Gluten-Free Sweet Challah for Shabbat

In a small bowl, stir 1 tablespoon of the honey into the warm water. Sprinkle the yeast over the top and let sit for 5–10 minutes, until foamy.

In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, psyllium husk powder, and salt.

In a separate bowl, whisk together 3 tablespoons honey, 3 of the eggs, and the oil. Add the foamy yeast mixture and stir to combine.

Pour the wet mixture into the dry ingredients and mix with a spatula, then knead briefly by hand (the dough will be soft and slightly sticky, not firm like a wheat dough).

Grease a silicone challah mold pan (or line a baking sheet with parchment if shaping by hand). Transfer the dough directly into the mold, or shape it into a round loaf on the sheet — gluten-free enriched dough deflates if it rises once in a bowl and is then transferred, so don't let it rise before this step.

If shaping by hand instead of using a mold, use a sharp, oiled knife to slash a star pattern across the top of the round rather than attempting to braid.

Cover loosely and let rise for 60–75 minutes, directly in its final shape, until visibly puffed.

Preheat the oven to 190°C (375°F) while the dough finishes rising.

Beat the remaining egg and brush generously over the entire surface of the dough. Scatter with sesame or poppy seeds if using.

Bake for 23–26 minutes if using two small silicone molds, or 25–28 minutes for one large mold, until deeply golden and a skewer inserted in the center comes out clean. This dough is rich enough that the center can look done before it's fully baked — if the skewer isn't clean, give it another 3–5 minutes and check again rather than relying on time alone.

Let the challah cool in the pan for 10 minutes before turning out onto a wire rack to cool further.