Tree-shaped fruity raisin challah for Tu B’Shevat (or anytime!)

Fluffy, soft, delicious raisin challah packed with extra dried fruits!
Make a tree-shaped challah for Tu B’Shevat or enjoy a loaf anytime.

Hands up who loves a fruity bun? They are always a big hit in our house, spread with loads of butter and enjoyed for breakfast, tea, or just as a snack. No surprise really that raisin challah is my favourite kind of challah, too.

New Year for Trees

So when contemplating making something special for Tu B’Shevat, the New Year for Trees, a delicious raisin challah studded with all kinds of extra fruits seemed like a great idea.

Tree shaped raisin challah

To really get into the Tu B’Shevat spirit, I also decided to form the dough into a tree shape before baking. (Half the dough, anyway. The other half I baked up as a standard plaited raisin challah – not quite so Tu B’Shevat themed but just as delicious!)

Dried fruits galore

I raided our baking cupboard for suitable dried fruits and came up with the following – apple, apricot, cherries, raisins, sultanas, and candied lemon & orange peel.

Not bad, but you could also use dried figs, dates, plums (prunes), peaches, pears, mango and probably a whole lot more. I upped the tree-fruit content still further by using olive oil and coconut oil in the challah dough.

I had also intended to scatter flaked almonds onto my tree-shaped loaf to give the impression of leaves, but I forgot! Next time…

Raisin challah tree!

Even without its almond leaves I’m quite pleased with how this fruity raisin challah ‘tree’ came out. It looked highly appropriate for Tu B’Shevat! And it was soft, fluffy, fragrant, and of course deliciously fruity. The house smelled AMAZING while it was baking and for some time afterwards.

You can pull it apart into rolls for serving, cut it into wedges, or slice it like a regular loaf. It’s delicious whichever way you do it, especially if you spread it with an indulgent layer of butter or a suitably fruity jam.

Raisin challah ingredients

To make a loaf of this delicious fruity raisin challah – whether it’s tree shaped or just a regular loaf – you will need:

• Strong white bread flour 
• Plain flour – also called all-purpose flour
• Caster (superfine) sugar
• Cinnamon, mixed spice, or the sweet spice blend of your preference
• Plant-based milk e.g. soya, oat, almond or whichever you prefer
• Instant dry yeast
• Salt
• Olive oil 
• Coconut oil – or use a bit more olive oil
• A selection go mixed dried fruit e.g. raisins, sultanas, cherries, chopped dried apricots, apples, pears, peaches, dates, figs etc. etc.
• Egg to glaze – optional

Learn more about Tu B’Shevat

If you’d like to read more about Tu B’Shevat, check out my Tu B’Shevat fruit platter post. It has more background on the history of this fruity festival, plus some useful brachot (blessings).

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Fruity challah

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Fluffy, sweet and delicious challah studded with raisins and other dried fruit. Perfect for Tu B'Shevat (or anytime!)

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Course Bread

Cuisine Jewish

Servings 24 slices

Calories 124 kcal

Ingredients

 

MetricUS Customary

 

1x2x3x

• 180 ml soya/oat/almond milk
• 130 ml hot (boiling) water
• 2 teaspoon dry yeast
• 250 g strong white bread flour
• 250 g plain flour
• 70 g caster sugar
• 3 teaspoon cinnamon OR mixed spice
• Good pinch salt
• 20 g coconut oil
• 2 tablespoon olive oil
• 125 g mixed dried fruit e.g. raisins, sultanas, cherries, chopped dried apricots, apples, pears, peaches, dates, figs etc.
• Egg to glaze (optional – see notes)

Instructions

 

• Combine the milk and hot water, stir, then add the dry yeast and whisk to dissolve. Set aside for 10 minutes until foamy.
• Meanwhile, combine the flours, sugar, spice and salt in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the dough hook attachment.
• Once the yeast mixture is foamy, add it to the flour and set the mixer running. Let the mixer combine and knead the dough for about five minutes.
• Add the coconut oil and olive oil and continue to mix for a further five minutes.
• Add the fruit and mix just to distribute the fruit through the dough. Remove the ball of dough from the bowl and knead by hand for a minute or two. The dough should be soft and smooth but not too sticky.
• Place the dough in a lightly oiled bowl, cover, and put in a warm place for an hour or until doubled in size. (You can also leave the dough in the fridge overnight to complete this stage – see notes.)
• Knock back the dough, knead lightly, and divide into two pieces.

To make standard loaves

• Line two loaf tins with baking parchment.
• Cut one of the dough pieces into three sections. Stretch/roll each one into a long snake, then plait them together.
• Tuck the ends underneath and place in a lined loaf tin. Repeat with the remaining piece of dough.

To make 'tree' loaves

• Line 2 baking sheets with baking parchment.
• Divide a piece of dough into three pieces. Cut the first two into 5 smaller pieces. The third piece should be cut into two irregular pieces, one about ⅗ of the piece and one ⅖. Cut the smaller piece in half.
• You now have one larger piece and 12 small pieces. Form the larger piece into the ‘trunk’ of the tree and place onto a lined tray. Roll the small pieces into balls and arrange to form the top of the tree. The balls should be just touching, with room to rise and expand.
• Repeat with the second piece of dough.

For both

• Cover the loaves with a tea towel and leave to rise for about an hour.
• Preheat the oven to 180°C (350°F).
• Uncover the loaves. Whisk the egg and gently brush over the tops of the loaves (if using).
• Bake the ‘tree’ loaves for around 20 minutes, and the standard loaves for around 25 minutes, until golden brown and glossy.
• Remove from the oven and allow to cool on wire racks.

Notes

The first rise of the dough can be done in the fridge overnight. Make the dough before bedtime, place in an oiled bowl, cover and place in the fridge. Remove the bowl as soon as you wake up in the morning and leave for an hour or two to come up to ambient temperature before continuing with the recipe as above.

To keep the loaves vegan, you can glaze with non-dairy milk instead of egg. The loaves will turn a lovely golden brown but will not be as glossy and shiny as they are when glazed with egg.

Nutrition

Nutrition Facts

Fruity challah

Serving Size

 

1 slice

Amount per Serving

Calories

124

% Daily Value*

Fat

 

3

g

5

%

Saturated Fat

 

1

g

6

%

Polyunsaturated Fat

 

1

g

Monounsaturated Fat

 

1

g

Sodium

 

5

mg

0

%

Potassium

 

77

mg

2

%

Carbohydrates

 

22

g

7

%

Fiber

 

1

g

4

%

Sugar

 

6

g

7

%

Protein

 

3

g

6

%

Vitamin A

 

30

IU

1

%

Vitamin C

 

1

mg

1

%

Calcium

 

22

mg

2

%

Iron

 

1

mg

6

%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.

Keyword baking, fruit

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More fabulous challah recipes

If you’d like more challah recipes, take a look at this easy 1-hour vegan challah which is great year round! Or how about a jam doughnut pull-apart challah for Chanukah, spiced apple challah for Rosh Hashanah, and this Shlissel challah by the wonderful Challah Mummy.

And if you’re in the Tu B’Shevat mood, and would like to spread something fruity onto your challah, how about one of these:

• Apple and lemon verbena jelly by Kavey Eats
• Apricot and vanilla jam by Tin & Thyme
• Cherry jam by Fab Food 4 All
• Clementine marmalade by Domestic Gothess
• Lemon curd by Tin & Thyme
• Orange curd by Elizabeth’s Kitchen Diary
• Peach & ice-wine jam by Kavey Eats
• Plum jelly by Kavey Eats
• Plum and apple jam by Fab Food 4 All
• Simple fig jam by Fab Food 4 All
• Three fruit marmalade from Lavender and Lovage

I’m linking up with CookBlogShare, and Inheritance Recipes (organised by Pebble Soup and Coffee and Vanilla).