Begin by adding the warmed water and yeast to a mixing bowl and stirring together. Let sit 1-2 minutes to activate. (If using instant yeast can skip this step and add the yeast directly to dry ingredients).

Next, add in the sugar, olive oil, and pumpkin puree and mix together until well combined.

Add in 4 cups flour+ the salt and mix together until a rough shaggy dough forms. Then, add the bread hook to a standing mixer and knead for 6-8 minutes or until the dough is elastic, tacky, and can be stretched easily without pulling. Add up to 4 ¼ cups flour as needed if dough is too sticky (flour amount can vary slightly based on moisture in the pumpkin puree).

Once the dough is kneaded, add it to a well oiled bowl, cover with plastic wrap or a tea towel, and let rest 1.5-2 hours or until the dough has doubled in size. This step will take less time if the dough is in a warm environment and could take up to 3 hours in a colder environment. You will know the dough has proofed when it can be indented with a finger and springs back slowly vs. quickly.

Punch the dough and place it onto a well floured surface. Then, shape the challah as desired. To shape as pictured in a four stranded challah cut the dough into four evenly sized pieces and form into small balls. Then, follow the steps here from King Arthur's blog.

Cover a baking sheet with a silicone baking mat or parchment paper and place the braided challah on top. Cover the challah with plastic wrap or a tea towel and let rise another 1-1.5 hours until the challah has expanded and is fluffy.

Preheat the oven to 375F. While the oven is preheating, make the vegan egg-wash by mixing the maple syrup and almond milk together. Then, take a brush and lightly brush about half of the glaze onto the top of the challah. Save the remaining ½ glaze for after baking.

Add the challah to the oven and bake for 26-30 minutes until browned on the bottom and top and cooked through. To tell if challah is cooked through you can tap the top of the bread and it should sound hollow and the top and bottom should be browned.

Remove the challah from the oven and immediately brush it with the remaining glaze to give it that shiny crust. Then, transfer the challah to a wire rack to finish cooling. Once cooled, cut into 10 even slices and enjoy!