As I mentioned yesterday, my mom’s family makes a lot of Polish foods for Easter. I didn’t take much home in the way of leftovers since I had a crowded “holiday weekend” bus trip ahead. I did ask for a few slices of babka, though.
According to Wikipedia, the “Christian version” of babka is a sweet yeast bread similar to brioche that is traditionally baked for Easter and other major holidays in counties such as Poland, Albania, Bulgaria,and Macedonia. I’ve seen it in round and rectangular loaves (usually what we get) as well as in bundt cake shapes.
There are a few varieties, but my favorite is definitely the cheese version. It’s not, like, “OMG, this bread is stuffed with all this cheese!” It’s more that it’s ever so slightly denser than the plain variety and has a nice tart sweetness to it. You can also find cheese babka with chocolate, and I’m sure that would instantly become my new favorite if I tried it because, well, come on.
Babka is great on its own, but in my humble opinion, it’s really best as French toast. After getting home from hot yoga and taking a much-needed shower yesterday, I set about making it happen. I kept it really simple and used two thin slices and two egg whites. I didn’t add any milk or spices because I wanted to let the flavor of the bread come through as much as possible. You can totally use a whole egg, but the day after enjoying a lot of rich once-in-a-while foods, I was also in the mood for something a bit lighter.
Ingredients:
- 2 small slices babka (or 1 large slice, whatever you want)
- 2 egg whites, lightly beaten (or 1 whole egg)
Directions:
- Soak babka in egg white ~2 or 3 minutes (you can flip if needed)
- Spray a nonstick skillet with canola oil spray. Cook babka ~1 or 2 minutes on each side or until egg white is thoroughly cooked.
- Optional: Scramble extra egg white on the side. Stuff between slices and enjoy as is or topped with maple syrup, fruit, or whatever else sounds good to you.
I ate this for lunch with a big side salad and put the last few slices in the freezer so I can enjoy more another time.
What’s your favorite bread to use for French toast?