One of the traditional baked goods we tipically like to prepare for Easter throughout Eastern Europe would be “Cozonac” or “Babka”, a sweet brioche dough with different fillings such as walnuts, raisins or chocolate spread.  This year I made it my mission to veganise this delicious pastry and it turned out pretty well. It's a tasty breakfast bread, fluffy and filling and the smell of it fresh out of the oven is to addictive! I'd love for you to try this Eastern pastry which is so close to my heart and my heritage.

It’s filled with delicious homemade chocolate spread and it pair extremely well with a warm tea or coffee. The texture or this brioche bread is something spectacular, it’s soft and bouncy and it has an amazingly satisfying tear. Unlike the traditional “Cozonac”, this brioche bread is made without any dairy products or eggs; it’s completely vegan and delicious. 

Before we get into the actual recipe, let me show you some reliable tips and tricks you can use when you make any type of sweetened bread or enriched dough, so you get the same spectacular results everytime. 

CHEF’S TIPS
  •  the flour type you choose is important - for best results use 0 or 00 white flour, with a force of 380-400 W and 14-15g protein/100g flour. My absolute favourite is Manitoba. 
  •  butter - you can use anywhere from 100-800 g butter per 1 kg flour. Less butter means an airy, fluffy end product, more butter means a more compact, tastier product. When preparing the dough, always add your butter cold and at the end of the kneading process. 
  • kneading - forming the gluten network is very important for a correct crumb. You know the dough is correctly kneaded when you can stretch it without much tear and a translucent membrane is visible. This is called the window pane test.
  • temperature - while kneading be sure your dough stays below 30 degrees. If it goes above, the gluten network is compromised and the butter will melt, ruining the crumb structure. 
  •  baking - as with any baked good and especially in the case of the brioche dough, start by baking it with steam for the first 10 min - either from your oven setting or by adding a glass of water in the oven tray. This will delay the crust forming and your dough will rise beautifully. 

INGREDIENTS:
Starter:
  • 42 g 00 Flour
  • 84 ml Soy milk
  • 8 g dried yeast
Brioche:
  • 1 recipe starter
  • 294 g 00 Flour
  • 56 g sugar
  • 5 g salt
  • 140 ml Soy Milk
  • 84 g vegan butter
Filling:
  • 30 g granulated sugar
  • 30 g cacao powder
  • 50 ml soy milk 

METHOD:
  • Start by making your starter, mixing all ingredients in a bowl and letting it activate for 20 min.




  • In a mixer combine flour, sugar and salt. Mix thoroughly.
  • Add milk and starter and mix until fully combined.
  • Start kneading your dough until it’s soft and comes of clean off the walls of the mixer. You can also use the window pane test to verify. With a professional mixer it takes around 4 minutes for the gluten to develop.

  • Add your butter gradually, in small cubes, but do not mix more than 2 min after the gluten network has developed. Otherwise you might be left with a denser crumb. 
  • Place in an oiled bowl and let proof for 1 hour at room temperature (around 22 degrees C).


  • Punch down the dough and halve it. On a slightly floured surface, roll out the dough to a 48x40 cm rectangle and spread the filling evenly, leaving a 3 cm line at the edge furthest from you.  


  • Starting from the edge closest to you, roll the dough away while encasing the filling. Place the dough seam side down and reserve. Do the same for the other half.
  • Braid the halves, making sure to tuck in the edges. Place the brioche in a 28x10 cm bread pan greased with olive oil. Allow to proof for 30 more minutes.  


  • Preheat the oven to 175 degrees C, static. 
  • Bake the brioche on static for the first 10 minutes, then turn to fan for the next 20-30 minutes. 
  • Check on your brioche at the 30 minute mark. If the tops start getting too brown, you can either cover with aluminium foil or simply place an oven pan on a higher shelf to absorb some of the top-down heat.
  • Take out of the oven and allow it to cool down for 15 minutes. Then remove from the bread pan onto a cooling rack for another 15 minutes.
  • Gently cut or tear apart to serve.  




When you try this recipe and post it on social media, be sure to tag me at vegan.chef.diana on Instagram, I love to see and share your creations!