gaga for baba
four weeks travelling through italian pasticcerie
sfogliatelle. rum baba. panettone. cornetto. maritozzi. biscotti. crostata.
i’m just back from four sugar-coated weeks honeymooning through italy - and i tried just about every baked good i could get my hands on
the one that captured my imagination the most was the rum baba, or baba au rhum
i saw big baba, baby baba, limoncello baba, baba tinned in syrup, babas on babas, baba spritzes and baba fridge magnets
i’m now a card-carrying member of the rum baba fanclub
it’s not just a mini brioche with a drinking problem
its dough is wildly high in hydration — almost pourable — designed to soak up boozy syrup and still bounce back
a baba isn’t meant to be eaten dry; its whole identity relies on transformation after baking
what other dessert is designed to soak up boozy syrup? tiramisu
this is my take on the baba-misu
serves four
ingredients
baba dough
25g milk
10g caster sugar
zest of 1 orange
3.5g (1 tsp) instant yeast
75g plain flour
0.5g (small pinch) salt
1 egg
25g butter, room temperature
coffee soak
250mL hot coffee (or water + 2 tbsp instant coffee)
150g caster sugar
40mL amaretto, kahlua, or similar (i used campari for a winter-citrus kick)
mascarpone cream
100g whipping cream
1 tbsp caster sugar
100g mascarpone, room temperature
method
baba dough
add the milk (25g), sugar (10g), and orange zest (from 1 orange) to a small saucepan and gently warm over low heat to dissolve the sugar and infuse the milk
let cool slightly until lukewarm (say 20-30C if using a thermometer)
add the instant yeast (3.5g) and stir together
add the flour (75g) and salt (pinch) to the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment
pour in the milk mixture and mix together until combined into a shaggy dough
add the egg (1) and mix together for 5 minutes to form a loose dough
add the softened butter (25g) one small piece at a time, beating for 2-3 minutes between
the dough should be glossy and elastic
cover and let rise in a warm place for one hour
oil a mini-muffin tin (or baba molds if you have them!)
spoon or pipe the dough evenly between four mini-muffin cups, filling each to halfway
cover again and let rise for a further 45 minutes
towards the end of the proofing period, preheat the oven to 180C
bake the baba for 15-20 minutes, until golden and springy
let cool for 5 minutes, then remove from the tins and let cool completely on a wire rack
coffee soak
while the baba are cooling, add the coffee (250mL) and sugar (150g) to a saucepan and bring to the boil
lower the heat to medium and let simmer for 5 minutes
remove from the heat and stir in the booze (40mL)
soak the cooled babas in the warm syrup for 5-10 minutes, or until saturated
remove and let drain on a wire rack
mascarpone cream
beat together the whipping cream (100g) and sugar (1 tbsp) to soft peaks
fold in the mascarpone (100g) until smooth
assembly
place each baba sideways on a plate
cut a small wedge out of the middle of each baba and spoon more coffee syrup over the cut surface
drizzle over a little more booze
dollop the mascarpone cream into the middle of each baba
optionally: sprinkle with a little cocoa powder
serve immediately
