Name: Vegan Challah with Fruit and Nuts
Prep time: 19 min
Cook time: 45 min
Total time: 65 min
Yield: 10 servings
Ingredients: 250 g bread flour; 250 g all purpose flour; 4 tsp instant dried yeast (prior activation is necessary with non-instant dried yeast*); 4 tbsp sugar (you can use maple syrup, but use less orange juice to compensate); 1 tsp salt; 180 ml orange juice (or almond milk, lukewarm); 180 ml vegan yogurt (at room temperature); 2 tbsp olive oil (or any other vegetable oil, plus a little extra for pan glazing); 75 g dried apricots; 70 g sultanas; 100 g almonds (chopped); 2 tbsp apricot jam (pressed through a sieve); 2 tbsp water

Instructions

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1

Sift the bread flour (250 g) and all purpose flour (250 g) into a large mixing bowl and mix in instant dried yeast (4 tsp), sugar (4 tbsp) and salt (1 tsp). If your yeast requires activation, add the activated yeast in the next step.
2

Pour in the lukewarm orange juice (180 ml) or almond milk (180 ml), vegan yogurt (180 ml), olive oil (2 tbsp) and stir everything together with a large wooden spoon until roughly combined.
3

Knead it lightly for about 5 minutes on a lightly floured surface - don't knead too much to keep the bread delicate! The dough will be on the wet side, if it's too hard to handle, dust with a bit more flour, but don't go nuts.
4

Form a dough ball and place it in a clean bowl covered with a kitchen towel. Place the bowl in a warm place until the dough has doubled in size (approx. 1-2 hrs).
5

Meanwhile, immerse sultanas (70 g) and dried apricots (75 g) in a little hot [water] for 5 minutes to rehydrate them. Drain and squeeze the excess moisture out of them using a sieve or a muslin cloth. Chop the [apricots] into fine dice.
6

Mix [apricots], [sultanas] and almonds (100 g) together.
7

Split the dough into three, four, five or six equal parts - it's best to use kitchen scales here. The type of braid you make is up to you - I found this video really helpful. I went with a five braid loaf, but the instructions below are how to make the simplest of them all - a three strand braid.
8

Roll each part into a long rectangle using a rolling pin. Sprinkle the rectangle with a portion of [fruit] and [nuts] and then roll up into a tight strand with both hands, applying even pressure. Once all your strands are ready ensure they are all similar width and length.
9

Place all three strands on a lightly oiled baking tray alongside each other, leaving a bit of space around each strand.
10

First pinch the ends of the three strands together at one end, then start braiding by folding the right strand over the centre strand and then the left one over the centre strand. Repeat until you get to the other end. Pinch the ends together again. Fold both pinched ends underneath the bread gently.
11

Cover the bread and rest for another 60 minutes, until fully proofed - if you poke it with your fingertip, it should not spring back fully, but retain a little indent.
12

Pre-heat the oven to 190° C / 375° F while the bread is resting. Bake for 35-40 minutes, until nicely brown on top.
13

Glaze while hot, with apricot jam (2 tbsp) mixed in with water (2 tbsp).