Colorful Rainbow Challah for Parashat Noah made with natural food colors of spices and vegetables. A delightful and colorful twist on the classic challah bread recipe! Get ready to add a burst of vibrant hues to your table with this Rainbow Challah Bread. Each strand of this beautifully braided loaf showcases a spectrum of colors, making it a perfect centerpiece for any occasion, especially during Shabbat. Don't let its stunning appearance fool you; this bread is also a treat for your taste buds!
Rainbow bread
Parashat Noah (or Noach, in Hebrew נח) is the second weekly Torah portion in the Jewish cycle of Torah readings. It comes quickly after Sukkot and talks about Noah building the ark and the flood. It is during the readings of Parashat Noah that we delve into the timeless story of the ark, the flood, and the covenant between humanity and the divine. This sacred period prompts us to seek connection with our heritage, express gratitude for life's blessings, and embrace the diversity that colors our world.
One of the things people like to do for this week is baking some rainbow-themed desserts and challah. Others take it in a savory direction and make a colorful salad or veggie platter.
The rainbow is god's symbol to Noach that he won't destroy humanity again with a flood. This unique and symbolic twist on the traditional challah intertwines the spirit of Parashat Noah with the vibrant hues of a rainbow, symbolizing hope, unity, and promise.
Colored bread
To color the dough and make it look like a colorful rainbow, you can use gel food coloring. I wanted to use natural food colors instead and used spinach, beet, paprika, and turmeric to dye the dough. I followed a recipe by Rivky Weinschneider (@spinachnspice) which she posted on her Instagram.
Rivky only created the challah with 3 colors, I added the paprika as a fourth color because I like to braid challah with 4 strands. For the beet color Rivky used beet peels she soaked in warm water, I changed it to beet juice as I did in my beet challah recipe. In addition, Rivky used spelt flour for the spinach dough and I used all-purpose flour for all the dough batches. She also added gluten (bread improver) which I omit. Check out her original recipe over on Instagram.
The method to get the color from the spinach is to use frozen spinach cubes and dissolve them in hot water. I felt that my outcome wasn’t very green so maybe next time I will use matcha powder or Spirulina powder to get a greener green or I'll use more spinach.
For the spices, you just add them to the flour and when kneading the dough it will get colored. Yellow dough with turmeric and orange dough with paprika.
Jewish bread
In this recipe, you make 4 different dough batches, each for a different color. There are methods when you make one batch of challah and then divide it and add the food color to each piece of it at a time. Since the natural color in this recipe is added through the liquids in the dough or added to the flour itself in the spices cases I think it's harder to create just one dough and add the color later. In the case of the liquid, it's impossible anyway. The spices can be kneaded to the dough but it’s just easier to mix it with the flour to get an even color dough.
As a result of the 4 batches, this recipe makes a bit of a mess in the kitchen and you need 4 different bowls and work with clean hands all the time to not mix the colors when touching the dough. It's only once a year that you make it and the outcome of the challah is so beautiful and interesting, this is how I convince myself it's worth the mess and dishes, LOL.
Egg wash for Challah
Before baking, many times the braided rainbow challah looks colorful and beautiful. After baking, however, the color fades or it looks brown and not colorful at all. To try and avoid that, I didn't use egg wash to brush the challah (Rivky in her original recipe did used it), this way the challah’s outer side won't become so browned while baking. Another option is to brush the challah with only egg whites. While cutting the challah you see all the colors inside in each slice so even if the outside looks not so much as a rainbow you always see it inside.
This rainbow challah is sweet challah and the spices and vegetables used for the natural colors add flavor as well and create very special challah. The challah is vegan (water challah) since I didn’t add egg wash and there are no eggs in the dough itself.
The recipe yields 2 big challahs made with 4 strands each, or smaller challahs depending on the number of pieces you divide each dough color to and how many strands you choose to braid.
Other desserts for the week of Parashat Noah can be parve funfetti cookies or my parve marble (mabul) cake.
FAQS
Yes, you can use food coloring if you prefer a quicker and more easily controllable way to achieve the rainbow colors. However, using natural ingredients like spinach, turmeric, sweet paprika, and beet juice adds a unique flavor and health benefits to the challah. Experiment with the amount of food coloring to get your desired color intensity.
Yes, you can prepare the colored dough in advance and store it in the refrigerator overnight. Just make sure to wrap each dough ball tightly in plastic wrap to prevent drying. Before braiding, allow the dough to come to room temperature and give it some time to relax and rise.
Absolutely! If you want to enhance the flavors further, you can add various extracts or spices to each colored dough. For example, you could add almond extract to the green dough, lemon zest to the yellow dough, orange zest to the orange dough, and vanilla extract to the pink/purple dough. This will add a delightful twist to each strand of the Rainbow Challah Bread.
Yes, you can freeze the baked Rainbow Challah Bread. Once it has cooled completely, wrap it tightly in plastic wrap and place it in an airtight container or freezer bag. Thaw it at room temperature when ready to use, and if desired, warm it in the oven before serving.
Definitely! You can divide each colored dough into smaller portions and braid mini Rainbow Challah rolls. This is a fun option, especially for sharing or for individual servings.
The Rainbow Challah Bread can stay fresh for up to 2-3 days when stored properly at room temperature in an airtight container or wrapped tightly in plastic wrap. If you want to extend its freshness, you can freeze it as mentioned above.
Absolutely! This recipe can serve as a base for regular challah bread. Simply use one type of dough and skip the food coloring steps. You'll end up with a delicious, traditional challah loaf.
Yes, you can experiment with gluten-free flour blends to make a gluten-free version of the Rainbow Challah Bread. Keep in mind that the texture and rising may differ from the original recipe, so you might need to adjust the amount of liquid and yeast accordingly.
Absolutely! While it's traditionally associated with Parashat Noah due to its symbolism of the rainbow covenant, the Rainbow Challah Bread can be enjoyed on any occasion where you want to add a colorful and meaningful touch to your table. It's a delightful and eye-catching addition to birthdays, holidays, or any gathering where you want to celebrate diversity and unity.
More challah recipes to try:
Other challah recipes on my blog are my classic challah and my whole wheat challah.
Bake this rainbow challah bread today!
As the aroma of freshly baked challah fills your home, may it also fill your heart with gratitude and a renewed sense of purpose. Let this bread be a reminder of the covenant we share with the past, the present, and the future, and may it bring joy and unity to your Shabbat table. As you partake in this blessed bread with your loved ones, may you find comfort in the knowledge that like the colors of the rainbow, we are all connected, embracing the uniqueness of each thread that weaves the fabric of our lives. Shabbat Shalom!
Rainbow Challah Bread
Ingredients
For the green dough:
- 2 cubes frozen spinach
- ¾ cup hot water
- 2 cups flour
- ¼ cup sugar
- 1 teaspoon dry yeast
- ¼ cup oil
For the yellow dough:
- 2 cups flour
- ¼ cup sugar
- 1 teaspoon dry yeast
- ¼ cup oil
- ¾ cup warm water
- 2 teaspoon turmeric
For the orange dough:
- 2 cups flour
- ¼ cup sugar
- 1 teaspoon dry yeast
- ¼ cup oil
- ¾ cup warm water
- 2 teaspoon sweet paprika
For the purple/pink dough:
- 2 cups flour
- ¼ cup sugar
- 1 teaspoon dry yeast
- ¼ cup oil
- 1 cup beet juice
Instructions
- Set the oven to 170°C/ 325°F with the fan.
- Green dough: Dissolve the spinach in the hot water and let it sit for 10 minutes. Then blend the spinach and water.
- Mix the rest of the ingredients in the mixer then add the spinach water. Mix for 5 minutes and then let rise for 30 minutes.
- Yellow dough: Mix all ingredients in the mixer for 5 minutes. Let rise for 30 minutes.
- Orange dough: Mix all ingredients in the mixer for 5 minutes. Let rise for 30 minutes.
- Pink/purple dough: Mix all ingredients in a mixer for 5 minutes. Let rise for 30 minutes.
- Divide each dough into 2 parts (or more if you want smaller challahs).
- Roll each dough part to a strand ready for braiding.
- Braid 2 challahs of 4 strands each, using one of each color dough.
- Bake for 30-40 minutes.
- Cool at room temperature.
- Serve and Shabbat Shalom!
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