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, oil, and honey. (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 Amy Kritzer Just like normal challah, but way prettier! You can also double this recipe to make two large challahs. 4.78 from 9 votes Print Recipe Pin Recipe Prep Time 4 hrs Cook Time 35 mins Total Time 4 hrs 35 mins Course Bread Cuisine Jewish Servings 2 small challah, or 1 larger challah Ingredients 1x 2x 3x 2 1/4 teaspoons instant yeast 1 packet

¾ cup warm water about 100 degrees

½ cup sugar

1 large egg and 3 egg yolks plus one for glazing

1/4 cup vegetable oil

1/4 cup honey trick, measure the honey after the oil and it will slide right out!

3¾ - 4½ cups bread flour

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, mix the remaining sugar, eggs, oil, and honey. (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. Glaze the breads with the last egg and bake for 30-35 minutes at 350 degrees, rotating pans halfway through. If the challah start to brown too fast, cover with foil until done. Like this recipe? Leave a comment or rate us above

P.S. Here is another rainbow challah on the Internet that’s Noah’s Ark themed!!