Here’s the UWS Dish: Breads Bakery’s Chocolate Babka

By Yana Krasnitskaya

Growing up, what I thought of as “babka” was quite different from what I know it to be today. Back then, it was what my family called the savory casserole my Ukrainian grandmother made from stale matzah, egg, and milk and served exclusively on days when she didn’t feel like cooking anything more elaborate.

It wasn’t until I moved to New York and discovered Breads Bakery that I learned what a traditional babka really is, and how sweet and delightful it can taste.

Though I’ve had babka from other bakeries on the Upper West Side, I have a soft spot for Breads’, so I headed there on a recent Friday afternoon, thinking I could circumvent the weekend crowd. That was probably foolish thinking on my part, since it was the middle of the Jewish high holidays; even with six employees behind the counter filling orders, the line was so long that it wove around the displays of honey cake and the indoor tables (all occupied). At least it smelled divine, and I inhaled deeply, picking up on all the yeasty, sugary, and buttery notes in the air as I waited to pay for my chocolate babka.

Babka’s origins lie in Eastern Europe, where Jewish communities in the early 19th century began twisting jam or cinnamon into leftover challah dough to make pastries that they would bake alongside the challah. The word babka translates to “little grandmother” in Polish/Yiddish, and some sources claim it was so named because its wavy shape resembles the skirts worn by old women of that era.

Though some modern New York bakeries shape their babka into loaves, Breads twists theirs into a braid, and the chocolate — my choice of filling — forms tight, irregular ribbons that thread through the yeasty bread instead of forming a solid layer as is the case with some of the babkas I’ve sampled. And it tastes just as rich and whimsical as it looks. The dark chocolate is perfectly melty, creating a very appealing mouth feel, which carries with it a bittersweet note. This is nicely offset by the sturdiness of the brioche-like dough.

So far, that’s what most people would expect of a traditional babka, but as the stalwarts who’ve had it know, Breads goes the extra mile, weaving in layers of Nutella as well as  chocolate; its smooth, milky texture and deep hazelnut flavor elevates the entire cake. It’s moist, it’s nutty, and it melds beautifully with the slightly savory dough. The chocolate chips that are dotted throughout like little surprises are also a nice foil to that smooth streak of Nutella, and when you get a bite that contains all three, it’s simply divine. I can certainly understand why this item is constantly on the verge of being sold out. It’s just that good.

There are other notable items for purchase at Breads, including plump homemade loaves of, well, bread; other types of babka (apple honey is popular at this time of year); premade sandwiches; and elegant little slices of cake. But in my opinion, the chocolate babka is the one that really shines. I didn’t even wait to get home to eat mine; once I finally made my way through the line and paid for it, I took it to a tiny table outside and cut myself a generous slice with a plastic knife. After devouring the slice in record time, I found that I didn’t need anything else. I took the rest of the braid home and the next day, I gave it to friends so I wouldn’t eat it all myself.

Oh — and as it turns out, the savory matzah “babka” my babushka used to make is actually what is traditionally (at least in families other than mine) referred to as matzah mina, and while it brings with it a sense of absolute nostalgia, I would choose Breads’ chocolate babka any day!

The Dish: Chocolate babka ($18.95)
The Restaurant: Breads Bakery, 1890 Broadway (at West 63rd Street). Open daily, 7 a.m. to 8 p.m.

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