Keeping Kosher Gluten-Free
By Elissa Strauss
For Sandee Hier, making a Friday night challah was no ordinary endeavor. With a husband and two kids who are gluten intolerant, creating bread that measures up in taste and appearance to the real thing was a mighty challenge. But after five years of experimenting in the kitchen, Hier finally came up with something she was proud to call challah.
After earning a reputation as the gluten-free challah lady in certain Los Angeles circles, Hier decided to bring her expertise to the public. In the summer of 2007, she opened The Sensitive Baker, the first kosher gluten-free bakery.
“I started giving it to Celiac kids to take to school. Then I realized there was a real need, and more and more people wanted it,” Hier said.
Celiac Disease is an autoimmune disorder in which the intestine cannot absorb gluten, the protein in wheat, barley and rye. According to the Celiac Disease Foundation, one in 133 people in the United States has the disease.
While the challah and hamentashen at The Sensitive Baker hold a special appeal to kosher Celiacs, Hier’s gluten-free baked goods are gaining attention from Jews and non-Jews alike. In fact, her focaccia was voted the best in Los Angeles, gluten-free or not, by Los Angeles magazine in November 2007. Other offerings at the bakery include cupcakes, bagels and brownies, and many of these treats are also vegan.
With her bakery up and running, Hier decided to take on the final obstacle in her quest to make a real gluten-free challah. Jewish law requires that challah be made from one of the five grains: wheat, spelt, rye, barley or oats. The problem is that this happens to be a spot-on list of gluten-containing grains — or at least everyone thought so until new research came out on oats, deeming them safe.
After a bit more experimentation, Hier finally devised a gluten-free challah recipe that lives up to allergy and religious demands.
“I feel like this is my ticket into heaven,” Hier said. “I can enable people to have a mitzvah they haven’t had before.”
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Hi, After reading this article I would love to find out how to buy the cholla and other items. Is there an e-mail address to order from? Or do I have to go to California to buy them?
Emily - There are at least three sources of certified gluten-free oats that I know of: 1) Glutenfreeoats .com 2) Bob's Red Mill (they just started selling GF oats) 3) www.creamhillestates .com/
Emily - There are at least three sources of certified gluten-free oats that I know of: 1) Glutenfreeoats . com 2) Bob's Red Mill (they just started selling GF oats) 3) Creamhillestates . com
Emily - There are at least three sources of certified gluten-free oats that I know of: 1) Glutenfreeoats . com 2) Bob's Red Mill (they just started selling GF oats) 3) Creamhillestates . com
Emily - There are at least three sources of certified gluten-free oats that I know of: 1) Glutenfreeoats.com 2) Bob's Red Mill (they just started selling GF oats) 3) http://www.creamhillestates.com/
If you use oats for your cooking(bagels etc) where to you get your oats from? All oats are not considered gluten free. I know of only one place in Montana that celiac association says may be ok. Still a lot of questions about it.
For people who live stateside. There is a brand called Namastefoods (namastefoods.com) that is under the hashgachah of the CRC in Chicago. I have found their products in Whole Foods, Jewel, and other stores. They make a bread and pizza dough that is gluten-free (they also sell baked bread online). I am assuming one could use the bread base and make challah out of it. I also found another gluten-free brand at my local Jewel (Albertsons) that was kosher (dairy). A woman named Tamar Ansh published a book called "A taste of Tradition: Pesach and Beyond" which is great if you want to make traditional "jewish food." It is published by publishers (feldheim.com). It also has a desert section. Just a word of caution: Just because a product says Kosher for Passover and "non-Gebrochs" does not mean that it is gluten-free.
I can verify that Sandee's bagels and oat challahs are delicious! She is doing a mitzvah by helping Jews with celiac disease be able to have challah they can actually say a bracha on (this requires it be made with special gluten-free oat flour) and in general helping us be able to enjoy traditional Jewish foods again. If anyone is looking for gluten-free kosher recipes, you can check out Gluten-Free Bay, a kosher GF recipe blog (glutenfreebay .com) (Click on the link for Jewish foods on the left side to see recipes for gluten-free challah, kasha varnishkes, hamantaschen, etc) Jews with food allergies of any sort who are looking for recipes or information should head over to the AllergicJews e-mail list (http:// groups.yahoo.com/group/allergicjews) Thanks, Sandee, for everything you do for our community.
PLEASE PLEASE, I LIVE IN SOUTH AFRICA WHERE THE ACCESSABILITY TO GLUTEN FREE PRODUCTS IS EXTREMELY LIMITED. IS THEIR ANY POSSIBILITY OF PROVIDING THE RECIPE FOR BAGELS/BREAD BUNS,BROWNIES TO ME? MY BLIND DAUGHTER SUFFERS FROM CELIAC DISEASE AND IT IS EXTREMELY DIFFICULT TO GET HOLD OF A VARIETY OF PRODUCTS THAT I CAN USE TO PROVIDE A GLUTEN FREE DIET. THANKS FOR YOUR ASSISTANCE
I live in northern california and have only been able to get gluten-free matzoh. The Callah would make by sabbath perfect. I am single there for do not cook. I was wondering if she is selling any of her goods on line? I have not way of geting to LA. I do not travel at all.
Wow, this is wonderful! I can't wait to visit this bakery! Thank you, Forward, for sharing this.
Hi! We are having a summer camp that we are making our own Challah for every Shabbat. I need a recipe for glutenfree, egg free Challah. Do you have? Could you please share? This is for one of my 2 year olds that can not have any of these items in his food. Since we are going to be making our own Challah and it sound like many enjoy yours, I thought I would give this a try. Thank you for any help you can give us, Susie
You can order Sandee Hier's products online, although her challah is not available there (yet?) http://store.thesensitivebaker.com/
I live in New York and having a hard time finding HAMOTZEE Challah. Would love to bake, if I had a tested recipe. Can anyone please share Elissa's recipe? I would love to try other recipes too, like cookies muffins, anything.. as long as it is gluten free...
Kosher gluten-free baked goods and especially, challah!! Elissa Strass is truly an inspiration to cooks, like myself who are challenged to prepare kosher gluten-free meals. I'd patronize her bakery but I live in Canada...
My correction: Sandee Hier is the baker 'extraordinaire' and Ms.Elissa Strauss the author of the article. I was so excited I didn't read very carefully!
I live in extreme NE Oklahoma and am gluten intolerant. It is not fair to all of us not living in California to show a picture like those bagels and then tell about the Challah, but not put up the recipes. We like good things too, and can not get to California to get them. Shame on you.
why should she put up the recipe? it's her business. maybe you could buy some and have her ship it to you.
I live in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada. I would like to know where I could purchase gluten-free rolled oat cereal.
Does your bakery have a kosher cerification? What a fabulous idea! Thank you so much for making so many people's lives easier.
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