Pretty as pie and tastes like it too!
Two-Toned Pumpkin Challah
Servings
4 Servings
Ingredients
- 1 cup warm water
- 2 tablespoon oil
- 1/3 cup brown sugar
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice a blend of cinnamon, allspice, cloves, and nutmeg
- 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
- 1 egg
- 1 cup pureed pumpkin
- 4 3/4 cup flour you may need an additional cup
- 2 teaspoon yeast
- 1 cup warm water
- 2 tablespoon oil
- 1/4 cup sugar
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 egg
- 3 1/2 cup flour
- 2 teaspoon yeast
- 1/8 cup maple syrup
- 1 tablespoon margarine
- 1/4 cup sugar
- 1/4 cup flour
Instructions
- Place the first set of ingredients in a stand mixer with a dough hook in the listed order until a dough forms (add additional cup of flour if necessary). Let rise in a warm place until doubled in size, about 1 hour. Repeat with the second set of ingredients. Punch down the doughs and divide each into two portions. Divide in half again; you should have four portions, two of each type. Divide into whatever number strands you like to braid and braid together. (Six braid should work nicely because you’ll have even numbers of pumpkin and regular. I tried it with six, it wasn’t perfectly symmetrical like I expected but I’m a bit of a six-braid novice. Feel free to experiment with three or marbling the dough…be creative!) Let rise again in a warm place until doubled in size, about 1 hour. Bake at 350 for 15-20 minutes. Five minutes before it’ll be done, brush with maple syrup and sprinkle on the mixed crumb topping*. Enjoy!
- *I made this with just the maple syrup and it was heavenly but sticky. If you don’t mind coating your challah cover in syrup, you can leave out the crumb topping.
I’ve never actually made it without the maple syrup and crumb but it would definitely be good without.
It’s not too sweet (though I like sweet so I may not be a good judge) but if you’re just looking for pretty, just add the pumpkin for color and leave out the pie spice, cinnamon, replace the brown sugar with white and voila! Color with no flavor!
Really, the pumpkin doesn’t really add much flavor-it’s the spices that we associate with pumpkin that make it taste like pumpkin…
Good luck! Enjoy!
Have you ever made this without the maple syrup and crumb topping?
I’m looking for a two tone challah recipe that isn’t overly sweet – just more like regular challah, only prettier 😉
How do you think this one would do?