You’ve probably seen pictures of babka: swirls of cinnamon and sugar laced through a rich and tender dough, the sugar caramelized on the outside making for an Insta-worthy shot. Babka is Jewish in origin, hailing from Eastern Europe. It means “little grandmother” and is meant to evoke the image of the swirls of a long, matronly skirt. Babka threads the needle between bread and cake – it’s a sweet bread but not overly so, and the layers and swirls make for a fantastic presentation. Babka is enriched with milk, butter, eggs, and brown sugar. If you have a dairy allergy, I can also make it dairy-free!
This particular babka is a sourdough version – I like the complex flavors that a long, cold proof brings to this loaf. It’s perfect on its own – no need for butter here, though I wouldn’t judge you if you slathered it with some! You could slice it and make decadent french toast, topping it with fresh Michigan blueberries. I usually make an extra loaf, then slice and freeze it for when I need a special snack for one of the kids. If it doesn’t go in the freezer right away it never lasts more than a day. It’s so, so good.
I’ll be baking on Thursday and Friday of the coming week, August 3 & 4. Pickup is at my home either day, or at the college on Thursday the 3rd. Please place your orders by Monday, July 31st, letting me know your preferred day and location for pickup. Sourdough cinnamon babka is $11 for a loaf; we usually get 10-12 slices from it, depending on who does the slicing 🙂