Babka is a traditional sweet bread that has been around for hundreds of years but has become really popular in Australia and around the world over the last few years. So, what’s all the fuss and where did it come from? Let’s take a deep-dive into the delicious world of Babka.
Babka originated in the Jewish communities of Eastern Europe in the early 19th century. Part bread, part cake, the name is thought to derive from a popular Easter cake made in Poland called “baba” which means “grandmother” in Polish. The early Eastern European babka looked different to the babka we know today; it was baked in a tall, fluted pan that looked like a grandmother’s skirt. Babka is made with a dough that is similar to the dough used to make croissants. The dough is spread with a variety of sweet fillings like cinnamon, chocolate and fruit. The dough is then plaited and topped with a sugar syrup.
During the late 19th century emigrants from Europe took babka with them to the United States where it became a fixture in Jewish bakeries. It wasn’t until the 20th century though that it became known outside of the traditional Jewish and Eastern European communities where it originated. The original recipe was tweaked to add non-traditional fillings like Nutella and it started to enjoy popularity in European-style bakeries in the United States.
Babka hit the mainstream in 1994 when it featured in an episode of Seinfeld, “The Dinner Party” but it really took off in 2013 when a popular Israeli bakery, Breads Bakery opened in New York selling babka. The bakery took their babka to food influencers in New York and asked them to try it. New York Magazine deemed it the best babka in the city and Breads Bakery went from selling a few dozen babka a day to thousands a day. At the same time Instagram was growing in popularity and provided the perfect medium to showcase the beauty of babka. With luscious layers of chocolate and fruit, babka looked great in photographs and this pleasing aesthetic saw it become a social media favourite around the world.
Today there are an infinite number of variations and recipes available for babka, from sweet fillings to savoury flavours like goat cheese, bacon, caramelised onion and sweet potato. Making your own babka can be a time-consuming process but if you invest the time you will create a special homemade treat that’s guaranteed to be a hit with family and friends.
FAQs
Babka originated in the Jewish communities of Eastern Europe in the early 19th century. Part bread, part cake, the name is thought to derive from a popular Easter cake made in Poland called “baba” which means “grandmother” in Polish.
Why do Jews eat babka? ›
As a way to use extra challah dough, Jews there would roll up the dough with cinnamon or fruit jam and bake it alongside the challah. Babka remained relatively unknown outside of Eastern Europe until the 1950s, when European-style bakeries in Israel and the United States began to offer it.
What is the derivation of babka? ›
Its name (though not necessarily the dish itself) may be related to a type of Easter cake popular in Poland and Ukraine known as baba or the diminutive babka, which means "grandmother", related to the Yiddish bubbe.
What are some fun facts about babka? ›
Babka, which means “l*ttle grandmother” in Ukrainian, Russian, and Eastern European Yiddish is very popular where those languages are spoken. Babka used to be filled with scraps of Challah and seeds or nuts. It wasn't until Eastern European Jews arrived in New York that they decided to put chocolate in the bread.
Is babka a New York thing? ›
Meanwhile, the babka's popularity spread beyond Eastern Europe. The New York Jewish babka is a relatively close descendant of the original.
Is babka a Christmas tradition? ›
Babka is a sweet, buttery, yeasty bread with swirls of either chocolate or cinnamon sugar. It is said to originate in Poland and is still today associated with the Eastern European Jewish tradition (which makes it a tad ironic that my family always eats it on Christmas morning!).
What does babka mean in Yiddish? ›
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"
What's the difference between babka and challah bread? ›
Babka is another braided white bread that is usually served with a cinnamon filling and syrup. But unlike challah, which includes eggs and oil, babka dough contains eggs, butter and milk, making it more airy, shiny and smooth.
Is babka a Passover food? ›
Matza Babka is a great Passover treat. It's made with matza, eggs, water, and a dash of salt. Only a few ingredients but such a comforting taste!
Does babka go bad? ›
It is ready to be devoured immediately. The babka should last five to seven days if stored properly in the plastic container. Freezer: Chocolate babka does freeze very well. Simply leave the babka in the plastic container and it will last up to several weeks in your freezer.
From there they have diverged. All have a rich, yeast-risen, tender crumb; panettone's texture is more like cotton candy with its long, airy strands that literally melt in your mouth, whereas babka and brioche tend to be a bit denser and somewhat chewier, with a high ratio of butter and eggs to flour.
What's the difference between paska and babka? ›
While they are both yeasted, sweet, enriched breads, paska tends to be wide and round with dough shaped on top to form religious symbols or decorative shapes. Ukrainian babka is a tall cylinder that sometimes contains raisins and/or citrus zest, and can have icing on top.
What is the meaning of babka? ›
: a sweet bread made with yeast and butter: a. : a sweet bread that contains various fillings (as of chocolate, cinnamon, or poppy seeds), is typically rolled and twisted before baking in a loaf pan, and is often topped with streusel.
What is the significance of paska bread? ›
Paska bread was created as a way to honor the sun's ability to resurrect life after winter. Eventually, these pagan traditions became an Easter tradition in eastern Europe, with even the word paska translating to Easter in most eastern European languages.
