Tender, soft, and slightly sweet, these beautiful pumpkin challah get their golden color from pumpkin purée and their spiral shape from a simple technique that's far easier than braiding. They'd make a gorgeous centerpiece on a Rosh Hashanah table, and the flavors of pumpkin and cinnamon make leftovers ideal for French toast and bread pudding.
Weigh 630g of the flour; or measure 5 1/4 cups by gently spooning it into a cup, then sweeping off any excess.
In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the dough hook or in a large bowl, mix the flour, sugar, yeast, salt, and cinnamon to combine.
In a small bowl or liquid measuring cup, whisk the water, pumpkin, oil, and egg to combine.
Add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients and mix until a shaggy dough forms, about 1 minute. Scrape the sides of the bowl.
Knead the dough for about 6 minutes on medium speed if using a stand mixer, or about 10 minutes if kneading by hand, working in the remaining 1/2 cup (60g) flour a little at a time, until an elastic, slightly tacky dough forms.
If you kneaded the dough in the stand mixer, cover the bowl. If you kneaded the dough by hand, transfer it to a lightly greased bowl and cover. Allow the dough to rise for about 2 hours, or until it has doubled in bulk.
Lightly grease a baking sheet or line it with parchment. Set aside.
Gently deflate the dough and transfer it to a lightly greased or floured work surface.
Divide the dough in half (about 620g each). Working with one piece at a time and leaving the second piece covered, pat or roll out the dough into a large rectangle, about 12" x 5" in size.
Starting with one of the long edges, tightly roll up the dough (think cinnamon-roll-style) so you end up with a long rope of uniform thickness. Pinch the seam to seal.
Use the palms of your hands to roll the dough log gently from the center outwards 2 to 3 times to lengthen it to a 24" rope.
Transfer the dough to the prepared baking sheet, loosely coiling it like a snail, leaving room for the dough to expand, then tucking the end under the coil. (Avoid coiling the dough too tightly; a tight coil will rise upward, as opposed to outward, during baking.)
Repeat with the other piece of dough and place it on the baking sheet at least 3" away from the first loaf.
Cover the shaped loaves with lightly greased plastic or your favorite reusable wrap and let them rise at room temperature until puffy, about 1 hour.
While the dough is rising, preheat the oven to 350°F with a rack in the center.
Brush the risen loaves with egg wash. Wait a couple minutes, then apply a second layer of egg wash. You will not use all the egg wash, but applying 2 layers results in a very shiny, deeply golden exterior on the baked loaves.
Bake the loaves for 35 to 40 minutes, or until they’re deep golden brown and a digital thermometer inserted into the center of each reads 190°F.
Transfer the loaves to a cooling rack and allow them to cool completely before slicing.
Store leftover pumpkin challah, well-wrapped, at room temperature for up to 3 days or in the freezer for up to 3 months.
