Gluten Free Oat Challah (hamotzei)
Recipe
Gluten Free Oat Challah (hamotzei)
This is a delicious challah, a little on the sweet side. Great for those gluten free folks who would like to have real hamotzei challah.
Times
- Prep Time : 3 hours min
- Cook Time : 30 minutes min
- Ready Time : 33 min
Servings
Ingredients
- 2 packets dry yeast
- 2 1/2 cups warm water
- 1/4 c honey
- 4 Eggs
- 1 t apple cider vinegar
- 1/4 C oil
- 3 c gluten free oat flour
- 1/2 c rice flour (white or brown)
- 1/2 c potato flour
- 1/2 c tapioca flour
- 1/2 c sorghum flour
- 2 t salt
- 1 T ground flax seeds
- 1/4 c evaporated cane juice, rapadura, or brown sugar
- 1 egg yolk beaten, plus 1 t water for wash
Directions
1 Proof yeast, warm water, and 2T of honey. Combine eggs, vinegar, rest of honey, oil, and add to yeast mix.
2 Combine dry ingredients in a separate bowl and slowly add to wet mixture. Mix for 10-15 minutes. The dough should be on the wet side, but should hold together.
3 Using a 2-2 1/2″spring release ice cream scoop, place scoopfuls onto parchment lined baking pan–either individual scoops, or with several touching to form a “challah” shape, or a pull-apart. Let rise 1 ½-2 hours. Brush with an egg was hand bake in a 350 F preheated oven approx. 20-30 min.
Note: The OU told me that hamotzei can be said over a kazait of 100% oat challah. Since this recipe contains about half oats, one would need around two kazaitot
to make hamotzei.
Special instructions
This is a delicious challah, a little on the sweet side. Great for those gluten free folks who would like to have real hamotzei challah.
Source:
Multiple sources, plus a lot of trial and error.












This recipe is not “hamotzi.” It is “mezonot.” The proportion of admixtures is too large for it to be considered “lechem.” You can’t just say, “the OU said a kazayit of 100% oats, therefore use two kazayit of a mixture” to make “hamotzi.” It doesn’t work that way, not for Ashkenazim and most assuredly not for Sefaradim, who consider even sweet challah to be mezonot. Please consult an Orthodox rabbi or mashgiach about THIS recipe before you present it to people as being fit to make “hamotzi” on, because I am 100% sure that it is not. But if I am wrong, I will be delighted.
I consulted with Rabbi Mordechai Marcus, one of the editors from the Artscroll Talmud. After posing the shaiyla to him regarding whether or not this recipe is “hamotzi”, Rabbi Marcus asked me several questions about the density of the mixture, the sweetness of the product, the combined volume of the ingredients minus the water, how it was going to be used (for the main meal v. snack), the size of the eggs, and the yield after it was baked. After answering all these questions, Rabbi Marcus took some time, then came back with the answer that this recipe could be used for “hamotzi” and challah should be taken without a brocha. I am Ashkenazi, Orthodox and strictly kosher. Yasher koach to Rabbi Marcus, a true scholar and tzaddik, for poskening on this issue. B’tayavon!
Are you able to braid this recipe? I’ve been looking for a Challah recipe to braid for Shabbat.
I have made this recipe twice, except I have substituted the rice, potato, and sorghum flours for gluten-free all purpose flour that contains xanthum gum. Then I pour the batter in a silicon pan that has 4 round mini-challot(it is molded with a braid) and pour the remaining batter in a cupcake tin. Both have been sprayed with Pam. The cupcakes bake for about 12-15 minutes. Both times this recipes has come out absolutely delicious!