BABA AU RUM BO FRIBERG

By cuznvin

Ingredients

• For the dough:
• Baba au Rhum
• Adapted from The Professional Pastry Chef, by Bo Friberg
• Makes 12 individual babas, or 1 large one
• 3 ounces (about 2/3 cup) unbleached bread flour
• 2 teaspoons instant yeast
• 1/2 cup milk
• 6 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted and cooled slightly
• 2 large eggs, lightly beaten
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 6 ounces (about 1½ cups) cake flour
• For the soaking syrup:
• 3 cups cold water
• 1 pound (2 1/3 cups) granulated sugar
• 1 orange, cut into quarters (optional)
• 1/2 cup plus 2 tablespoons rum

Preparation

Step 1

1. In the bowl of a stand mixer, whisk together the flour, yeast, and milk until smooth. Cover the bowl tightly with plastic wrap and let stand at room temperature until fully risen and beginning to fall, about 1½ to 2 hours.

2. Oil 12 baba molds, or 12 cups of a nonstick muffin tin, for individual babas. For a single large one, oil a savarin mold, bundt pan (taking care to get in every crevice), angel food pan, or any other similar pan. Do not use butter, as this may pit the surface of the baba.

3. Remove the plastic wrap from the bowl, and whisk in the butter, eggs, and salt until combined. Add the cake flour. Using the paddle attachment, beat the mixture at low speed until fully integrated. Increase the speed to medium-low, and beat for 1 to 2 minutes, or until smooth.

4. For individual babas, divide the mixture evenly among the 12 prepared tins. The dough should come about halfway up each tin. Cover loosely with plastic wrap, and let sit at room temperature until each has risen to the top of the tin, about 30 to 45 minutes. For a single large baba, spread evenly in the prepared pan. Cover loosely with plastic wrap, and let rise until doubled in size, about 30 to 45 minutes. Preheat the oven to 400º F.

5. Bake the babas at 400º F for 20 minutes, or until golden and cooked through. Remove from the tins, and let cool thoroughly at room temperature. These can now be stored at room temperature for a day or so, if necessary (see note 4 below).

6. While babas cool, make the syrup. Stir the water and sugar together in a medium pan over medium-high heat until dissolved. Add the orange, lower the temperature if necessary, and simmer for 5 minutes. Take the pan off the heat, remove the orange, and add the rum.

7. To soak the individual babas (see note 2 below for instructions on soaking one large baba), cut the domed tops off each one. Discard these, or soak separately for baba “cookies”. Bring the syrup back to a boil, then turn the heat off. Place one or two babas in the pan of syrup, cut-side up, and press down to submerge. Each individual baba should take around 30 to 60 seconds to soak thoroughly. When done, no more bubbles should come out of the pastry. Make sure the baba is thoroughly soaked by removing from the syrup and cutting a small slit into the center of the baba, to look for any dry spots. If still dry, be sure to soak the remaining babas for a longer time.

8. Remove from the syrup and place, cut-side down, on a wire rack set over a rimmed baking sheet (to catch excess syrup). Let drain until no more liquid comes out. When all babas are soaked, if you have syrup remaining, you can re-heat it to boiling, then pour or spoon it over any babas that may need additional liquid (they will feel firm in the center when pressed lightly; thoroughly soaked babas will feel very soft). Serve as soon as possible, or refrigerate, tightly wrapped, until ready to serve.



Notes:
1. The syrup will soak into the babas more readily if it is kept hot, just off the boil. However, you do not want to have the syrup on the heat while soaking the pastries, as the bubbling will disturb the soaking process, and the constant heat will reduce the syrup too thickly. You can reheat the syrup as necessary between soakings.

2. The soaking instructions are only given for the individual babas. For a single baba, cut the domed top off the pastry, and place cut-side up on a wire rack set over a rimmed baking sheet. Pour or spoon the boiling-hot syrup over, until thoroughly soaked through. You can re-heat the runoff syrup caught by the baking sheet, if needed.

3. Though the recipe (and the name itself) calls for rum, any sweeter liquor may be used. Brandy, bourbon, kirsch, Poire William, or a combination would be good choices. (Maybe avoid using things like gin or tequila, though.)

4. Some like to let the unsoaked babas dry out for up to a day, uncovered, so as to better soak up the syrup. Proceed at your discretion. They will keep for a few days at room temperature in plastic bags. The syrup will also keep for several days, refrigerated.