borrowed from Yiddish & Polish; Yiddish babke (in sense a), borrowed from Polish babka (in sense b), literally, “old woman, grandmother,” diminutive of baba “grandmother, midwife, old woman”
Cinnamon Babka Loaf : A delicious tasty Jewish treat!
BABKA….TASTIEST TRADITIONAL JEWISH BAKED TREAT!
With the Covid Pandemic and all the tough times we’ve had adjusting to major disruptions and changes in our lives these past few years, it seems like a good time to bring back something really rich and tasty.
Because babka is absolutely one of the tastiest traditional ways that Jewish bakers have found to put cinnamon or chocolate into old-style Eastern European preparations, its always worth revisiting.
We start the season off with our delicious cinnamon Babka (little grandmother). As the temperature starts to grow cooler, we’ll be rolling our (literally and figuratively) our Chocolate and Cinnamon Babkas for your holiday festivities.
WHAT IS A BABKA?
Babka means little grandmother in Yiddish.
A babka is a sweet braided bread or cake which originated in the Jewish communities of Poland and Ukraine. It is popular in Israel (often referred to as simply a yeast cake) and in the Jewish diaspora, particularly, in the US cities where there are major Jewish populations, like New York City and Los Angeles.
HOW WE MAKE IT
Theres a lot going on in our babka. We start with a rich, buttery yeast brioche dough (sweet), paint it with a cinnamon mixture, twist it up, and carefully place that work of art in the pan. The loaf is baked to a golden brown with a fragrant cinnamon-sugar top. Full flavor similar to a cinnamon bun but not as sweet.
THE ORIGIN STORY
It started when Jews on Shabbat took leftover challah and twisted it with seeds and nuts, such as poppy seeds and walnuts. The word babka means grandmother, referring to the grandmothers on Shabbat who made this out of the leftover challah. Chocolate wasnt added to babka until Jews arrived in New York.
Once the Jews were in the United States, they started to improvise and added chocolate and other variations. TODAY in Israel, the chocolate used in Babka is famous all over the world, Elite chocolate.
One theory says Babka is indigenous to Ukraine, where it was part of an ancient fertility symbol used in the matriarchal system once in place in the region. Historian and food writer Lesley Chamberlain believes that babka came up from Italy, brought by Queen Bona Sforza of Poland in the 16th century and developed into a Russified version of the typical Italian panettone.
In either case, the old forms of the babka were likely much larger, somewhere from the size of a modern day panettone on up to some a few feet high. The original name was likely “baba,” meaning grandmother.
Another theory says that with the “modern eras” smaller sizes the name shifted to the diminutive, “babka,” meaning “little grandmother.” Some others say the tall shape they were made in resembles a grandmothers pleated skirts.
As many folks today both swear by it and swoon for it, chocolate babka seems to have been a mid-century American Jewish invention. A very good one, mind you. But I doubt my great-grandparents would ever have conceived of it.
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Perhaps what makes babka so irresistible is the contrast between the slightly-dry layers of bread and the sticky, delicious swirls of chocolate spread. Because it manages to be both light and dense at once, it’s difficult to stop at just one slice! And while it’s perfect alongside coffee, it’s by no means limited to morning consumption and can be all-too-easily noshed on as an afternoon snack or dessert.
It wasn’t until Eastern European Jews arrived in New York that chocolate was added to the mix. There, chocolate was affordable and easy to find, and it was thus discovered that finely-chopped dark chocolate made for a rich and tasty babka. Cinnamon and often almond paste, too, were spread onto a layer of dough, which was tightly rolled, twisted and folded, and baked into the rich loaves we know and love today.
To start, it’s a dense bread that’s swirled with chocolate or cinnamon and often topped with nuggets of cinnamon-sugar streusel. Until recently, it could only be found in Jewish or Eastern European bakeries and the occasional grocery store. Now, though, we’re seeing babka (and creative adaptations of it!) in cafes, bakeries, and food blogs everywhere. Even Trader Joe’s sells babka!
Babka
FAQ
What does the name babka mean?
What is the derivation of babka?
What is the cultural significance of babka?
What is the difference between babka and challah?
What is Jewish Babka?
The backstory of our favorite baked treat. Part bread, part cake, and totally delicious: babka is among the most iconic Jewish sweets and a common fixture at the dessert table of religious celebrations.
Where did Babka come from?
A babka is a sweet braided bread which originated in the Jewish communities of Poland and Ukraine. It is popular in Israel (often referred to as simply a yeast cake: עוגת שמרים) [citation needed] and in the Jewish diaspora.
Is babka a bread?
In the strictest sense, babka is a bread, because it’s made with a standard bread dough, which is yeast-risen (as opposed to cake batter, which is risen with baking soda or powder).
Is babka the king of Jewish desserts?
Babka very well might just be the king of all Jewish desserts. The sweet braided bread – usually swirled with chocolate or cinnamon – is addictively delicious, perfect either hot or room temperature, and works just as well as a sweet breakfast dish and a luxurious dessert.