The history of the Babka recipe is rooted in Eastern European Jewish culinary traditions. Babka is a sweet yeast-risen bread or cake that has become popular in Jewish communities and beyond. The exact origins of Babka are not entirely clear, but it is believed to have originated in Eastern European countries such as Poland and Ukraine. Babkallah is braided version of the Babka, comes from Challah which is traditional Jewish braided bread. The word "Babka" means "grandmother" in Polish and Ukrainian, which suggests that the recipe has been passed down through generations. In its traditional form, Babka is a rich, sweet bread made with butter, eggs, and often flavored with ingredients such as chocolate, cinnamon, nuts, or dried fruits. The dough is typically rolled out, filled with the chosen ingredients, and then twisted or braided before baking.
Make sure you seal the chocolate-filled logs of dough very well so they don’t unravel as you braid, as this could compromise the spiral of filling in the finished babkallah. Leave a little slack in the braid, as lots of tension could cause the strands to split apart down the centerline in the oven, exposing the filling. If this happens, though, it won’t adversely affect the final flavor or texture.
The baked babkallah, well wrapped and stored at room temperature, will keep up to 4 days but is best served on the first or second day.