Bubliki Are Ukraine's Lighter, Sweeter Version of Bagels.
Bublik looks a lot like a bagel, sounds a little like a bagel, but is not quite a bagel. Bublik (pronounced boob-leek) or bubliki (plural), is the Ukrainian version of a yeasted, boiled and rounded bread that dates back to 18th century Odessa. Just like New York or Montreal-style bagels, bubliki came to Ukraine by way of Ashkenazi Jewish immigrants from Poland and Eastern Europe, later becoming popular throughout the former Soviet Union. While bread shaped into rings dates back to the 13th century, written records of the beygl (Yiddish for bagel), date back to 1610 in Krakow, Poland, where bagels were mentioned in Jewish community ordinances. The word bublik comes from the proto-Slavic word boubl, which means swelling or bubble. These delicious rings of bread are also affectionately called bublichki, and there is even a famous Yiddish-Ukrainain song from the 1920’s with this diminutive name.
Popular across the former Soviet Union, bubliki are traditionally served with tea and topped with butter, jam or smetana (sour cream). Compared to bagels, bubliki have a tender crust, are a little sweeter and sometimes have a larger hole in their center. The chewiness of the bublik varies by baker, but they’re most often lighter than their New York counterparts. While bagels are made with a simple dough of yeasted flour and water, bubliki are typically made with an enriched yeasted dough that includes butter, egg and milk. While bagels and bubliki are both boiled in water before being baked (giving them their unmistakable glossy crust), bagels are traditionally boiled in water with barley malt syrup added to it, whereas bubliki are boiled in plain water. In some ways, the flavor of bubliki is closer to a Montreal-style bagel, which is sweetened and boiled with honey.
In all its forms, bubliki and bagels have made their way into kitchens and bakeries around the world. While it takes time to make bubliki from scratch, you will be rewarded with the incomparable joy of eating a fresh, warm bublik, and your home will be filled with the smell of one of the most comforting Jewish breads.
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