CHOCOLATE VEGAN SOURDOUGH BABKA CAKE

If you hadn’t heard of sourdough before, you definitely did during this lockdown, when baking sourdough became a hit. Leaven is nothing but homemade wild yeast that can completely substitute baking yeast. A simple mixture of flour and water begins to ferment and results in a starter. Sourdough is so popular because of its ability to ferment for a long time which makes it more nutritious, fluffier and easily digestible. Leaven absolutely demands your attention and time, but in return, you are left with healthy baked goods.

In this recipe, we show you how to make vegan babka using sweet leaven. If you are not familiar or don’t have a starter, use regular baking yeast. At first, babka looks like a regular cake with a filling but you can choose any filling you want, sweet or savoury. What is interesting about forming it is that you cut it and then braid it. The dough is melt in your mouth fluffy.

INGREDIENTS:

DOUGH

110g sweet starter
250g white flour
50g whole-wheat flour
30g Rice drink powder Nature’s Finest
20g Cacao butter Nature’s Finest
120g water
5g salt

FILLING

100g vegan dark chocolate
100g Goji berries Nature’s Finest
Healthy Choco-Coconut snack Nature’s Finest

METHOD:

SWEET STARTER

Making the starter takes about a day an a half at 21°C. Mix 25g of type T 500 white flour, 10g of water and 5g of brown sugar with 10g of an active starter. When the starter doubles in size, feed it with 35g of type T 500 white flour, 15g of water and 10g of brown sugar. When it triples in size, it is ready.
The sweet starter can be frozen with 6g (2 teaspoons) of instant / rapid yeast.

DOUGH

Mix 120g of water with 30g of rice drink powder. Add 5g of salt and then 110g of the sweet starter in chunks. In another bowl mix together white and wholewheat flour, add the liquid mixture and 10g of melted cacao butter. Mix well and then add the rest of the butter and a few tablespoons of water if needed. Knead till you get a smooth dough (about 5 minutes).
Let the dough rise in a covered bowl for 4-5 hours.
Soak 100g of goji berries in water while the dough is rising.

FILLING

Flour your working surface and stretch out the risen dough. Melt 100g of dark chocolate and spread it over the rolled out dough. Sprinkle with goji berries and choco-coconut chips.

FORMING

Roll the dough in a log shape and cut in the middle to get two long parts. Braid the two parts.
Place the formed babka onto a baking sheet and sprinkle again with choco-coconut chips. Cover with foil and let rise in the fridge for two and a half hours.
Bake for 45 min at 170°C.
The whole method can be found here:

https://www.instagram.com/tv/CFeiezOJ3y_/?utm_source=ig_embed