Vegan Easter babka

This recipe is perfect for anyone following an elimination diet, especially those who cannot eat eggs or dairy products. This vegan babka is exceptionally light, soft and fluffy – a large yeast cake with a feather-light crumb that many traditional babkas could envy ;). Personally, I still prefer babkas made with eggs or at least egg yolks, but I truly believe that those with limited dietary options should stop worrying – here is the perfect vegan yeast babka!

Ingredients for vegan babka:

• 500 g strong white bread flour
• a pinch of salt
• 130 g caster sugar
• 50 g sunflower oil or coconut oil, melted and cooled
• 300 ml rice, almond or coconut milk, or water
• 2 teaspoons lemon or orange extract (or flavouring)
• finely grated zest of 2 unwaxed lemons or 2 oranges
• 14 g dried yeast or 30 g fresh yeast

To finish:

• Icing sugar for dusting, or
• lemon or orange icing for decoration and extra flavour

Sift the flour into a large bowl and mix with the dried yeast (if using fresh yeast, prepare a starter first). Add the remaining ingredients and begin kneading, adding the oil towards the end of the process. Knead for several minutes until the dough becomes smooth and elastic. Try not to add extra flour, even if the dough feels sticky. A stand mixer fitted with a dough hook is highly recommended. Transfer the dough to a lightly floured bowl, cover and leave in a warm place until doubled in size, about 1½ hours.

Once risen, turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface and knead briefly. Grease a 4-litre bundt tin (or two smaller tins) with coconut oil and dust lightly with flour, shaking out any excess. Transfer the dough to the prepared tin. Cover again with a tea towel and leave in a warm place until doubled in size once more.

When the dough has risen almost to the top of the tin, place it into an oven preheated to 170–180°C. Bake for approximately 30–35 minutes. Remove from the tin and leave to cool on a wire rack. The cooled babka can be dusted with icing sugar or topped with a simple citrus icing made by mixing: 1 cup icing sugar and 3 tablespoons lemon or orange juice. For additional flavour and decoration, sprinkle with candied orange peel.

Note: If you are not following a vegan diet, you may replace the water or plant-based milk with dairy milk, and the coconut oil with melted butter. Dairy-free margarine may also be used.

Method for bread machine users:

Place all the yeast dough ingredients into the bread machine in the following order: liquid ingredients first, then dry ingredients, and finally the yeast. Select the ‘dough’ programme (kneading and first rise). Once the programme has finished, remove the dough, knead it lightly, and continue according to the main recipe above.

Enjoy!