Elana Pearlman, founder of Nana Mary's Bakeshop Austin, Texas launches National Babka Day August 13th 2021. To celebrate, Nana Mary's is expanding their babka subscription service across the USA
Motherwell, United Kingdom, Aug. 11, 2021 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) --
Babka, traditionally known as Kranz cake, is having a major evolutionary moment. There’s lots to be said about loaves of twisted enriched dough, generously interspersed with a filling that usually involves lots of delicious chocolate.
The name of this rich, rolled yeast bread, has its roots in both the Jewish and non-Semitic Eastern European communities. Delightfully it means “little grandmother” in Ukrainian, Russian, and Yiddish and brings to mind comforting images of generations of women kneading dough at their kitchen tables.
Old fashioned babka, also known as Kranz cake, is a whole different affair to it’s modern day renaissance.
A new wave of chefs and bakers are reviving traditional recipes and creating nostalgic foods with a focus on using local ingredients that highlight beloved regional flavors.
Unlike the original heavy and drier krantz cake, many professional bakers behind babka’s growing popularity are working with yeasted dairy doughs turned with lots of butter.
Artisan Jewish bakers like Elana Pearlman, founder of Nana Mary’s Bakeshop in Austin Texas, are inspired to bring the flavors and nostalgia of these old-school Jewish American institutions up to date to match the diversity of the modern palate and seasonality of regional fresh, sustainably grown ingredients.
“National Babka day is calling out to artisan chefs and bakers across the nation to celebrate and showcase their take on this traditional soul food.” she says.
Babka is not merely a food renaissance trend. Just like pizza, it has developed into a class of food all of its own. Although it pays homage to it’s humble roots, almost, this class of food – buttery, laminated, decadent, chocolate-filled, sweet, or savoury Jewish bread – is unrecognizable from the krantz cake the older generations and grandparents grew up eating.
It’s true that some people may express nostalgia for the dry, dense babka of the past. But, as Peter Shelsky, co-owner of Shelskys of Brooklyn has put it, “Why should something stay crappy just because it’s been crappy in the past?” And, “If I want a loaf of crappy babka, I’m sure I can walk to the supermarket, or search on Amazon, and there’ll be a pre-packed loaf waiting for me.”
The type of babka available off the supermarket shelf is a poor relative of what is being offered in Jewish and artisan bakeries.