Vegan Cinnamon Babka

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A vegan version of the sweet, braided bread, filled with delicious cinnamon swirls

Prep Time35

Cook Time45

Rising Time3

Total Time4 20

Course: Breakfast, Dessert, Snack

Cuisine: Jewish

Keyword: Desserts

Servings: slices

Calories: 286kcal

Author: The Modern Knish

Dough adapted from Food52 Sweet Dough Recipe

Ingredients

Dough

2 ¼ teaspoons active dry yeast
½ cup water lukewarm
3 tablespoons + 1 teaspoon granulated sugar divided
2 ½ cups all-purpose flour
½ teaspoon salt
¼ cup non-dairy milk lukewarm
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
⅓ cup vegan butter softened

Filling

⅓ cup vegan butter melted
¾ cup granulated sugar
1 tablespoon cinnamon
1 teaspoon non-dairy milk
Pinch salt

Crumb Topping (optional)

2 tablespoons brown sugar
2 tablespoons vegan buttter melted
¼ cup all-purpose flour
¼ teaspoon cinnamon
Pinch salt

Syrup

2 tablespoons granulated sugar
2 tablespoons water

Instructions

Place the yeast, water, and 1 teaspoon of the granulated sugar in a small bowl. Gently stir so that the sugar does not settle on the bottom of the bowl. Wait about 5-10 minutes for the yeast to activate (you should see the mixture foam up).
Add the flour, salt, and remaining 3 tablespoons of sugar to the bowl of a stand mixer and stir to combine. Pour in the yeast mixture, along with the non-dairy milk and vanilla extract. Attach the dough hook and mix until a rough dough forms, scraping down the sides as needed.
Add the butter and knead on low until it is fully incorporated into the dough; the dough will form a ball and pull away from the sides of the bowl. If the dough looks very wet, you can add more flour, one tablespoon at a time (do not overdo it; your dough should remain soft and slightly tacky). Increase the speed of the mixer to low-medium and continue kneading until the dough appears smooth and elastic, about 8 minutes.
Place the dough in a lightly oiled bowl, cover with a damp tea towel, and allow it to rise in a warm spot (between 70°-80°F) for about 1 ½ (or up to 2) hours, until well risen (the dough may not quite double in size; this is okay).
Place the dough in the fridge while you prepare the filling. Place all of the filling ingredients in a bowl and stir to combine fully. Line a loaf pan with parchment paper, allowing some to hang over the sides, and lightly grease the pan with oil.
Gently punch down the dough and turn it out onto a lightly floured surface. Using a rolling pin, roll the dough out into a large rectangle; the dough should be about ⅛” thick. Use a spatula to distribute the filling evenly across the dough.
Starting at the short edge of the dough, begin to tightly roll the dough to create one long log. Then, using a sharp knife, cut the log in half lengthwise, so that the filling and layers are exposed.
Turn both strands of the dough so that the filling side is facing upwards. Press the tops of the two strands together and then braid the strands. Carefully lift the babka into the loaf pan.
Cover the pan with a tea towel and allow the dough to rise for about 1 hour. The shaped babka should rise to just below the top of the loaf pan.
As the dough finishes rising, preheat the oven to 350°F. If you are making the optional crumb topping, prepare that now by adding all of the ingredients to a bowl and stirring to combine. Use your fingers to evenly sprinkle the crumb topping over the babka. Bake for 35-45 minutes, until golden brown.
Prepare the sugar syrup. Combine the sugar and water into a small saucepan and heat on the stovetop using medium heat, stirring continuously until the sugar dissolves in the water. Once the mixture comes to a simmer, remove it from heat. Brush the syrup onto the baked babka as soon as it comes out of the oven.
Allow the babka to rest in the pan for at least 30 minutes, until mostly cool. Gently lift it out of the pan and place on a wire rack to cool completely.

Notes

If you do not have a stand mixer, you can mix and knead the dough by hand. Start off by combining the ingredients with a wooden spoon, and when that becomes unwieldy, switch to using your hands.
Make sure you are measuring the flour correctly. Gently stir the flour with a spoon to get some air into it. Spoon it into the measuring cup, then level off with a knife, before adding it to the mixing bowl.
I prefer to make the babka in one day. If you need to prepare the dough in advance, however, you may refrigerate it for several hours or overnight. Cover the bowl with tightly-fitting plastic wrap and place in the refrigerator. When you are ready to roll and fill the dough, let it warm up for 45-60 minutes before rolling it out and preparing the filling.

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