Savory Mediterranean Babka

This incredible Savory Mediterranean Babka features sun-dried tomato garlic spread, sun-dried tomatoes, marinated artichokes and tangy herbed goat cheese! Packed full of flavor, your taste buds will thank you!

Can you believe the dough is entirely vegan? The texture of this bread is SO soft and fluffy and stays moist for daaaaaays. It's wonderful with homemade tomato soup, served as a side and so much more!

Savory Mediterranean Babka Ingredients

• Yeast - I like to use dry active yeast, but instant yeast will work too!
• Water - The water will need to be lukewarm, which is between 105ºF to 110ºF (40.5ºC to 43ºC).
• Sugar - We'll be using a little bit to feed the yeast. It will help the bread brown as well.
• Olive Oil - This babka dough is vegan and olive oil be adds a bit of richness.
• Bread Flour - Make sure to use a high quality bread flour. My favorite is from King Arthur!
• Salt - Just a tiny bit for flavor.
• Joy's Gourmet Sun-dried Tomato Garlic Spread - This ingredient is a must as it adds SO much flavor to the babka! The wonderful people at Joy's Gourmet gifted me some of their delicious garlic spreads to try! Their garlic spreads consists entirely of garlic, oil, herbs and lemon juice, making them naturally vegan and gluten-free!
• Sun-dried Tomatoes Packed in Oil - Adds so much flavor.
• Marinated Artichokes - I like using marinated artichokes from the jar.
• Herbed Goat Cheese - You can also use plain goat cheese. It will taste delicious either way.

Savory Mediterranean Babka Instructions

MAKING THE DOUGH

Step 1 - In the bowl of a stand mixer, mix sugar, warm water (105ºF to 110ºF or 40.5ºC to 43ºC) and yeast together. Allow yeast to bloom for 8 minutes. It should be foamy and double in size.

Step 2 - Add olive oil, salt and all of the bread flour into the bowl and with a wooden spoon or spatula, combine until a rough ball of dough forms.

Step 3 - Fit your stand mixer with the hook attachment and mix the dough on medium for 8 minutes. The dough should pull away from the sides of the bowl. You can add 1 tablespoon of flour IF the dough is still sticky.

Step 4 - The dough should be somewhat sticky. With oiled hands, remove dough from the mixer and place in a large oiled bowl and cover with cling wrap. At this point, you can either let it slowly rise in the fridge overnight or allow to rise in a warm place for 1 hour.

SHAPING THE DOUGH

Step 1 - Gently punch the dough to release the air and roll out to a 12 x 18 inch (30.4 x 45 cm) rectangle.

Step 2 - Evenly spread sun-dried tomato garlic spread onto dough, leaving a half inch (1.27 cm) border all around.

Step 3 - Next, add your chopped artichokes, sun-dried tomatoes and crumbled goat cheese.

Step 4 - Tightly roll the dough into a log, starting with the shorter end.

Step 4 - Cut log straight down the middle leaving the top uncut.

Step 5 - Twist the dough onto itself.

Step 6 - Carefully transfer the bread into a lined 9x5-inch loaf pan and allow to proof for 30 minutes.

Step 7 - Right before I pop the babka in the oven, I like to lightly brush it with oil from the sun-dried tomatoes. It's totally optional!

Step 8 - After the bread has proofed, bake at 350ºF for 40 to 45 minutes or the internal temperature is 200ºF. Allow to cool in the pan for 20 minutes. Remove babka from the pan and place on a wire rack to cool completely. Top with flakey sea salt and enjoy!

Expert Tips

• I highly recommend weighing all your ingredients with a kitchen scale to ensure your bake comes out perfectly. If you do not have a scale, fluff and aerate your flour first, then spoon into your measuring cup and finally level off with the back of a butter knife. Do not pack it in as it will add too much flour.
• Try to refrain from adding too much flour. It's normal for the dough to be somewhat sticky. I like to lightly oil my hands to handle the dough after it kneads.
• If you are using instant yeast, please follow the recipe as written. I would still recommend blooming the yeast to make sure it's still active.
• When rolling the dough into a log, make sure to roll tightly.
• The sun-dried tomatoes and marinated artichokes should be drained well before adding to the dough. The excess liquid can make your babka soggy.
• You can easily make this babka vegan, by omitting the goat cheese or replacing with a dairy-free alternative.
• I love the versatility of this dough, making it easy to swap out the filling for many different toppings. Be creative and have fun with it!

MEASURING BY WEIGHT

Measuring ingredients by weight, rather than by volume, is the most accurate way to bake. Unfortunately, not all measuring cups are created the same. Additionally, some measuring cups are specifically designed for liquid and for dry ingredients. To prevent any inaccuracies, I highly recommend purchasing an inexpensive kitchen scale. All of my recipes are measured in grams with the exception of teaspoons/tablespoons, to insure your bakes come out perfect every time!

If you would like to learn more about measuring by weight, you can refer to King Arthur's ingredient weight chart.

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If you have made this recipe, I would love to know how it turned out for you! Please consider leaving a star rating and review below and tag me on Instagram @shortstackkitchen. Thank you so much!