Gluten Free and Low Sugar Challah Bread

Gluten Free and Low Sugar Challah Bread is real. Figuring out how to make Gluten Free and Low Sugar Challah Bread is really like a dream come true.
That is because it is not every day that you can find this gluten free and low sugar in a bakery.

Gluten Free and Low Sugar Challah Bread

Challah Bread has always been the staple bread eaten on the Jewish Sabbath.
However, because it is such a tasty bread, many of us enjoy it on any day of the week. As a matter of fact, there are many chefs and 'experts' out there who will only use Challah to make recipes such as French toast (the best!) or as a dipping bread for dips or fondue.

There is a reason why Challah is so tasty too.
Challah is also known as an "egg bread". That is because there are more eggs added to this bread than to other breads. Also, an additional egg is used to coat the Challah before it goes into the oven.

Even more notable is that this bread is braided.
There can be up to six strands used in braiding the Challah. This is not an easy feat. Since my Challah is a gluten free bread, I will stick to an easy three strands as three strands are a lot easier when you are minus your gluten.

This is a 'low sugar' bread. Here is why.

When I post a recipe, my goal is to make that recipe as low in sugar as possible. However, having said that, it is not always possible to make a recipe 100% sugar free. Because we are using yeast in this recipe and the yeast needs a bit of sugar to aid in it's reaction. For the bread itself, we will use the sugar alternative of your choice.

The topping of this bread is also important.
You may have seen this bread in the past with a sesame or poppy seed topping. Kosher salt is another popular topping to add. I sometimes like to use my favorite Roasted Garlic and Herb Seasoning on this bread. You can find Kosher Salt really cheap on Amazon by the way.

The big thing about making this recipe gluten free is what to use in lieu of wheat flour.

You can find a lot of gluten free flour choices on Amazon. I like to use a combination of Almond flour and a multi-purpose gluten free flour. I like the taste and the color that these alternatives give to the bread. However, since we are not including the 'gluten' we need to add some kind of a 'binder' (gluten is what binds the bread). So, we will add Xanthan Gum, also available on Amazon. You can read more about the most common flour alternatives here.

Perhaps my biggest tip with this bread is to go slow when adding your 'flours'.
This is because getting the perfect consistency may take a bit of trial and error. In the case of error, it may be that you need to add a bit more 'flour' to make the dough less sticky. Sticky dough can make it harder to braid the bread later on.

Finally...(right?)... the recipe for Gluten Free and Low Sugar Challah Bread

By the way, you should check out my Low Carb Soft Pretzel Recipe. Also, my Homemade Herb Cracker recipe is super easy to make!

What you will need to make this recipe.

• Flour alternative- 4 cups equivalent to flour. Using a combination seems to work well for this recipe.For example, I use 2 cups of almond flour plus 2 cups of a rice flour or tapioca flour.
• Xanthan Gum -1 teaspoon.
• Salt- 1 teaspoon
• Sugar Alternative- ½ cup equivalent to sugar.
• Active Dry Yeast- 1 package /or 1 tablespoon.
• Warm tap water- 1 cup
• Sugar- 1 tablespoon- no subbing! (see article above)
• Oil (vegetable is usually used here)- ¼ cup.
• Eggs- 4 (save one for later step).
• Egg- an additional egg for the egg wash when we are ready to bake.
• Topping- as desired

How to make this Gluten Free and Low Sugar Challah Bread.

• Sift together your flour alternative, Xanthan Gum, and salt in a medium bowl. Gently mix in the sugar alternative using a fork or whisk. Set this aside. Meanwhile, in another bowl, coat the inside of this bowl with oil or cooking spray and set this aside as well.
• In a mixing bowl, dissolve your yeast, tap water and sugar together by combining and mixing with a fork or whisk.The yeast will be active when you see a 'froth' develop which should take about 8-10 minutes.
• In a larger mixing bowl, combine together
• Now, in a mixing bowl, mix together the oil and eggs. Add the yeast mixture to this bowl and stir.
• Slowly add the 'flour'/dry mixture to the mixing bowl, about a cup at a time, mixing between additions. Do not mover mix this. Kneading is not a necessity in this recipe.
• Place the dough into the coated bowl from the first step. Cover this with plastic wrap or a clean cotton dish towel and allow to rise for about an hour. This bread will not rise as much as a regular wheat flour bread. However, you will get a rise out of it. Also, your dough may be a bit sticky as well.
• When ready to braid, set out a piece of parchment paper on a flat surface. The parchment paper should be slightly larger than your pan as we will transfer to your pan for baking with the bread on the parchment paper. Divide the dough in half. Working with the first half of the dough, divide this into three parts for braiding. You could use as many as six strands however, three are so much easier to braid especially with this recipe. If your dough is too sticky to work with, try dusting it with a bit of your flour first.
• When the braid is finished, transfer the parchment paper to the baking pan and repeat the last step for the other half of the dough.
• Beat your remaining egg in a small bowl and then use a pastry brush to 'paint' the egg on the braids. You will most likely not use the entire egg to do this. Sprinkle your desired topping on top. Allow the bread to sit for at least 20-30 minutes.
• When ready to bake, preheat your oven to 350. Place the loaves in the oven and bake for 35-40 minutes or until they start to brown. It is a good idea to rotate the bread halfway through to assure that it bakes evenly.
• Allow the bread to cool before slicing. Or, if you are like me and cannot take the temptation any longer, make sure it is cool enough to not burn your mouth.

Print Recipe

4.38 from 37 votes

Gluten Free and Low Sugar Challah Bread

Challah, or traditional egg bread, can be made gluten free and with less sugar.

Prep Time1 hour hr 50 minutes mins

Cook Time40 minutes mins

Total Time2 hours hrs 30 minutes mins

Servings: 2 loaves

Ingredients

• Flour alternative- 4 cups equivalent to flour. Using a combination seems to work well for this recipe.For example I use 2 cups of almond flour plus 2 cups of a rice flour or tapioca flour.
• Xanthan Gum -1 teaspoon.
• Salt- 1 teaspoon
• Sugar Alternative- ½ cup equivalent to sugar.
• Active Dry Yeast- 1 package /or 1 tablespoon.
• Warm tap water- 1 cup
• Sugar- 1 tablespoon- no subbing! see article above
• Oil vegetable is usually used here- ¼ cup.
• Eggs- 4 save one for later step.
• Egg- an additional egg for the egg wash when we are ready to bake.
• Topping- as desired

Instructions

• Sift together your flour alternative, Xanthan Gum, and salt in a medium bowl. Gently mix in the sugar alternative using a fork or whisk. Set this aside. Meanwhile, in another bowl, coat the inside of this bowl with oil or cooking spray and set this aside as well.
• In a mixing bowl, dissolve your yeast, tap water and sugar together by combining and mixing with a fork or whisk.The yeast will be active when you see a 'froth' develop which should take about 8-10 minutes.
• In a larger mixing bowl, combine together
• Now, in a mixing bowl, mix together the oil and eggs. Add the yeast mixture to this bowl and stir.
• Slowly add the 'flour'/dry mixture to the mixing bowl, about a cup at a time, mixing between additions. Do not mover mix this. Kneading is not a necessity in this recipe.
• Place the dough into the coated bowl from the first step. Cover this with plastic wrap or a clean cotton dish towel and allow to rise for about an hour. This bread will not rise as much as a regular wheat flour bread. However, you will get a rise out of it. Also, your dough may be a bit sticky as well.
• When ready to braid, set out a piece of parchment paper on a flat surface. The parchment paper should be slightly larger than your pan as we will transfer to your pan for baking with the bread on the parchment paper. Divide the dough in half. Working with the first half of the dough, divide this into three parts for braiding. You could use as many as six strands however, three are so much easier to braid especially with this recipe. If your dough is too sticky to work with, try dusting it with a bit of your flour first.
• When the braid is finished, transfer the parchment paper to the baking pan and repeat the last step for the other half of the dough.
• Beat your remaining egg in a small bowl and then use a pastry brush to 'paint' the egg on the braids. You will most likely not use the entire egg to do this. Sprinkle your desired topping on top. Allow the bread to sit for at least 20-30 minutes.
• When ready to bake, preheat your oven to 350. Place the loaves in the oven and bake for 35-40 minutes or until they start to brown. It is a good idea to rotate the bread halfway through to assure that it bakes evenly.
• Allow the bread to cool before slicing. Or, if you are like me and cannot take the temptation any longer, make sure it is cool enough to not burn your mouth.

Recipe Notes

See article for alternatives.

most recently updated:

December 22, 2017

*About Sugar Alternatives

Specific sugar alternatives are not given in the recipes presented on this site. Only suggestions are given as to the 'kind' of alternative to use. It is up to you to select the alternative to use that suits your needs best. If the recipe is heated or cooked, it is best to use an alternative that can be heated or cooked with for best results. This site does not endorse any specific ingredients,

*As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. This means that the links on this website, and specifically on this post, that lead to other sites may be affiliate links.

Please note: Nutritional data has been calculated using a tool that comes with this recipe card and not by me. This means that Nutritional Information is only an estimate and can vary especially with ingredients that you use. The accuracy of this tool may differ from other tools as expected. Also note that there is no instructional value to the video that may be attached to this recipe. It is only there for visual pleasure. For more information about the images in this recipe, please refer the the recipe instructions. Thank you!

---

Follow Me