014 at 8:52 pm

    Also, I was looking at the silicone challah molds, and there is a large 13×7 or a smaller 9×5….do you think you could do two 9×5, or would it be too thin?

    Reply
  22. Mary says

    November 21, 2014 at 10:52 am

    Looks great! I’m with KarraLynn, I have been missing french toast fiercely.

    Only one rise or do you let it rise in the pan before baking as well? Wouldn’t the dough deflate when it goes into the pans? Did I miss a second rise somewhere? ๐Ÿ™‚

    Reply
    • zenbellyblog says

      November 21, 2014 at 4:54 pm

      It does deflate when it goes into the pans, but rises in the oven again. I was never a bread baker in my pre-paleo days, so you might have a better touch then me! It worked for me with one rise, but let me know if you try two, and who it does! ๐Ÿ™‚

      Reply
      • Lori says

        November 24, 2014 at 5:15 am

        I made this recipe for the second time last night so that I could use the bread to make stuffing for Thanksgiving. I too wondered about a second rise, so I gave it a try with this batch. I let the dough rise again 30 minutes after transferring it to the loaf pans. While this batch did come out a little bit lighter than the first attempt. If I have time for a second rise, I’d do it again, but if I were pressed for time, I think it’s okay without it.

        I know I complemented this loaf in an earlier comment, but I have to say again how fantastic this is and how grateful I am for the efforts that must have gone into perfecting it. Even my “I wish you’d never started this stupid Paleo diet” kids ask if they can have a slice (or two, or three) of this bread. I may have to bake it again before Thursday. It’s going fast.

      • Mary says

        November 25, 2014 at 5:46 pm

        I let one loaf rise twice, it’s thicker but not as rounded on top. The first loaf which did not have the second rise has a wonderful taste and texture and decent rise. I am familiar with making batter breads with wheat flour and it is very like.

        In fact I can already want to eat half the loaf which is my normal response to home-made bread. ๐Ÿ™‚

        Lori– I too plan on using this for stuffing! Are you going to try yours in the bird? I love stuffing in the bird. fingers crossed.

      • Lori says

        November 25, 2014 at 9:38 pm

        Hi Mary,

        No, I’m planning to cook mine outside the bird. I’m making two types of stuffing, a regular cornbread stuffing for the non-Paleo diners at my table, and a modified chestnut stuffing recipe from BHG for myself and anyone else who cares to try it. This is the only dish where I’m planning to make two different versions. Everything else on the table will be Paleo.

      • Mary says

        December 15, 2014 at 7:17 am

        the stuffing in the bird was not a good idea, I rescued it by combining it with the stuffing that didn’t fit and broth and egg and cooking it in oven and it was fine. the batter bread challah is first rate!

  23. charliegrogan says

    December 3, 2014 at 11:52 am

    Going to make this and pour it in muffin top pan and use two, one for the bottom and one for the top for a burger! Brushed with a touch of olive oil and grilled first of course! Canโ€™t wait ๐Ÿ™‚

    Reply
  24. Heather says

    December 27, 2014 at 2:23 pm

    I don’t have the challah pan and only own one loaf pan…. So I’ve been making it in my bundt pan! It turns out really well, though it does have to bake a bit longer. I’m making it for the 3rd time tonight – it’s my hubby’s favorite grain-free bread ๐Ÿ™‚

    Reply
  25. Jane says

    January 21, 2015 at 8:44 pm

    This is a seriously phenomenal recipe. What an absolute treat! Thank you so much.

    Reply
    • Jane says

      May 17, 2015 at 10:24 pm

      p.s. I used the batter today to made liege-style waffles (though without pearl sugar) and they were pretty fabulous.

      Reply
  26. Angela Privin at Paleo Kitchen Lab says

    March 5, 2015 at 11:34 pm

    I just made the muffin version of these. Amazing. You never dissapoint. It tastes so much like actual challah. Genius.

    Reply
  27. Mrs Oz says

    April 8, 2015 at 9:51 pm

    Do you have the Nutrition info on this recipe?

    Reply
    • zenbellyblog says

      April 14, 2015 at 11:00 am

      I do not post nutrition information, because it’s not my focus, and I don’t put much weight on nutrition labels. You could type the ingredients into a nutrition calculator if you were interested in the breakdown. .

      Reply
      • Mrs Oz says

        June 24, 2015 at 9:20 pm

        Thanks, I will do that. As a T1 diabetic, some of us have to be a little more careful than others, and having that helps.

  28. Sue says

    May 12, 2015 at 6:43 pm

    WOW!!!!! This is the best grain free bread yet! Made it tonight in two 8.5 ” pans, which were overflowing in the oven. I put a cookie sheet in to catch the overflow which kind of turned into bread-sticks. The taste and texture is awesome! Thanks for sharing this recipe!

    Reply
  29. Randi says

    June 12, 2015 at 9:18 am

    I’m doing whole 30, but my husband objected to sweet potato in place of challah last shabbatt. This sounds fantastic, but do you think i can leave out / replace the honey with something whole 30 compliant?

    Reply
    • zenbellyblog says

      June 23, 2015 at 11:06 am

      The honey is pretty crucial to the flavor of the challah, and I don’t think any kind of bread is whole 30 compliant, is it? Meaning even without the honey, this isn’t W30. Unless you’re making your own rules about it?(which I totally do so that’s not a judgment at all) ๐Ÿ™‚

      Reply
  30. Sarah says

    July 11, 2015 at 4:56 am

    do you really only bake this for a total of 20-25 mins? in my experience, gf loaves take longer to bake than that…..

    Reply
    • zenbellyblog says

      July 13, 2015 at 11:47 am

      Yes. It’s a yeast bread, so not dense like normal GF loaves.

      Reply
  31. Marty says

    September 2, 2015 at 8:12 pm

    Do you use psyllium husk powder or flakes? If the former, can I grind up the flakes and make my own powder?

    Reply
    • zenbellyblog says

      September 4, 2015 at 8:20 am

      whole psyllium husk, so not the powder. I guess that’s also called flakes?

      Reply
  32. Shari Z says

    September 7, 2015 at 9:44 am

    I am so excited to try this! I will be surprising my sister for the new year. I was wondering if you could add raisins for Rosh Hashanah? I haven’t worked too much with gluten-free batters and was curious. Thank you and Happy New Year

    Reply
    • zenbellyblog says

      September 10, 2015 at 12:57 pm

      You definitely can! Just stir them in before you bake.

      Reply
      • Shari Z says

        September 12, 2015 at 8:11 am

        Thank you for replying:)

  33. Lara says

    September 20, 2015 at 2:35 am

    OMG This is soo good. My non paleo, gluten eating guests at rosh ha shana were bowled over, and me, and my family ADORED it!!! Thank you thank you. I wish you did catering in australia!!!

    Reply
    • zenbellyblog says

      September 21, 2015 at 12:06 pm

      Thanks, Lara! I’m so glad to hear it! I wish I could cater in Australia, too. As soon as we can teleport… ๐Ÿ˜‰

      Reply
  34. Tallie Rabin says

    November 28, 2018 at 2:29 pm

    Might seem crazy to ask but

    … what about making this without eggs? Or what could I substitute for eggs? My husband is off grains AND eggs. ๐Ÿ™‚ Thanks!

    Reply
    • zenbelly says

      November 28, 2018 at 7:59 pm

      I honestly don’t know, it’s a pretty egg-heavy recipe!

      Reply
  35. Adeena says

    August 31, 2023 at 8:59 am

    I can’t wait to make this for Rosh Hashanah!

    Can I use coconut butter instead of regular? What would happen if we just used a liquid oil, like avocado oil?

    Reply
    • zenbelly says

      August 31, 2023 at 6:56 pm

      that should work, but it’s tough to say for sure with any ingredient swaps with baking. I do have this grain-free and dairy-free version that is even better, imo! https://www.zenbelly.com/gluten-free-challah/

      Reply

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Recipe rating 5 Stars 4 Stars 3 Stars 2 Stars 1 Star

About Me (Hi! I’m Simone)

Hello, and Welcome! I'm so glad you're here.ย Why? Because my most favorite thing is to help home cooks feel like pros in their kitchens. A little about me... I've been cooking professionally for a long time - around 25 years - and ...

Read More »

Archives

Privacy Policy

Copyright © 2025 · Foodie Pro Theme by Shay Bocks · Built on the Genesis Framework · Powered by WordPress