I was really pretty confident that this babka wouldn't turn out. In fact, I was sure I'd have to give it another go before writing a blog post about it. It isn't that this recipe is difficult, it's just that I wasn't exactly fully equipped before I began. Instant yeast? Whoops! I only had active dry. Mix the dough in a stand mixer with a dough hook? Nope and nope...my hands would have to do.