Babka Bakers Specializes in Their Eastern European Namesake Treat
This month, we're proud to present the Bread & Grains issue—dedicated to all manner of doughs, dosas and baked desserts made in Queens. To coincide with the print issue (you'll be able to pick up a print copy very soon!), every weekday throughout the month of February, we're featuring a different bakery in the borough. Some are old standbys, and some are new and on the rise, but each one reflects the diverse and independent spirit of Queens.
When it comes to babka—the fluted or braided dark chocolate or cinnamon streusel-beribboned sweet yeast cake popular throughout Eastern Europe—there’s formidable competition across New York City’s baked goods market. But this Maspeth establishment has an ace in the hole: They import all of their non-GMO flour directly from Poland. Not only is it babka’s purported homeland (the name translates to “grandmother,” a reference to the pleated shape that echoes an old woman’s skirts), it’s one of the few countries that actually has a ban on the cultivation of Monsanto’s products. So there’s little to no guilt involved in enjoying the family-run company’s signature sweet. Not to mention loaves of their slow-fermented sourdough, made by hand with easy-to-stomach bacteria that pre-digest the flour, releasing micronutrients such as calcium, magnesium, iron and zinc, which are lost in other varieties of bread.
