Zagat editor Patty Lee stopped by Dough to check out their newest hybrid creation: the Doughka. She filed this report for NY1.
What happens when you cross a babka with a donut? You get the city’s newest mash-up dessert, courtesy of Fany Gerson, the pastry guru behind Brooklyn’s cult-favorite Dough Doughnuts and La Newyorkina.
“The inspiration behind the Doughka actually started as a sticky bun concept,” says Gerson, “We used to do it with the scraps from the dough, sticky buns. We wanted to make it something special. I’m Jewish, so I was thinking about one day, ‘What about the babka?’ I lived in Israel for a year and I loved them. It’s my cultural blend, taking Mexican chocolate with the babka, but in the loaf, so we did it and I was like ‘Oh my god.'”
Her Doughka is just the latest in a string of new-school babkas that are helping Jewish pastries make a big comeback.
“I love traditional Jewish pastries and it’s exciting to see people taking classic things and bringing them to the conversation because a lot of these things may have been around for a long time, but younger people may not be aware or realize how special they are. But I think the sweets, just like the bagels, are amazing," says Gerson.
Gerson is not just stopping at babka, though. She plans to roll out more sweets — and even some savory items — all made from her one-of-a-kind donut dough.
“I think restraining to things, I can do with the dough itself, there are a lot of possibilities. I’m working on doing these flatbread pizzas things seasonally with seasonal fruits and even some savory ones with a fried egg on top and little salad made to order, but still keep it in its rustic, artisanal fare," she says.
There is no question that whatever comes next, it will have the same touch of whimsy that Gerson adds to all of her desserts.
The inside of the Doughka is moist and then the outside has a nice crust and a little sweetness from the simple syrup. Definitely the highlight is the Mexican chocolate, which adds just a little bit of a kick to balance out the sweetness of the babka.
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