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
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.
Why do Jews eat babka? ›
Like many Jewish-American specialties, babka originated in Eastern Europe – Poland and Ukraine in particular – in the early 1800s. 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.
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 does babka mean in Yiddish? ›
The word 'babka' means grandmother, referring to the grandmothers on Shabbat who made this out of the leftover challah. Chocolate wasn't added to babka until Jews arrived in New York.
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.
Why weren't Jews allowed to bake bread? ›
In the 1200s, the Jewish people weren't allowed to bake bread. This was due to the ties between bread and the sacrament. Poland was considered relatively progressive when it came to the land's Jewish population, and Jews were allowed to work with bread.
Why can't Jews eat leavened bread? ›
In fact, in the book of Exodus, when the Big G orders the Israelites to abstain from grain, He warns them that “if anyone eats what is leavened…that person shall be cut off from Israel” (12:16). In other words, you're either with us or you're against us.
Are challah and babka the same? ›
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.
What's the difference between babka and brioche? ›
Babka is a braided sweet bread - soft dough filled with a sweet filling, then rolled up and cut and twisted to form the distinctive twisted loaves. Brioche knots are super similar in assembly to a babka, but instead of being formed into loaves, it is twisted into a knot.
What is the difference between babka and Paska? ›
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.
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 is babka so good? ›
Babka is made of a rich brioche dough, usually with a cinnamon or chocolate filling. Sometimes babka are topped with streusel for extra crunch. In Israel, there are so many variations of this cake, and they're always so scrumptious and rich.
Does babka go bad? ›
Our babkas are baked daily and, if you can resist eating them, will stay delicious for up to 5 days after purchase. To hold longer than 5 days, wrap the packaged babka in aluminum foil and freeze for up to 1 month. To defrost, remove from the freezer, recycle the aluminum foil and thaw at room temperature.
What is the difference between challah and babka? ›
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!
Why do Jews eat bagels so much? ›
Bagels are created in 17th century Poland as a response to anti-Semitic laws preventing Polish Jews from baking bread. Jewish bakers circumvented these restrictions by boiling the dough before baking it.
