A sweet and savory sourdough carrot babka with a bold, fudgy filling.
Despite being an Easter tradition, few foods are more polarizing than carrot cake. I personally love it, but my husband? Not so much. So this sourdough carrot babka is a bit of a compromise. It still has the subtly sweet and earthy flavor of carrot (plus a bit of turmeric to boost that root vegetable flavor and orangey hue). But instead of a hearty cake, it goes in a light, fluffy, and buttery brioche-like bread.
For the chocolate filling, there are two options: the malted chocolate is a nod to robin eggs malted milk balls, my favorite Easter candy, and gives the filling a nutty creaminess. The Mexican hot chocolate filling is my husbands conception, and gives the bread a bold smack of cinnamon and spice. Choose whichever you prefer, or avoiding having to make that tough decision and just make one of each. Either way is a win, and no one will be arguing over the merits of carrot cake.
If you do love carrot cake though, you’ll definitely want to check out my Robin Egg Sourdough Carrot Cake which does not shy away from root vegetable flavor, and is completed with a cardamom cream cheese frosting. Also, check out my entire collection of Easter recipes here.
Sourdough Carrot Babka
Infused with fresh carrot (and a bit of turmeric) this fluffy sourdough carrot babka has an enticing balance of sweet and savory flavors, plus a pleasing orange hue. This recipe gives you the option to make one or two loaves. There are also options for filling: either malted chocolate (a nod to robin eggs malted milk balls) or Mexican chocolate, with an infusion of chile and cinnamon. If making two loaves you can do one with each filling, or just make a double batch of whichever you prefer.
Ingredients
Dough for 2 Loaves
- 497 grams (3½ cups) bread flour
- 6 grams (1 tsp) fine salt
- 160 grams (⅔ cup) milk
- 120 grams (1 cup) shredded carrot
- 2 grams (1 tsp) turmeric
- 2 large eggs
- 113 grams (½ cup) butter plus more for pan
- 100 grams (½ cup) sugar
- 167 grams (⅔ cup) sourdough starter active/fed
Dough for 1 Loaf
- 248 grams (1¾ cups) bread flour
- 3 grams (½ tsp) fine salt
- 80 grams (⅓ cup) milk
- 60 grams (½ cup) shredded carrot
- 1 gram (½ ts) turmeric
- 1 large egg
- 56 grams (¼ cup) butter plus more for pan
- 50 grams (¼ cup) sugar
- 83 grams (⅓ cup) sourdough starter active/fed
Malted Chocolate Filling (for 1 loaf)
- 50 grams (¼ cup) granulated sugar
- 59 grams (⅓ cup) heavy cream
- 21 grams (3 tbsp) malted milk powder
- Kosher salt
- 3 oz semisweet chocolate chopped, or sub chocolate chips
- 56 grams (4 tbsp) unsalted butter cut into cubes
Mexican Chocolate Filling (for 1 loaf)
- 50 grams (¼ cup) granulated sugar
- 59 grams (⅓ cup) heavy cream
- Kosher salt
- 3 oz (1 disc) Mexican hot chocolate (Abuelita or Ibarra) chopped
- 56 grams (4 tbsp) unsalted butter cut into cubes
- 1 gram (½ tsp) ground cinnamon
- 0.5 gram (¼ tsp) cayenne pepper
Instructions
- In the bowl of a stand mixer with dough hook, combine flour and salt and mix together.
- Combine milk and carrots in a small saucepan. Place over medium heat to bring to a gentle simmer. Remove from heat and mix in butter and sugar until melted and dissolved. Pour into a blender and allow to cool for about 10 minutes, or until around 100-120°.
- Add turmeric, eggs, and starter to the milk mixture and blend until smooth.
- Add wet ingredient mixture to dry ingredient mixture. Mix until a shaggy dough forms. Knead on medium-high speed until dough is smooth and clears the sides of the bowl, about 10-15 minutes.
- Transfer dough to a lightly greased clear bowl or container. Mark the position of the top of the dough with a rubber band or washable marker. Cover with plastic wrap or a towel and leave at room temperature until doubled in volume, about 4-6 hours (see note).
- Meanwhile, make chocolate filling: In a small saucepan mix together sugar, heavy cream, malted milk powder (for malted version), and a pinch of Kosher salt. Heat over medium-low heat and bring to a simmer, stirring occasionally. Reduce heat to low to maintain a simmer and whisk continuously until sugar is completely dissolved, about 1-2 minutes. Remove from heat.
- Combine chocolate and butter in a medium bowl (add cinnamon and cayenne for the Mexican chocolate version). Pour cream mixture over chocolate. Stir until smooth and chocolate is completely melted. Cool to room temperature (this can be made ahead of time, and refrigerated once cool).
- Punch down dough and transfer to a floured surface. Cut in half if making 2 loaves (weigh each half for accuracy). Roll each into an 8x-14-inch rectangle. Coat the top with chocolate filling, leaving a small border on all sides. Roll into a log, starting from one of the long edges. Pinch seem closed.
- Butter one or two 8.5x-4.5-inch loaf pans. Cut log in half lengthwise (a bench scraper works well for this if you have one) to form two long strands. Place the cut ends facing up. Pinch together one end of the stands and twist the strands together, keeping the cut side facing up. Things will likely get a bit messy at this point, embrace it. Transfer to prepared loaf pan. Cover with greased plastic wrap and leave at room temperature until loaf has roughly doubled and reaches the top of the pan, about 2-4 hours (see note).
- When ready to bake, preheat oven to 350°. Place loaf pan on a sheet pan. Bake on a middle rack for 40-50 minutes, or until internal temperature is at least 205°. Allow to cool in pan for 5-10 minutes then remove and place on a wire rack. Cool completely before slicing into bread.
Notes
Rising time will depend on the ambient temperature and the strength of your sourdough starter. Since this is an enriched dough a very active starter will ensure the best results. It should at least double within 8-12 hours of feeding. If you are using a young starter, or if it has not been fed within 24 hours of using, you may consider adding a pinch of bakers yeast to the dough, or increasing the amount of starter. If your room temperature is below 70° consider proofing in a warm spot, such as the oven with the light on (just leave yourself a note so you don’t accidentally turn on the oven…trust me, it happens).
