Chocolate (left) and halva (right) babkas by Babka by Ayelet.

If you think babka is just a sweet yeasted bread swirled with chocolate or cinnamon, then get ready to have your mind — and palate — blown.

After months of delays, Babka by Ayelet finally opened its doors two weeks ago at Palo Alto’s Town & Country Village to serve up babka in a variety of flavors, both sweet and savory.

Made by Israeli-born Ayelet Turgeman Nuchi, a former private chef on the Peninsula, this Eastern European specialty bread has been transformed.

Yes, you’ll find chocolate and cinnamon ones. But also Nutella, halva, raspberry-cheese, tomato mozzarella, butternut squash, and more.

Swirls of filling inside.

So decadent tasting.

Nuchi let me try a couple of her amazing creations while she was still building her bakery. What surprised me most was the texture of her babkas — much more cake-like than bread-like.

Why did Nuchi start this unique bakery centered around babka? Find out in my story in Silicon Valley Magazine.