What Crafting Espresso Taught Me About Developing Teams

Outside of technology, one of my favorite hobbies is making espresso.

Good espresso is remarkably unforgiving. Small adjustments to the beans, grind size, water temperature, or extraction time can dramatically change the result. At first glance, it seems like a hobby built around precision.

The longer I’ve practiced it, however, the more I’ve realized it is actually about understanding potential.

Every coffee bean is different.

The goal isn’t to force every bean to behave the same way.

The goal is to understand what allows each one to perform at its best.

I’ve come to believe leadership works much the same way.

Great Teams Are Not Built from Identical People

Technology organizations often focus on finding the “perfect” candidate.

In reality, high-performing teams are built by combining people with different experiences, perspectives, and strengths.

Some excel at solving complex technical problems.

Others communicate exceptionally well with customers.

Some thrive under pressure.

Others quietly improve processes that make everyone around them more effective.

Leadership begins by recognizing those differences rather than trying to eliminate them.

Development Requires Intentional Investment

Coffee does not become exceptional by accident.

Neither do people.

The strongest leaders invest time in coaching, mentoring, and creating opportunities for others to grow. Sometimes that means technical development. Sometimes it means giving someone responsibility before they feel completely ready. Often it simply means believing in someone’s potential before they believe in it themselves.

People usually rise to expectations that are supported with trust and opportunity.

Leaders Create the Environment

An espresso machine cannot compensate for poor beans.

Likewise, talented people often struggle in environments where priorities are unclear, collaboration is discouraged, or leadership creates unnecessary obstacles.

One of the most important responsibilities of leadership is creating conditions where people can succeed.

That includes clear expectations, psychological safety, meaningful feedback, and the freedom to solve problems rather than simply execute instructions.

When those conditions exist, performance improves naturally.

The Best Leaders Serve the Team

The phrase servant leadership is sometimes misunderstood.

It does not mean lowering standards or avoiding accountability.

It means recognizing that a leader’s responsibility is to help others perform at their highest level.

Leaders remove obstacles.

They develop capability.

They create opportunities.

They recognize potential that others may overlook.

The success of the team becomes the measure of the leader.

Excellence Is Never Finished

One of the reasons I enjoy making espresso is that there is always something to improve.

A slightly different grind.

A better extraction.

A new bean.

Leadership follows the same path.

No team is ever truly finished developing.

No leader is ever finished learning.

Both improve through curiosity, patience, thoughtful refinement, and the willingness to keep making small adjustments over time.

The goal is never perfection.

It is creating an environment where people—and the organization—continue getting better.

The Gabarée Family Chocolate Babka Recipe

Chocolate babka has become a family tradition in our home. Over the years I’ve experimented with several recipes before settling on this version, adapted from Jerusalem by Yotam Ottolenghi and Sami Tamimi. The result is a rich brioche dough filled with a silky chocolate ganache that has become one of our favorite treats to share with family and friends

Prep Time: 2 hours 
Cook Time: 35 minutes 
Chilling time: 12 hours 
Total Time: 14 hours 35 minutes 
Yield: 2 loaves

Ingredients

Tools and Miscellaneous:

Food scale (if available)

Measuring cup

Tablespoon

Teaspoon

Stand mixer with dough hook

Hand mixer

Spatula to scrape down the sides of the bowl when mixing the dough

Olive Oil to coat the bowl for when the dough is proofing

Plastic wrap to cover the dough bowl when proofing

Serrated knife

Two 9×5-inch bread pans

Butter for the sides of the bread pans 

Parchment paper for the bottoms of the bread pans

Offset spatula (preferred) or a regular one if an offset spatula is not available to spread chocolate filling

Brioche: 

4⅜ cups (530 g) all-purpose flour, plus extra for dusting 

½ cup (100 g) granulated sugar 

1 tablespoon (14 g) instant dry yeast 

3 large eggs 

½ cup (118 ml) water 

1 teaspoon (6 g) fine sea salt (do not use if butter is salted)

⅔ cup (150 g) unsalted butter, cut into small slices and softened to room temperature

Olive Oil to coat the bowl for when the dough is proofing

Butter for the bread pans 

Parchment paper for the bread pans

Chocolate Filling (modified chocolate ganache): 

200g (7 oz.) 70% dark chocolate 

½ cup (115 g) salted butter 

½ cup (60 g) powdered sugar 

⅓ cup (80 ml) heavy cream 

⅓ cup (50 g) unsweetened cacao powder 

Sugar Syrup: 

½ cup (118 ml) water 

½ cup (100 g) granulated sugar 

Instructions

Make the Dough:
Using a hand mixer, cream the butter and sugar together. Using the same hand mixer, mix the eggs with the creamed butter and sugar. Heat the water to between 105F and 112F. Mix yeast into the heated water using a fork.

Place flour, sugar, yeast, and salt in a standing mixer fitted with a dough hook and mix on low speed until combined. Add the water/yeast mixture and continue to mix on low speed until incorporated. The dough will be mostly dry and crumbly at this point. Add the creamed butter/sugar/egg mixture and mix on medium speed until the dough comes together, 2-3 minutes. Continue mixing for about 10 minutes on medium speed until the dough is completely smooth, elastic, and shiny. It will look soft and might be sticky – that’s ok. During mixing, you will need to scrape down the sides of the bowl.

With floured hands, transfer dough to a large mixing bowl brushed with olive oil, cover with plastic wrap, and leave in the refrigerator to proof for at least half a day or overnight. The dough may not look like it has risen much, but that's okay. If placed for a long time in the fridge, the dough can become hard; that’s also okay; leave it at room temperature until it’s easy to work with, usually around 30-60 minutes.

Grease two loaf pans (I usually use 9×5-inch pans, but a bit smaller or larger pans would also work), butter the sides of each pan, and line the bottoms with parchment paper for easy release later. Set aside.

Make the Filling:
In a double boiler (or medium saucepan with an aluminum bowl resting over it), bring water to a full boil. Place chocolate, butter, heavy cream, cocoa powder, and sugar into the top bowl. Lower the heat to moderate and melt together the contents of the top bowl, mixing frequently with a spatula. The mixture will have a fudgy look and consistency at this point. Reduce the heat to low and continue to mix until fully melted and completely smooth. Set aside the bowl to cool. It will thicken and become spreadable as it cools. You can also place it in the refrigerator briefly until you get a spreadable consistency.

Roll and Shape the Dough:
Divide the dough in half. Roll out the dough with a rolling pin on a lightly floured surface, and shape it into a rectangle measuring 16×12 inches (40×30 cm) and 0.25 inches (0.64 cm) thick. Fold the dough onto itself until it is about 25% it's original rolled-out size. Roll the dough out again, shaping it into a rectangle measuring 16×12 inches (40×30 cm) and 0.25 inches (0.64 cm) thick. Repeat the folding and rolling process one more time. Now position the dough so that the long side is closest to you. Repeat the above process for the other half of the dough.

Add the Filling and Shape the Babka:
Using an offset spatula, spread half of the chocolate mixture over the rectangle. It is ok to have some ganache left over. Spread just enough to cover the dough, between 0.15 (0.38 cm) and 0.25 inches (0.64 cm). Too much ganache will make the babka soggy and taste off-balance.

Use both hands to roll up the rectangle like a roulade, starting from the long side closest to you and ending at the other long end. Press to seal the dampened end onto the roulade, then use both hands to even out the roll into a perfect, thick cigar. Rest the cigar on its seam.

Using a serrated knife, gently cut the roll in half lengthwise, starting at the top and finishing at the seam, essentially dividing the log into two long, even halves, with the layers of dough and filling visible along the length of both halves. With the cut sides facing up, gently press together one end of each half, then lift the right half over the left half. Repeat this process, but this time, lift the left half over the right to create a simple two-pronged plait. Gently squeeze together the other ends so you are left with the two halves intertwined, showing the filling on top.

Carefully lift the cake into a loaf pan. Don’t worry if there are gaps in the pan since the cake will rise and will eventually look fine, even if it looks messy at this point. Cover the pan loosely with plastic wrap and leave to rise at room temperature for 1 to 1½ hours until almost doubled in size. Repeat to make the second babka.

Bake the Chocolate Babka:
Preheat oven to 350°F/175°C, allowing plenty of time to heat fully before the uncooked babkas have finished rising. Remove the plastic wrap and place the cakes on the middle rack of the oven. Bake for 30-35 minutes, until golden brown on top. If you have a thermometer, you are looking for an internal temperature of about 200ºF/93ºC degrees.

Make and Apply the Syrup:
While the cakes are in the oven, make the syrup. In a small saucepan over medium heat, bring water and sugar to a boil. As soon as the sugar dissolves, remove from heat and set aside to cool. As soon as the cakes come out of the oven, brush the syrup over them. Use all of the syrup, even if it looks like you used a lot. Let cakes cool until they are warm, then remove from pans and let cool completely before serving.

Serve:
Serve by itself warm or at room temperature. It also pairs nicely with ice cream and coffee.

This Chocolate Babka will stay fresh for 24 hours in an airtight container at room temperature, but will also be just fine for around five days in a plastic bread bag with a twist tie.