This vegan chocolate babka is sweetened with mashed banana for a version of a yeasted banana bread, with a silky chocolate ganache woven through the layers.
1cupcoconut creamfrom the top of a full-fat can of coconut milk
1teaspoonpure vanilla extract
⅛teaspoonsalt
Instructions
In a large bowl or the bowl of your stand mixer, add the warm water and maple syrup. Sprinkle the yeast over top and let it sit for fifteen minutes to activate the yeast. If it's not foaming up, throw your yeast out and buy new.
1/4 cup warm water, 1 teaspoon maple syrup, 2 teaspoons yeast*
Stir in the mashed bananas, milk, maple syrup, salt, and vanilla powder. Add the 1 cup of flour and stir with a wooden spoon or the stirring attachment on your mixer.
3 overripe bananas, 1/2 cup non-dairy milk*, 1/4 cup maple syrup, 1/2 teaspoon salt, 1/2 teaspoon vanilla powder
Add the remaining flour 1/2 cup at a time, stirring until it becomes too difficult, at which time you can turn it out onto a well floured surface and start kneading by hand. Use your dough hook for this step if you're using a mixer. Continue kneading and adding flour until a smooth, soft ball of dough forms. If it's too soft it'll be too hard to plait.
3 1/2 - 4 cups light spelt flour
Place the dough into a large greased bowl, cover it with a clean kitchen towel, and let it rise in a warm place for about an hour or until doubled in size. Prepare the ganache while the dough is proofing.
Line a bread tin with parchment paper. I used a long, narrow tin, but a standard one will work just as well. You might need to bake it for an extra five minutes if your tin is quite wide.
Once the dough has risen, generously flour a clean surface and set the dough onto it. Roll the dough out to about 3 cm thick and so that one side is the same length as your bread tin. Spread the ganache over it. Roll the dough up from the side that's the length of your tin (like a jelly roll), then cut it lengthwise.
Make an X with the two strands of dough, and then gently wrap each over the other until a plait forms. Gently pick the dough up and place it into the lined bread tin, tucking any messy ends underneath. Cover again and let it rise for an additional thirty minutes.
While the dough is rising again, preheat the oven to 190°C (375°F). Bake the bread for 40-45 minutes, or until the top is golden.
Coconut Milk Chocolate Ganache
Melt the dark chocolate in a heatproof glass bowl over a small pot of boiling water. Don't let the bowl touch the water. Once all the chocolate has melted, whisk in the coconut cream, vanilla, and salt.
3/4 cup chopped dark chocolate*, 1 cup coconut cream, 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract, 1/8 teaspoon salt
Cover and set aside to cool until you're ready to use it. There might be some extra leftover, depending on how much you want to use in your bread. If so, just eat it with a spoon or use it to ice cupcakes. I chose the spoon route.
Notes
1. I use traditional yeast. Rising times will be a little faster if you use quick yeast.2. Full-fat coconut milk will result in a slightly denser bread. Opt for a lower fat milk, like oat, cashew, or almond, for a more pastry like bread.3. You can also use dark chocolate chips.