From my cookbook to your kitchen, because I just couldn’t keep it to myself
My friend Paula Shoyer, also known as The Kosher Baker, first shared this recipe with me one Thanksgiving. The first time I made it, it was gone in minutes. It was such a hit that it quickly graduated from “holiday-only” status to an all-year staple in my kitchen.
For my gluten-free adaptation I added vanilla for warmth, used almond milk for tenderness, and gave it a gluten-free twist that feels like a feature, not a swap. What came out of the oven was magic. A challah with cornbread soul. Golden, fragrant, soft in the center with the perfect crust. It’s a little rustic, a little refined, and completely irresistible.
This is the kind of bread you want to tear apart with your hands at dinner and toast the next morning with a swipe of butter and jam. It’s cozy enough for soup night but just elevated enough for a brunch spread. And the smell while it bakes? Vanilla, comfort, and the feeling that something really good is about to come out of the oven.
The dough comes together simply. Whisk warm water and yeast until bubbly. Mix cornmeal, sorghum flour, millet flour, sugar, and salt. Stir in olive oil, almond milk, and vanilla. Let it rest until it rises and feels alive in your hands. Shape it however you like. A braid. A round. A rustic loaf in a pan. Brush it with egg wash, sprinkle on some seeds if that’s your thing, and bake until golden.
You’ll find the full recipe in my cookbook, but I wanted to share the story here, because some recipes are meant to travel. This one found its way into my kitchen, and now it gets to live in yours!
Vanilla Infused Cornbread Challah
Makes 2 challahs or 2 mini loaves
Ingredients
For Yeast starter
- 2 packets (½ ounce) Active dry yeast
- â…“ cup Warm water (at 110 to 115°F)Â
- 1 tsp Sugar
Dry ingredients
- 1½ cups CornmealÂ
- 1 cup Sorghum Flour
- 1 cup Potato Starch
- Âľ cup Millet Flour
- â…– cup sugar
- 2 tsp salt
- 1 tsp Xanthan Gum
Wet ingredients
- ½ cup extra-virgin olive oil
- ½ cup Almond milkÂ
- 2 large eggs, plus 1 large beaten egg, for brushingÂ
- 3 tsps vanilla extract
Topping
- Pumpkin or sunflower seeds optionalÂ
Instructions
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In a large bowl, mix the yeast with the warm water and let it stand until the yeast bubbles, for about 10 minutes.
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In a separate medium bowl, whisk together all of the dry ingredients: cornmeal, sorghum flour, potato starch, millet flour, sugar, salt, and xanthan gum, if using.
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Stir the wet ingredients into the bowl with the yeast mixture: oil, almond milk, 2 eggs, and vanilla. Add the dry ingredient mixture and mix well.
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Roll the dough into a ball and cover it with a cloth. Allow it to rise in a warm place for 11/2 hours.
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While waiting, line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper.
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Shape the dough as desired, then put them on the prepared baking sheets and let them rise in a warm place, covered, for 1 more hour.
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Preheat the oven to 350°F.
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Brush the tops of the loaves with the third, beaten, egg and sprinkle with pumpkin or sunflower seeds, if desired.
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Bake the bread for 35 to 40 minutes, or until lightly golden and set in the center. For smaller loaves, bake for 25 minutes and check often! Cool a bit and slice and serve or make these ahead of time, as they may be double wrapped and frozen once cool.
Recipe Video
Recipe Notes
Nail This
This bread is denser than a traditional challah (thanks, cornmeal) so don’t skimp on letting both the dough and the loaf rise sufficiently.Â
Flip It
Substitute an all-purpose gluten-free flour for the combined sorghum flour, potato starch, and millet flour. But not all gluten-free flours are the same. The popular Bob’s Red Mill brand, for example, is too heavy for this recipe. Cup4Cup or Manhattan Blends by Orly work very well.Â
Use water instead of almond milk and omit the vanilla, if you prefer.
Make challah rolls: Roll them as large as you like, arrange them on a parchment lined baking sheet, and brush the tops with egg wash. Bake for about 1/3 of the time (but keep watch, as it will depend how big your rolls are).
Slice before freezing if you want to save this for morning toast (divine) or make French toast with leftovers.
Golden, nutty, and warm — this pumpkin seed challah is straight from the oven and ready to steal the show.
