The History of Babka - Breadworks Pittsburgh (2024)

01 May

Breadworks

Babka is a dense bread that is often swirled with chocolate or cinnamon and occasionally topped with nuggets of cinnamon-sugar streusel. It used to be found only in Jewish or Eastern European bakeries. However, now we are seeing Babka everywhere. The great thing is that bakeries are putting their own spin on it and there are many different types! Perhaps what makes babka so appealing and irresistible is the dissimilarity of the slightly dryer layers of bread paired with the sweet, deliciousness of chocolate. The best part is, it is a lighter bread so you don’t feel full after a few pieces and can go back for more! Babka, which means “little 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. While Breadworks’ Chocolate Babka isn’t a twisted loaf, it still has delicious chocolate in it! It is only available a few times a year so that makes it extra special!