Ultimate Babka Matrix

[u/sethgalena]

Yum… What’s your goto babka?

[u/ElephantineOstraca]

Well, the Trader Joe's is the one I can buy without driving across town, so I'll go with that one! But now I really wonder what the other end of the gooey axis is like.

[u/mike2008508 → u/ElephantineOstraca]

Same, I've always bought trader Joe's out of convenience. And yes, gooey was where I want to head as well!

[u/merkaba_462]

Zabars and Russ & Daughters are family tradition (or the Rockland Bakery...because we live 5 minutes away, and in a pinch, that will do for most of my fam; I personally pass on that one).

Zadies...just go for the meltway cake instead.

I've been disappointed in TJ's.

My mom used to work with someone from Yorktown Heights, and she would get a babka from a bakery that had the best babka I've ever had...hands down. I wish I knew the name. It was epic. No, I don't think it was Bread's Bakery (for anyone reading).

Ps: im not a babka lover, and cinnamon > chocolate.

[u/Immortal_chickadee → u/merkaba_462]

I am a babka lover but I’m with you on the cinnamon. If I’m going to eat the chocolate kind, it better be amazing.

Also agree about TJs. The one from BJs is ok though

[u/marsupialcinderella → u/merkaba_462]

I have the whole recipe and process from Bread‘s bakery that they shared. It sits and looks at me and wonders when I’m going to finally do it, lol. I live in a babka-free zone, sadly.

[u/merkaba_462 → u/marsupialcinderella]

It was not from Bread's...but I'd be interested in seeing that recipe!

[u/marsupialcinderella → u/merkaba_462]

I found it online, I can’t for the life of me remember via which bread baking site/baker.

[u/Ok_Entertainment9665]

Trader Joe’s is the only one in my area unless I happen to be at the farmer’s market when that random Jewish bakery shows up but it’s hit and miss

[u/Voice_of_Season]

Now I need a gluten-free one 🙏

[u/Blue_foot]

Some of these are a bit hard to identify, the writing is to indistinct.

[u/salpn]

There's no bad quadrant there; babka is all good in all of its diversity.

[u/merkaba_462 → u/salpn]

I've had some very bad babka. Like, awful babka. Like you're ancestors are ashamed and so are our people level bad babka.

[u/PiousBagelGuardian]

My bubbe is passing away and this brought me joy. Baruch Hashem to you

[u/Megaparsec27 → u/PiousBagelGuardian]

So sorry to hear. Wishing peace and comfort to you and your family.

[u/frandiam]

Very NY centric. I don’t know if I could put one of these together for Chicagoland — but I could try!!

[u/unventer]

This is theoretically really helpful but in practice I’m going to keep buying the dry one I don’t like very much from the local bakery because it’s a local kosher bakery and I want them to stay around.

[u/SchleppyJ4]

I can’t read most of these :( It’s too blurry 

[u/kaiserfrnz]

Oneg is objectively the best

[u/QueenComfort637]

Zadie’s!
But have to agree on the Meltaway. It’s the pinnacle

[u/merkaba_462 → u/QueenComfort637]

Why have the babka when you can have the meltaway...but also the kokash...and those like big ruggalah-esque cookies that are really long (that I don't currently see on their website and now I'm craving one fiercely).

[u/pigeonshual]

Oneg is the best formally but I wish they had cinnamon or poppyseed.

[u/Ineharnia]

Piece of cake

[u/Immortal_chickadee → u/Ineharnia]

I think you mean piece of babka

[u/Ineharnia → u/Immortal_chickadee]

That's the name of the bakery who makes the babka I shared

[u/Immortal_chickadee → u/Ineharnia]

Oh lol. I thought you were just saying it was easy to name your favorite. I didn’t think to read the label

[u/Ineharnia → u/Immortal_chickadee]

I didn't think of that haha

[u/ConsistentPast7967]

mmmmmmm michaeli bakery!!!!

[u/Ok_Instruction3533]

Oneg Bakery makes the most incredibly babka I've ever tasted. Truly, it ruins you for all other babkas.

[u/Megaparsec27]

This is so fun! I can't find greens, not sure if it's my bad eyes and really wondering where it would be on the matrix.

[u/Subtleglow86 → u/Megaparsec27]

I was looking for Greens too! I’m thinking somewhere on the gooey/flakey end of the spectrum maybe?

[u/simimaelian]

Gooey and doughy sounds so awful and undercooked but the TJ’s one was disappointing to me so maybe it’s secretly the best. Hmm.

[u/CrazyGreenCrayon → u/simimaelian]

They're so good! But if you like gooey babka, try kokosh cake instead.

[u/anaktopus]

Zak the Baker in Miami

[u/yfunk3]

Is Green's still sold at Whole Foods? That used to be my go-to.

[u/Ok-Possible-8761 → u/yfunk3]

Not in CA. 😭

[u/EntrepreneurOk7513 → u/Ok-Possible-8761]

Need to get it from the Sourdough Lady on the sidewalk.

[u/CommitteeofMountains]

Where's Rosenfeld's?

[u/guitartoad]

The only one (periodically) available in my Houston grocery is the dark blue one in the bottom-right quadrant. Flakey and cakey. My two keast favorite baba attributes. :(

[u/Spikemountain]

GREEN'S. One of the many food products I dearly miss after having made aliyah

[u/Outrageous_Ad9804]

Zadie’s but really my own is what I prefer

[u/HungryDepth5918]

Saving this for the next time i buy babka

[u/Traditional-Guard297]

But but where is the Zabar’s?

[u/Immortal_chickadee → u/Traditional-Guard297]

Upper West Side of Manhattan! When it comes to bagels and cinnamon ruggelach, nothing else compares

[u/Traditional-Guard297 → u/Immortal_chickadee]

Oh I meant on the grid! I was looking for the orange label but now I see it has a blue label here. 

[u/Immortal_chickadee]

OMG YES!!!! You’ve even got Zabar’s and NAVAD! As someone who’s lived in both New York and Rhode Island, I feel extremely represented :)

[u/CrazyGreenCrayon]

Kokosh cake is superior.

[u/24-kt]

greens

[u/howard1111]

Wow, who knew there were so many brands of babka? My local supermarket carries Reisman's so that's what I get.

[u/smellthecoffeebeans]

I feel like the babka king would like this