Babka. Delicious, fluffy goodness made by grandma, passed down to mom, and patiently waiting deliverance to your tummy.
When I heard of Small Batch Baking Company, I was really excited to try their mini babka. They make snack-sized babka instead of a large loaf. And they come in a variety of delicious flavors.
The best benefit is that you can have them with your cup of coffee or pop them in your mouth. The chance of eating the entire loaf (and having bakers-remorse) is slim. Probably.
And when it comes to weddings, you don’t serve them in lieu of cake, but rather as out of town gifts (because who isn’t starving when they get to the hotel!), for a bridal shower or bachelorette party, or a wedding favor for guests to take home (if they even make it that far).
Before I get to my review of them (I was sent all flavors to try out, yum), I spoke to Sheryl, one of the cofounders of Small Batch Baking Company to learn more about their love for babka.
First off, for those who don’t know, what is a babka?
Babka is a yeast-based bread with a sweet filling. It is typically made as a loaf (a la a loaf of bread) in either a chocolate or cinnamon variety. At least, that’s the Jewish version. Its origins are Eastern European, and depending upon where you are from in Eastern Europe, you might know of it differently.
What was your inspiration to start the company?
Susan and I were two moms just forming a friendship when we bonded over our Jewish childhoods, young sons, and a childhood fave — babka. Neither of us have much discipline when it comes to sweets and so, when faced with a whole loaf, we would continually slice away at it til it was almost all gone — in one sitting! The idea of making babka as a bite-sized treat basically allowed us to have our proverbial cake and eat it, too.
What inspired your flavor choices?
Honestly, it was the ingredients we stumbled upon. We obviously wanted to do a chocolate, and we were initially going to launch with cinnamon as well, but we felt the latter was covered by other like-minded options, i.e. cinnamon buns or a cinnamon twist. Combining the blueberry with the cinnamon, though, gave it a new dimension.
As for our other current flavors, it was about what pairs well with chocolate; raspberry and cappuccino are natural accompaniments. We have others in the works, as well — including non-chocolate varieties — but haven’t perfected them yet.
When should someone place an order with you if they want babka?
If it’s a large non-personalized order, we request two weeks notice in advance but of course, the more time, the better, especially if the order needs to travel a considerable distance.
Can I freeze my babka? (instead of eating them all once?!)
Our babka freeze well, and one can take a piece or two out at a time and thaw it prior to consuming, if they don’t want to eat the whole bag in one sitting. That said, it is a bread and we do not add preservatives so it is at its best when eaten within a few days after it’s baked.
My take:
I received a set of all four of the flavors that Small Batch currently has to offer. They are: Traditional Chocolate, Chocolate Cappuccino, Blueberry Cinnamon, and Chocolate Raspberry. I loved the Traditional Chocolate and Chocolate Raspberry (a little berry and a little chocolate equals heaven). My husband preferred the plain chocolate and the cappuccino versions (he doesn’t like fruit in his rolls).
What we loved best was that we took a couple of each type and could enjoy them while having our morning coffee. Because I have such a strong sweet tooth, I had to think twice before devouring the entire bag. Hence they went into the freezer. Now I can just pull one or two out when craving one and not have to worry about the loaf going dry or ending up in my stomach in one sitting.
If you are looking for a delicious food option for a pre-wedding event, a favor for guests, or a snack for OOT guests, these babka will be perfect.
A few more details on custom orders:
Small Batch Baking Company likes at least 3 weeks’ notice for custom orders, especially for large quantities. The more time, the better, especially if customizing the label. The company’s logo is required to stay on the package but the text and label color can be altered to reflect wedding colors. (There would be an additional printing/graphics charge for this personalization as well.)
Customized bat-mitzvah sticker
Overnight or two-day shipping costs paid by the customer is required to deliver as fresh a product as possible.
For ordering and more information, visit Small Batch Baking Company online or on Facebook!