Vegan Chocolate Hazelnut Babka

Directions

• Grease a 450g (1lb) loaf tin with butter and line with a piece of baking parchment that hangs over the sides of the tin, or use a loaf tin liner if you have one.
• Put the soya milk into a jug and heat in the microwave for about 30 seconds until lukewarm – it doesn’t want to be cold, but if it’s too hot it will kill the yeast. Alternatively, you can do this in a pan on the hob. Add the yeast to the milk, stir, then leave to the side for 10 minutes to get foamy.
• In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a dough hook, mix together the flour, sugar and salt. If you don’t have a mixer, use a large mixing bowl and wooden spoon. Add the milk and yeast mixture to the dry ingredients and mix on low speed, or by hand, for around 3 minutes until combined. Turn the speed up to medium and slowly add the softened butter, one cube at a time, until fully incorporated – this will take around 5 minutes; be patient as it will eventually come together. Mix for a further 5 minutes until the dough is smooth and elastic, or knead by hand for 10 minutes if you don’t have a mixer.
• Place the dough in an oiled bowl, cover with a reusable cover, shower cap or plastic wrap and leave to prove in a warm place for 1 hour, or until doubled in size.
• Meanwhile, for the filling, add the hazelnuts to a food processor and blend until it forms a nut butter. Add the melted chocolate, syrup, vanilla and salt and mix until combined and a smooth spread forms.
• Once the dough has proved, tip it out onto a lightly floured work surface, or a non-stick mat if you have one. Roll it out to a rectangle measuring roughly 40 x 30cm (16 x 12 inches). Spread the filling out across the dough, then sprinkle over the chopped toasted hazelnuts. Roll up the dough from the longest side into a tight Swiss roll, positioning the seam underneath the log.
• Trim off the two ends to make it neater, then use a sharp knife to cut through the middle of the log lengthways so that you get two long pieces of dough. Lay them next to each other, cut sides up, and pinch the top of the two pieces together. Twist the two lengths together to create a two stranded plait, then pinch to seal the two pieces together at the bottom too. Place the bread into the lined loaf tin, cover and leave to prove for another 30–45 minutes, or until puffy. Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 180ºC (350ºF) fan.
• Bake for 30–35 minutes until golden brown. Cover the babka with a sheet of foil after 15 minutes to stop the top getting too brown. Once baked, remove from the oven and brush the loaf with the agave syrup to glaze. Leave to cool completely. Enjoy!