CHOCOLATE BABKA RECIPE + WonkyWonderful (2024)

FAQs

Why do Jews eat babka? ›

One theory says Babka is indigenous to the Ukraine, part of an ancient fertility symbol. The story of chocolate and the Jewish community is a bit different in the Mediterranean. There, Jews and chocolate went together like bagels and cream cheese. Don't miss what matters.

Now as you roll up the dough, from the longest edge into a very tight spiral, be sure to gently pull back to create an even tighter log. If you do this you will get a well formed Babka with many lovely spiraled layers of chocolate filling peaking through after baking.

To be extra sure that your babka loaf has finished baking, you can use an instant-read thermometer to check if the internal temperature has reached 190°F. This method is also great if you don't have a long enough toothpick to get to the middle of the loaf. Don't skip the sugar syrup at the end.

Oh but it's so worth the wait. The great thing about this chocolate babka bread, is the second rise can be done in your refrigerator overnight. The colder temperature slows the process down, so if you want you can prepare it ahead of time for the most part and then hit the hay to finish it until morning.

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"

Baka' Definition

NAS Word Usage - Total: 1. Baca = "weeping"

Do NOT underbake your loaves. I recommend checking them with a thermometer to make sure they're done. If you pull them out too early, the babka will sink in the middle and be doughy (it's happened to me before and it's a total bummer).

Add more yeast, blend in the starter, or knead in more flour to help initiate rising. Dough that has expired yeast, too much salt, all-purpose or cake flour, or antifungal spices like cinnamon might have trouble rising.

Difference between babka and paska

Traditionally, paska is baked in a large round decorated on the top with symbols, including crosses, flowers, braids, wheat, or other designs representing aspects of Orthodox and Eastern Catholic faith. Babka is traditionally baked to be tall and cylindrical.

Babka Recipe Variations

Cinnamon, poppy seeds, almond paste and cheese are all traditional companions for the cake with the challah-like crumb. But it doesn't get more popular than chocolate babka nowadays, which adds an element of decadence to the dense loaf.

What are some fun facts about 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.

Yes! If a recipe calls for proofing bread dough overnight in the refrigerator, it can be proofed on the counter at a warmer temperature for a shorter period. Rather than placing the dough in the refrigerator overnight, leave it covered on the counter for 1 to 4 hours until it's ready to bake.

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) and in the Jewish diaspora.

Yes, you can let your bread rise overnight in the fridge. Keep in mind, though, you'll want the dough to come back up to room temperature before baking.

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.

Soon, bagels took on a variety of meanings within Poland's vibrant Jewish encalves. They were fed to women who had recently given childbirth as part of folk traditions designed to protect newborn children and became part of Jewish mourning rituals.

Like challah, it is braided and made from a rich yeasted dough, but unlike challah, it is filled and glazed with a sweet syrup. While chocolate babka has grown in popularity in recent years, it has also continued to evolve. New variations include different shapes, glazes, fillings and more.

There are plenty of desserts that orthodox Jews eat like babka, Lekach, sufganiyot, rugalach, etc.