When I'm not working, you can often find me baking sourdough bread or running (so I don't feel as guilty about eating the sourdough).

Below is a plant-based sourdough brioche recipe I created to satisfy both myself and my vegan wife. It is just as good (if not better) than the real thing. The recipe uses a Japanese baking technique called a yudane, which improves the texture of the finished loaf.

The recipe can be used to make bread or cinnamon rolls.

Plant-Based Sourdough Brioche

Makes 2 standard loaves (9" x 5" pan) or 12 cinnamon rolls.

Dough Ingredients

Yudane

96 grams bread flour

24 grams soy lecithin powder*

96 grams boiling water

Dough

170 grams ripe sourdough starter (4-8 hours post-feeding. My starter is 50% hydration, or 2:1 flour to water.)

264 grams plant-based milk (I use oat milk)

384 grams bread flour

12 grams unflavored plant-based protein powder*

76 grams sugar

6 grams yeast

12 grams salt

20 tablespoons room-temperature plant-based butter

Dough Instructions

1. To make the yudane: Put the soy lecithin and the 96 grams of bread flour in a heatproof bowl. Pour the boiling water over them, stirring completely to make a paste. Let cool.

2. To make the dough: In the bowl of a stand mixer, add the cooled yudane and all the dough ingredients except the butter. Mix with the hook attachment on low speed until a dough forms, about 2-3 minutes, then on high speed, about 10 minutes. The dough is fully kneaded when you can stretch a small piece until it becomes translucent without breaking it. Once the dough is kneaded, turn the mixer to low speed and, while the mixer is running, add butter one tablespoon at a time, waiting until the butter is completely incorporated before adding the next piece.

3. To proof the dough: Form the dough into a ball and place it in an oiled bowl 2-3 times its size. Cover and let proof. After one hour, stretch and turn the dough. To do so, slide your (wetted!) hands under the risen dough ball and lift it out of the bowl, holding it in the air until it sags down around your hands but before it begins to tear. Place the ball back in the bowl, rotate the bowl 90 degrees, and repeat 3 more times. Repeat the stretch and turn process again after one hour. After the second stretch and turn, let rise for one hour (for a total of 3 hours).

4. Continue on directly to part A or part B.

A. Bread Instructions:

Preheat your oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.

1. To form the loaves: Divide the proofed dough in half. Place each half on a floured work surface and gently form into a log the same length as your bread pan. Place each log into a greased 9" x 5" (or 8" x 4") pan and let proof again, covered, until the log is just below the top rim of the pan. (After this step, you can put the pans in the fridge overnight and bake in the morning, if desired).

2. To bake: If you chilled the dough overnight, let it come to room temperature before baking. Bake on the center rack at 350 degrees Fahrenheit for 35 minutes, or until golden brown. Let cool before slicing and serving.

B. Cinnamon Roll Instructions:

Filling Ingredients:

50 grams brown sugar

80 grams sugar

3 tablespoons cinnamon

2 teaspoons ginger

1 teaspoon cardamom

½ teaspoon allspice

½ teaspoon salt

¼ teaspoon cloves

1 teaspoon nutmeg

2 tablespoons melted butter

Frosting Ingredients:

200 grams powdered sugar

6 tablespoons room temperature plant-based butter

4 tablespoons room temperature plant-based cream cheese

Preheat your oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.

1. To make the filling: Combine all the filling ingredients except the melted butter.

2. To prepare the rolls: On a slightly oiled work surface, roll the proofed dough into a 12" x 20" rectangle, with the 20" side facing you. Brush the dough rectangle with the melted butter and sprinkle the filling evenly over the entire surface. Important: Leave 1" on the farthest side from you without any filling so the dough holds together when rolled.

3. To make the rolls: Using a bench scraper, roll the near edge of the dough rectangle away from you to form a 12" log, taking care to form a tight spiral. Cut the log into 12 equal pieces 1" long. Place each piece spaced evenly (with room between each roll) in a 13" x 9" baking pan. Alternatively, you can place each piece in a cup of a jumbo cupcake tin.

4. To proof the rolls: Let the rolls proof again, covered, for one hour, or until they begin to touch each other in the baking pan or fill the cups of the cupcake tin. (After this step, you can put the pan(s) in the fridge overnight and bake in the morning, if desired).

5. To bake: If you chilled the dough overnight, let it come to room temperature before baking. Bake on the center rack at 375 degrees for 25 minutes. Let rolls cool for 10 minutes after removing from the oven.

6. To top the rolls: Combine the powdered sugar, butter, and cream cheese in a stand mixer with the whisk attachment. Spread the frosting on the rolls after they have cooled for 10 minutes.

* But I'm not vegan! Neither am I, but this is still a great recipe! If you want to make this recipe using conventional ingredients, substitute whole dairy milk and dairy butter one-for-one for their plant-based counterparts. If you don't want to use/don't have soy lecithin or protein powder, omit them. Instead, omit the milk and add 5 large eggs at the beginning of Step 2 when making the dough. (The lecithin and protein powder are included to mimic eggs' emulsifying and binding effect.)

The initial brioche recipe was taken from here, the cinnamon roll filling/frosting from here, and the idea for the yudane/egg replacers from somewhere in the depths of Reddit.