Ingredients

• 1 (1/4 Ounce) Packet (2 1/4 Teaspoons) Active Dry Yeast
• 1 1/2 Cups Warm Water
• 1/2 Cup Granulated Sugar
• 1 Cup Pumpkin Puree
• 1/3 Cup Olive Oil
• 2 Tablespoons Maple Syrup
• 6 1/2 - 7 Cups All-Purpose Flour, Plus More as Needed
• 2 Tablespoons Vital Wheat Gluten
• 1 Teaspoon Ground Cinnamon
• 1 1/2 Teaspoons Salt
• 1 Tablespoon Matcha
• 1 1/2 Teaspoons Ground Turmeric
• 1/2 Teaspoon Ube Extract
• 1/4 Cup Aquafaba
• Sprinkles or Edible Glitter (Optional)

Instructions

1. In the bowl of your stand mixer, combine the yeast with the warm water and the sugar. Let stand for 5 - 10 minutes, until the mixture becomes lightly frothy. Add the pumpkin puree, oil, maple syrup, stirring lightly to combine.
2. Mix together 6 1/2 cups of flour with the vital wheat gluten, cinnamon, and salt. Add it to the bowl full of wet ingredients, install the dough hook, and begin mixing on low speed. Pause to scrape down the sides of the bowl as needed to get everything incorporated. It may take a few minutes, but be patient!
3. Continue mixing with the dough hook, allowing it to knead for 6 - 8 minutes. It should become smooth an elastic, remaining a bit tacky but not downright sticky. Incorporate additional flour as needed.
4. Divide the dough equally into 3 parts. It's helpful if you weigh them out using a food scale to ensure consistency. Return one of the balls to the mixing bowl and add the matcha. Knead with the dough hook for another 5 - 8 minutes, pausing to scrape down the sides and hook thoroughly, until the color is evenly dispersed throughout. Transfer to a lightly greased bowl and cover with a kitchen towel or plastic wrap.
5. Clean out the bowl and dough hook to prevent the colors from transferring. Repeat this same process for both the turmeric and ube extract. Once you have 3 separate balls, brightly colored with yellow, green, and purple, let them rise in a warm place for 1 1/2 - 2 hours, until roughly doubled in volume.
6. Punch down the dough, cut each color into half, then roll each piece into long, smooth strands on a lightly floured work surface. The ube dough in particular tends to get a bit sticky, so don't be afraid to add more flour as needed. The exact length isn't as important as the fact that they match, though I like to aim for somewhere around 1 1/2 - 2 feet long.
7. You can either make two smaller, 3-strand braided challahs or 1 large, 6-strand braided challah. My best advice for shaping is to consult YouTube, because I have a very hard time describing the process and I'm certainly no master of it myself!
8. Once braided, gently transfer the loaf or loaves onto a sheet pan lined with parchment paper or a silicone baking mat. Brush generously with aquafaba to cover the entire exposed surface.
9. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees, allowing the bread to rise for at least 30 minutes while it comes up to temperature. Bake for about 30 - 35 minutes for two small loaves, or 35 - 40 minutes for one large loaf; until the top is gently golden all over.
10. Cool on a rack until at room temperature before topping with edible glitter or sprinkles, if desired. To serve, cut into generous slices or just pull apart into chunks.

Notes

Recommended Products

Please note that some of the links above are affiliate links, and at no additional cost to you, I will earn a commission if you decide to make a purchase after clicking through the link. I have experience with all of these companies and I recommend them because they are helpful and useful, not because of the small commissions I make if you decide to buy something through my links.

• 
  Bob's Red Mill, Vital Wheat Gluten Flour, 20 oz (567 g)
• 
  Frontier Co-op, Organic Curry Powder, With Coriander, Turmeric & Mustard, 1.90 oz (54 g)
• 
  Wilderness Poets, Organic Ceremonial Matcha, 1 oz (22 g)

All nutritional information presented within this site are intended for informational purposes only. I am not a certified nutritionist and any nutritional information on BitterSweetBlog.com should only be used as a general guideline. This information is provided as a courtesy and there is no guarantee that the information will be completely accurate. Even though I try to provide accurate nutritional information to the best of my ability, these figures should still be considered estimations.