Challah back, it’s rainbow challah!
Also, check out my recipe for Natural Rainbow Challah here using food coloring made from food you probably have in your fridge!
Challah Back!! I’m not gay (except for that one time at Jew camp) but I do have tons of gay friends and I just freaking love rainbows. (Who doesn’t??) This isn’t a political blog by any means, unless you know of a politician running on a More Schmaltz in Schools campaign (he’d get my vote!), but I love love and think everyone should love who they want to love. Jews have been persecuted plenty, so it only makes sense that we aim to defend the rights of others. Right? In honor of June being pride month, I bring you a Rainbow Challah! Just like normal challah, but way prettier!
This would also be perfect for a kid’s party or a unicorn themed birthday or just a random Shabbat when you are feeling squirrelly. Or you could switch up the colors for a sporting event or other holiday. Get creative, people! How much do I love rainbows? Let me tell you! Here I am on a Slip n Slide during Austin’s Gay Pride. Don’t you want to move in here??
And here I am sporting my “I’m not gay I just really love rainbows” t-shirt alongside my sister from another mista back in NYC. How jealous am I of that hair?!?!
Okay let’s make challah!
Prepare the yeast in a large mixing bowl for a stand mixer by whisking it with warm water and 1 teaspoon sugar (that helps activate the yeast). Let stand until it foams and puffs up, about 10 minutes. If it doesn’t get foamy, your yeast is either bad or the water was too warm or cool. Try again!
Using the whisk attachment for the stand mixer, mix the remaining sugar, eggs, and oil. (You can use a whisk if you’re doing this by hand.) Gradually add 3 cups flour and salt, either using a hook attachment with the stand mixer on medium speed or a spoon and your hands until the dough begins to pull away from the sides. Dough should still be slightly sticky and soft. Add more flour if the dough is very sticky. You will knead the dough more when you add the color so you don’t have to knead now.
I used my trusty KitchenAid dough hook to knead my dough, but by hand worked for my Bubbe so it works too!
Then divide your dough into six even pieces. I used a food scale to weigh them out so they were even. Flatten out each piece and put some gel food coloring of each color of the rainbow in the middle of each one. I use Wilton Gels btw!
Then mix until your dough is dyed! This will take at least 5 minutes for each, so be prepared. I do yellow, orange, red, then clean my surface, and then do green, blue and lastly purple for as little cleaning/color contamination as possible. Add more color as needed, and wear gloves if you don’t want purple hands.
Ooh it’s already pretty!!
Clean your bowl and cover with a towel or foil. Place the dough in a bowl greased with oil and cover. Let dough rise in a warm place until it has at least doubled in size, about 2–3 hours. I put mine on top of an oven heated to the lowest temperature. My colors stuck to each other a bit, so if this bothers you and you like doing dishes, put them in separate bowls.
Now time to braid!
Now time to braid! You can make two smaller challot or one large challah. OR you can double the recipe and make two big challahs. If you’re making two, divide each color in half.
Take one of each color and make six even strands. If you are having trouble getting them to roll out, let the gluten relax and try again. Line them up in rainbow order and pinch at the top to secure the end. Then take the purple strand on the right and weave it to the left over two strand, under one strand and over two strands. Repeat with the blue strand, then the green, etc. until you reach the bottom. Secure the other ends together and tuck them under the challah. Repeat with other challah.
Or just watch this video!!!
Then let your challah proof again until double in size and it seems light and fluffy, about 45 minutes. Pre-heat the oven to 350 degrees F. Glaze the breads with the last egg and bake for 35 minutes at 350 degrees until slightly browned.
Ta da! How perfect would this be for the gayest challah French toast ever!!! You can even switch up the colors for maybe school pride or your favorite colors or whatever!
Have a magical day!
Rainbow Challah Bread
Ingredients
- 2 ¼ teaspoons active dry yeast 1 packet
- 1¼ cup warm water about 100 degrees
- ½ cup granulated sugar, plus 1 teaspoon
- 2 large eggs plus one extra yolk for glazing
- 1/4 cup vegetable oil
- 3¾ - 4½ cups bread flour or all-purpose flour, plus more as needed
- 1½ teaspoons kosher salt
Instructions
- First, make your challah dough. Prepare the yeast in a large mixing bowl for a stand mixer by whisking it with warm water and 1 teaspoon sugar (that helps activate the yeast). Let stand until it foams and puffs up, about 10 minutes. If it doesn’t get foamy, your yeast is either bad or the water was too warm or cool. Try again!
- Using the whisk attachment for the stand mixer, add the remaining sugar, 2 eggs, and oil. (You can use a whisk if you’re doing this by hand.) Gradually add 3 cups flour and salt, either using a hook attachment with the stand mixer on medium speed or a spoon and your hands until the dough begins to pull away from the sides. Dough should still be slightly sticky and soft. Add more flour as needed if the dough is very sticky. You may not need all the flour. You will knead the dough more when you add the color so you don’t have to knead now.
- Then divide your dough into six even pieces. I used a food scale to weigh them out.
- Flatten out each piece and put some gel food coloring of each color of the rainbow in the middle of each one. Then mix until your dough is dyed! This will take a few minutes for each, so be prepared. Add more color as needed, and wear gloves if you don’t want purple hands.
- Place the dough in a bowl greased with oil and cover. Let dough rise in a warm place until it has at least doubled in size, about 2–3 hours. I put mine on top of an oven heated to the lowest temperature. My colors stuck to each other a bit, so if this bothers you and you like doing dishes, put them in separate bowls.
- Now time to braid! You can make two smaller challot or one large challah. If you're making two, divide each color in half.
- Take one of each color and make six even strands. If you are having trouble getting them to roll out, let the gluten relax and try again. Line them up in rainbow order and pinch at the top to secure the end. Then take the purple strand on the right and weave it to the left over two strand, under one strand and over two strands. Repeat with the blue strand, then the green, etc. until you reach the bottom. Secure the other ends together and tuck them under the challah. Repeat with other challah.
- Then let your challah proof again on a parchment lined baking sheet, lightly covered, until doubled in size and appears light and fluffy, about 45 minutes or so (exact proofing timing for challah will depend on environmental conditions.) Pre-heat the oven to 350 degrees F. Whisk the last egg yolk with 1/2 tablespoon water and generously brush over challah bake for 30 minutes at 350 degrees, rotating pans halfway through. If the challah start to brown too fast, tent lightly with foil until done.
P.S. Here is another rainbow challah on the Internet that’s Noah’s Ark themed!!
You certainly are one “Wild and CRAZY Jewish princess”———–Just ran into your blog and I actually was considering relocating to Austin—now that I decided against it, I feel I’ve made the right decision! LOL…..ONLY KIDDING……You, my dear are great and so is your Challah honey! Take good care and KOL TOV!
HAHA thanks!! Austin is the best- I love it here.
Hi, made this today. For some reason it’s very dense and didn’t rise much in the proving. Just a few comments on the recipe. At first I didn’t know where to add the yeast mixture into because it seemed to read that you did the yeast in one bowl and all the rest of the ingredients in another.
Also in the ingredients list the amount of flour stated is far greater than that in the method. It only says 3 cups of flour in the method but goes up to 4 and a half in the ingredients.
Mine still looks fab and tastes lovely, just not sure it’s the right texture.
Going to tag you in Instagram photos now.
Hi Jenny- did your yeast activate okay? Sounds like you may have added too much flour or not kneaded it long enough. Depending on humidity and other variants, the amount of flour can vary each time you make challah, which is why I have the range. As you can see in the directions, I start with 3 cups and say to gradually add more as needed. It can be different each time. Also, the ingredients all goes in the same bowl! You just add the other ingredients to the activated yeast. Which is why you start with the stand mixer bowl when activating the yeast. Hope that helps!
I basically love everything about this post. And jealous of that hair indeed!
Thanks, Heather!
You are magical like a unicorn!
Aw shucks- thanks, Hilah! Jew the best!
The challah and the hair are awesome and so is your support!
Thank you!
This is crazy creative!!
Aw thanks, Gloria!
Pretty funny!
Thanks!
Really creative Amy! Love how it looks when it’s sliced. 🙂
Thanks, Tori!
I’m now completely obsessed! It’s gorgeous, Amy!!
Aw thanks, Julie!
Really love your bread and the recipe that you shared with all of us!! Thanks.
Thank you!
I’d really like to try it…….do you think it would work in whole wheat? white whole wheat…it’s lighter in color and texture than reg. ww………
Thanks! Whole wheat would work but it’s going to be denser than a traditional light airy challah with all white flour.
maybe I should wait until Purim time………I’m generally not a food-coloring type of gal!
It’s for a special treat! You could always try natural food coloring like beets…
Out of curiosity — what model is your KitchenAid mixer, and how long have you had the dough hook? We have a KSM90 and have been leery of getting a replacement dough hook for it because apparently the new ones start chipping really quickly, like within a month. Have you had any problems with that?
I’m honestly not sure- does it say somewhere on it? I have had it for 3 years and never had any problems at all!
How awesome is this?! Love it and the colors!!
Thanks, Dana!
You wouldn’t actually eat that would you? Artificial dyes are gross. If you had used natural ingredients (beet juice for red, powdered spinach for green etc) it would have been interesting. This chemical dye version? NOT.
Hi Jane- it’s meant to be fun. You can eat how you choose, but once in a while this challah is a treat!
Nope that would never be a treat.
Real Challah? Absolutely
This stuff? As an art project interesting perhaps but never as something to be eaten.
Okay, you can make it as art then. Thanks for reading!
Amy, I know this is an older comment, but your positive and graceful responses to unwarranted criticism have made me an instant fan and I look forward to trying this recipe for my birthday next month!
Aw thanks, Lisa! You made my day. Happy early birthday!
What an awesome recipe!! I will definitely make this with my girls! thanks so much!
Thanks, Tiffany!
LOVE THIS SO MUCH!!!!
Thanks!
I love it!! how does it taste?
Like challah!
I wasn’t sure if the food coloring changes the taste…todah!! you are very creative!
OY! LOVE IT! My partner of 26+ yrs and I adopted 2 sisters(1st@ 4 mos,2nd came 7 mos. later-11 mos TO THE DAY!! Now 12 & 13) Several yrs ago..What do you want for Christmas? Krista(#2) “I want a PINK BIBLE! Found a rhinestoned one in Palm Springs, CA! Angel(#1) ” I want a guitar that rocks and CHALLAH BREAD!”
They are going to LOVE MAKING THIS!!!! Thank you!!
I love this! Best comment ever. Let me know how it turns out!!
The color is amazing depite being baked. Any tips on getting it not to brown up badly?
Thanks! I just made sure to pull it from the oven right when it is cooked, but before golden brown. But another time I made it and cooked it a little longer, and it was still pretty and the inside was still vivid!
Confused about the rising. You say it takes 4 hours but you have TWO at 2 hours then 1 at 1.5 hours. I feel like moving the dough to another bowl for another two hours is an extra step?
Sorry for the confusion! I was just saying the same thing two different ways about how to do the first rise. I just reworded it so it should make more sense. One rise for two hours, then the second one for about 1.5 hours. Hope this helps!
That’s what I thought, but wanted to make sure. Perfect timing! Thia will be a big hit at my granddaughter’s “rainbow” Birthday party tomorrow!! Strawberry Cream cheese to complete the rainbow! THANKS SO MUCH for answering so quickly!!
Awesome! Let me know how it goes!
Hi Amy, thinking of making the rainbow challah for my grand baby’s Unicorn first birthday party. Does the food coloring make your teeth look like Unicorn teeth? Like the gross blue frosting on supermarket cupcakes? And can I bake and freeze the challah? Thanks!
Hi Melissa,
First of all, what a fun party idea! The challah does not stain anything once baked- it is a little messy when dying the dough. You can definitely bake and freeze ahead of time.
I was wondering if you had ever done this but made smaller loafs like single sized. I am thinking about making this as a snack for my daughters girl scout troop but thought it might be cute for them each to have their own. THANKS!!!!
I haven’t, but that would totally be adorable!
The girls loved this so i am thinking about doing it again…I had trouble getting the color to work into the dough evenly….do you think I could use my dough hook to mix in the color too?
That would work! You would just have to clean the hook between colors. It does take a lot of work to get the color in, patiences and elbow grease is key!
Thank you! My daughter had to bring a rainbow colored treat for Pride Club tomorrow, and I instantly thought “rainbow challah!” So happy to find a recipe and instructions already out there. And you weren’t kidding about how long it took to get the colors to incorporate! But it turned out beautiful, she is so excited. I told her she has to take pictures when she slices into it!
Awesome! Would love to see the photo.
Loved the challah. Gorgeous and DELICIOUS! The whole thing was gone in two days! Thank you!!!
Yay so glad!!
hiya! i made this last night and it turned out amazing!!! thanks for sharing <3
Yay! So glad you liked it!
Made this for pride and it was a huge hit, it will become a yearly standard.
Amazing! Love to hear that.
I use all your recipes. I also have your cookbook. You are magic. Thank you so much for sharing your wonderful delish recipes.
Hi Paulette- aw you are too kind! You made my day- thank you!
I used this recipe to make rainbow challah for a pride shabbat event, and it was a huge success! This was my first time making challah on my own and the directions were very clear.
YAY!
I made one )very) large challah for our synagogue’s Pride Shabbat, and got many compliments. The only problem I had with it was that the 6 separate lumps of dough weren’t large enough to knead in the Kitchenaid – I had to knead the colors in by hand, which took over an hour! (My hand therapist was impressed!)
Great! Yes, kneading in the color is the hardest part for sure.
I have always used my usual challah recipe for rainbow challah, but was in the mood for a sweeter one this week and I came across yours. Challah is delicious and the way you stack your steps is better for not over kneading…but my biggest takeaway was actually from a rabbit hold you sent me down by specifying egg “yolk” for the glaze. I have always used whole egg, so I asked myself – why? And looked it up. The most disappointing thing for me when making these challah is that the outside color disappears under the browning – when I looked up using only yolk, I found out that the yolk-only is to add the browning – using WHITES only provides the glaze but minimizes browning. I tried it and was so happy with the result! I will always use egg whites only for rainbow challah glaze from now on. Ty!
Hi Lynn- thanks for taking the time to let me know! I am glad these tricks worked for you. I have made a lot of rainbow challah 🙂
Question after making this twice now (test earlier in the week and final last night – served at a Pride Shabbat service tonight.) Flavor is wonderful but neither of my loaves rose to light and fluffy – it is a dense challah. The dough acts like usual dough in other ways, feels “right” when I braid but just doesn’t rise as much as it should once braided. Flour and yeast are fresh. Two different friends who tried different recipes told me theirs acted the same way. Could this be something with the food dye?
This is a denser, richer challah with the egg content. If you want a lighter challah, I would try one with more water and fewer eggs. Happy Pride!