Based in Manila, Philippines, Dessert Comes First is a chronicle of the food-obsessed food writer, Lori Baltazar. This website is all about desserts, restaurants, coffee, and the pleasures of homebaking. Read more about me Boxing Bread, Beating The Blues
Tue, March 17th of 2009
1:55 pm
Brooding’s a bitch.
A confluence of unfortunate events has me reeling. At one point, I’ve banished myself to my room choosing not to come out lest I bite the heads off of everyone who dares cross my path. At least in the protective cocoon I barricade myself in, I imagine that I’m safe from any more blows from fate’s hammer.
But solitude has its limits, especially the self-imposed type. When dwelling is misery and brooding becomes a drag, I head to my kitchen. It’s here where I am queen.
Eschewing the usual coffeecakes and CD-sized chocolate chip cookies I usually turn to whenever my chips are down, I decide to bake bread – specifically, a babka.
A babka (I’ve also seen it called ‘baba’) is nothing but a yeasted coffeecake. More than “just cake,” it’s in a class all its own. An enriched dough — meaning a (bread) dough to which eggs, butter, etc. are added, it’s then filled with whatever one’s heart (or soul) desires. Because the dough is so rich, it’s a dream to knead, something I do by hand after incorporating everything together in my stand mixer.
Kneading is a punch-fold-turn affair for me. As I work the dough with my fingers, I feel something click in my head. Like the dough that’s slowly waking up and coming together in my hands, I feel my despondent spirit awaken as well. I punch the dough.
My heart swells.
I punch the dough again.
My head clears.
Amazed at this unexpected picker-upper, I notice that the dough has become soft and pliant – time to let it proof. I punch it one more time.
I feel a smile coming on and my soul soars.
I want to smother my soul with the fragrance of this bread
I usually make two fillings for my babka: cinnamon-nut and chocolate, simply because the dough is enough to make two medium babkas, and also because Boo is averse to nuts, like so many other 6 year olds I know. Today, I make a chocolate smear made with a bar of Swiss chocolate that I break into shards mixing it in with sugar, butter to bind, as well as powdered cinnamon and cocoa powder for more complexity. I have a bag of cashews I want to finish up so I roast ‘em and throw those into my food processor, butter again to bind, sugar, and a drizzle of corn syrup.
Baking engages my senses. As I lay the now-proofed dough onto my Silpat mat, I feel the nubby textures of the fillings as I spread them onto this yeasted white sheet. Smells of cinnamon and chocolate and sugar intermingle. Later, as the babkas bake, the house is filled with heady scents, prompting stomachs (mine especially) to growl. There is nothing — nothing — that smells better than baking bread. If you’ve baked bread before, you understand this.
Once done, my babkas are a display of never-ending spirals pocked with chocolate, the other with cinnamon. I want to smother my soul with the fragrance of this bread and smear my melancholy spirit with the delicate pillow that is the dough. But I’ll settle for eating babka instead.
The next day, toasted in a panini grill and still great.
Note:
I used the babka recipe in the book, Jewish Holiday Baking by Marcy Goldman. Here’s a similar recipe.
Other baking bread posts:
In Between Bites
Donuts
A Trip Down Focaccia Memory Lane
When Bread Meets Chocolate
Soft Bread For A Hard Day
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Those look really good, Lori-san. I ought to try the recipe out.
[Reply]
Comment by Eric — March 17, 2009 @ 6:32 pm
I got all excited when I first saw the photo, because I thought that someone was finally selling babka here! Then I realized you made it yourself. :-/ Both versions look scrumptious! You’re right — the smell of bread baking is heavenly. How lucky your family is to have that smell at home!
[Reply]
Comment by Katrina — March 18, 2009 @ 1:34 am
We all have our bad days, Lori. What’s good though is that you have put all of that energy into making something good. And, it looks so good, too.
[Reply]
Comment by Aina Luna — March 18, 2009 @ 4:55 am
Wow, that chocolate babka looks so good! Great photography, and nice blog. First time here, I’ll be visiting again sometime soon!
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Comment by Alex K. — March 18, 2009 @ 6:40 am
its good to have an outlet when days dont turn out as we’d like them to. your outlet created something beautiful and delicious! there’s something to smile about! enjoy the rest of your week!
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Comment by mrs lavendula — March 18, 2009 @ 6:33 pm
damn! those babkas look good. got me salivating now. Of course I couldn’t taste them but Im imagining how it could taste like. Gotta do something about it-bake my own? find a substitute?
And you baked these at home? Gosh.I liked the 2nd picture from the top the most. nice bubbles in there. May I ask what kinda yeast or brand did you use?
Man, if you produced these when you’re brooding I wonder what will come out of your oven when you’re happy or in love. Keep em coming .
[Reply]
Comment by steven ang — March 21, 2009 @ 4:26 pm
Hi Ms Lori, I’m CJ from the food writing workshop. I enjoyed your sharing about food blogging and thank you for enlightening me on the topic. I’m a baker myself and I have to say I was challenged with your babka because the only bread I bake is the cinnamon quick bread, a recipe I got from Heny Sison. It doesn’t even require kneading, but seeing how you vented your frustration with baking, I just had an idea. Now I know what I’ll do when I’m down. Thank you for the recipe too.
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Comment by CJ Carmelo — March 21, 2009 @ 5:01 pm
Cooking is also a form of stress-release for me. Being highly unskilled in baking, I resort to the next best thing, which is baked pasta. Baked ziti, lasagna, baked macaroni… Any kind of pasta that can be smothered in cheese and plunked into the oven.
I was also at The Power of Pen Workshop and was greatly appreciative of the talks given by the impressive line-up of speakers. I really enjoyed your talk being a blogger myself and have seen how doors have opened for me with the help of my site. Now, I am a contributing writer to a couple of magazines and has been invited by a major publication to do restaurant reviews. Thanks to bloggers like yourself who give importance to the quality of their writing, I learned to persevere and focus on my strengths while working on my weaknesses. Now, I’m proud to say that all the hard work is slowly paying off.
Hopefully you would be able to find comfort in knowing how you are revered and valued by so many during these low points in your life.:-)
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Comment by Chinkee — March 23, 2009 @ 11:21 am
looks good! me starting to bake breads again. holy week was such busy week for me
will start again this week.
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Comment by isi — April 14, 2009 @ 7:13 am
The chocolate babka from Zabar’s is the best!!!
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Comment by Archie — May 28, 2009 @ 4:55 pm