Bread or cake? Move over sourdough, babka is here

What do Dalgona coffee and sourdough bread have in common They are both viral food trends that took off massively during the lockdown The era of the pandemic and lockdown has been marked by various social media trendsmdashfrom Clubhouse to the Me At 20 challengemdashthat have come and gone Indians have been at the forefront of adapting to global trends and localising them Case in point is the latest global food sensation babkamdashsweet braided breadmdashthat has captured the tongues and Instagram handles of millions across the globe and has seen several bakers across Mumbai experimenting with the traditional recipe Middaycomspoke to hospitality professionals and experts to understand what makes this bread popular Dean Rodrigues Pastry chef and EducatorldquoBabka is a sweet braided bread which originated in Israel The bread is prepared by many communities differently based on the ingredients available but the most traditional filling has cinnamonrdquo says Dean Rodrigues pastry chef and educator at the Academy of Pastry and Culinary Arts India The Andheri East resident teaches aspiring individuals the art of making pastries and helps them to enhance their skills and techniquesElaborating on the origins of the bread he adds Created by Jewish communities in the 19th century babka was the result of accidental repurposingA baker rolled out extra dough leftover from making breads and added fruit preserve cinnamon and baked it as a loaf The result was loved by many and became popular among the locals The addition of chocolate came in the mid20th century An alternate theory suggests that babka is indigenous to Ukraine where it was part of an ancient fertility symbol used in the matriarchal system once in place in the region The name lsquobabkarsquo comes from the Polish word baba which means grandmother Some historians also believe that babka came from Italy brought by Queen Bona Sforza of Poland in the 16th century and developed into a Russified version of the typical Italian panettonerdquoThe world feels Rodrigues is going back to basic recipes chiefly because people were at home during the pandemic and wanted to explore simple options to bake ldquoBabka is a hybrid between cake and bread he explains It is braided and the sweet filling is dispersed evenly making it extremely flavourful In India localised variants to suit our distinct palate are popular If we talk about the authentic babka not a lot of people would like it but the one with chocolate is definitely a pleaserZarna Pobari Home chef CrypDoughFusion vada pav babka by chef Zarna Pobari Pic Payal PobariHome chef Zarna Pobari is an Andheri East resident who bakes a healthy version of babka regularly ldquoThe traditional babka is made in maida and we have come up with a healthier version of it by making it inrajgiraflour This is not only healthy but it can also be consumed when people are fastingrdquo says Zarna Pobari who along with her daughterinlaw Payal Pobariruns CrypDough a home kitchen specializing inrajgiraflour breads cookies and cakesIn an attempt to cater to younger age groups and serve something interesting babka and its many local variants were added to their menu ldquoWhen we started with the regular flavour of babka nutella people werent aware about this kind of bread In the beginning we had to introduce everyone to babka Then we added flavours like pesto and jalapentildeo cheddar which can be had during fasts These experimental flavours led to clients requesting for a few more offerings So we came up with ourMumbaiyatouch of vada pav babka and samosa babka which have received a tremendous responserdquo says PobariRahul Bajaj Founder Deli by the BlueDeli by the Blue is an eatery based out of Khar serving sauces dips bread bakes desserts and more Babka is one of their signature dishes and a bestseller ldquoI wanted to bring this on the new menu as its a complete package in itself and you can have it just by itself for a high tea or like a late evening snackBabkareminds every one of the simple snack nutella spread on bread It is a staple that almost everyone has resorted to in order to calm their cravingsrdquo shares founder Rahul BajajTalking about modifications made by his kitchen to the traditional recipe he explains ldquoA lot of people in Mumbai makebabka and most of them are dry in general Keeping that in mind we wantedto ensure that our bread and bread products are moist and fluffy We made a few changes to the traditional recipe because we wanted to offer variety to our guests and 22 trials later we found our perfectbabkabreadrdquo Experimenting with fusion is far too common in the city as Mumbaikars are used to endless options even in the case of bread ldquoWe created three variations two sweet and one savoury because we make everything from scratch We even madea special batch of chocolatefor thebabka Making everything in house gives us the creative space to play around with ingredients and stick to whatever tastes best From the moment we introduced it on the menu the response has been amazing It usually gets sold outrdquo adds BajajPesto and Parmesan BabkaPesto and Parmesan babka by Deli by the Blue PicDeli by the BlueIngredientsButter 60gm Milk 200ml Bread flour 450gm Fresh yeast 10gm Salt 15gmSugar 50gm Basil pesto 200gm Olive oil 20ml Kosher salt 1gmMethod1 Pour the flour into a mixing bowl then stir in the salt yeast on opposite sides2 Mix in the sugar and the wet ingredients to form a dough3 Knead until the dough passes the windowpane test Prove the dough until it has at least double size about 1 hour4 Drain the excess oil from the pesto5 Punch down the doughit out into a measuring the dough spread the pesto and parmesan cheese on top and then roll it into a long from one of the short sides6 Punch the seam and end to seal and split the log in half lengthwise twist the two pieces together with the pesto filling side facing up7 Place the twisted babka inside of a loaf pan and prove until the dough springs to touch about 45 55 minutes Bake at 200degc for 15 minutes8 Then at 170degc for 10 minutes until it has baked properly9 Be sure to let the babka cool for 10 minutes in the pan then remove it and let it cool completely for one hour on a wire rack slice and serve with salted butter and enjoyAlso ReadThe worlds favourite pickmeup Mumbai chefs pay a tribute to the tiramisu