Eastern European Jewish Bakery
Dark Chocolate & Espresso Tahini Sourdough Babka
A dramatic, twice-twisted sourdough babka loaf with dozens of exposed laminated ribbons of 70% bittersweet dark chocolate, nutty roasted sesame tahini, Dutch cocoa, and espresso powder, drenched immediately out of the oven in glossy cardamom-orange simple syrup.
The good part
Fermentation Science & Baker’s Notes
Pouring all of the hot simple syrup over the babka the second it comes out of the oven sounds excessive, but the boiling crust evaporates the water while drawing sugar into the outer layers—preserving softness for 4 days and giving the exposed chocolate swirls a jewel-like shine. For deeper fermentation diagnostics, Desired Dough Temperature math, and starter ratios, consult our How to Bake Enriched Vegan Sourdough and the master Vegan Sourdough & Wild Fermentation Pillar Hub.
Storage, Freezing & Refreshing
Store crusty artisan sourdough loaves cut-side down on a wooden board or inside a linen bread bag at room temperature for up to 3 days (avoid sealed plastic bags, which trap moisture and soften the blistered crust). For longer storage, slice the cooled loaf completely, place parchment squares between slices, and freeze in an airtight freezer bag for up to 3 months; toast straight from frozen or refresh whole loaves in a 375°F oven for 8 minutes.
Nutrition, Digestibility & Swaps
Nut-free (made with sesame tahini). For a sesame-free version, swap tahini for creamy almond butter or sunflower seed butter. Want to adapt another family bakery recipe to 100% plant-based sourdough? Open our interactive Vegan Baking Converter.
Gather
Ingredients
- 380g (3 cups + 1 tbsp) unbleached bread flour
- 100g (scant 1/2 cup) active peaked sourdough levain
- 140g (1/2 cup + 2 tbsp) lukewarm unsweetened soy or oat milk
- 45g (3 tbsp) aquafaba
- 50g (1/4 cup) organic cane sugar
- 65g (4 1/2 tbsp) softened vegan block butter
- 7g (1 1/4 tsp) fine sea salt + 1 tsp vanilla extract
- For Dark Chocolate-Tahini-Espresso Filling: 130g (4.5 oz) 70% dark vegan chocolate, chopped + 60g (4 tbsp) vegan butter + 50g (3 tbsp) runny roasted tahini + 50g (1/2 cup) powdered sugar + 25g (1/4 cup) Dutch-process cocoa powder + 1 1/2 tsp instant espresso powder + pinch flaky salt
- For Shiny Bakery Syrup: 70g (1/3 cup) cane sugar + 60g (1/4 cup) water + 2 crushed cardamom pods, simmered 2 minutes
Make
Method
- 01Mix, Ferment & Chill Enriched Dough: Combine bread flour, soy/oat milk, aquafaba, sugar, vanilla, salt, and peaked levain; knead 5 minutes, then knead in 65g softened vegan butter until smooth. Bulk ferment at 79°F for 4 hours until puffy, then chill in the refrigerator overnight (8 to 14 hours).
- 02Melt Chocolate-Tahini Filling: Gently melt the chopped dark chocolate and 60g vegan butter over a double boiler. Whisk in the runny tahini, powdered sugar, Dutch cocoa powder, espresso powder, and salt; cool 15 minutes until spreadable like Nutella.
- 03Roll, Spread & Freeze 10 Minutes: Roll the cold dough on a lightly floured counter into a 12x16-inch rectangle. Spread the chocolate-tahini-espresso paste evenly leaving a 1/2-inch border. Roll up tightly into a 16-inch cylinder and chill on a tray in the freezer for 10 minutes so slicing is surgical.
- 04Split Lengthwise & Twist: Trim 1/2 inch off both ends. Using a sharp serrated knife, slice the cylinder completely in half lengthwise to expose all the chocolate layers. Lay the two halves side-by-side cut-side up, pinch the top ends together, and twist them over each other 4 to 5 times, keeping the cut chocolate layers facing upward.
- 05Proof, Bake & Drench in Hot Syrup: Transfer into a parchment-lined 9x5-inch loaf pan. Proof in a warm spot for 2.5 to 3 hours until puffy. Bake at 365°F (185°C) for 36 to 40 minutes until a skewer inserted into the dough seam comes out clean (195°F). Immediately brush ALL of the hot cardamom sugar syrup over the top crust in 3 coats for a mirror gloss and moist crumb.
Keep cooking
Swaps, storage, and useful next steps.
Nut-free (made with sesame tahini). For a sesame-free version, swap tahini for creamy almond butter or sunflower seed butter.