Babà al Rum
Babà al Rum is a light, airy yeasted sponge pastry soaked thoroughly in aromatic rum syrup. It is the defining sweet symbol of Neapolitan baking.
- Prep
- 45 min
- Cook
- 25 min
- Total
- 70 min
- Servings
- 8
- Difficulty
- Hard
- Calories
- 360 kcal
Equipment
- •Stand mixer with dough hook
- •Babà moulds
- •Small saucepan
- •Wire cooling rack
- •Pastry brush
Nutrition
Per serving, approximate
- Calories
- 360 kcal
- fat
- 12 g
- carbs
- 52 g
- fibre
- 1 g
- protein
- 6 g
- calories
- 360 kcal
Instructions
- 1
Dissolve the fresh yeast in two tablespoons of lukewarm water inside the mixer bowl.
- 2
Add the flour, sugar, and eggs to the bowl.
- 3
Knead using a dough hook for ten minutes until the dough is smooth, stretchy, and elastic.
- 4
Add the softened butter piece by piece alongside the salt, kneading until completely incorporated and shiny.
- 5
Grease eight traditional fluted babà moulds generously with butter.
- 6
Divide the wet dough evenly between the moulds, filling each about one-third full.
- 7
Leave the dough to prove in a warm place until it crowns over the rim.
- 8
Bake at 180°C for twenty minutes until deep golden brown and firm.
- 9
Simmer water, syrup sugar, lemon peel, and orange peel in a saucepan for ten minutes.
- 10
Remove the syrup from the heat and stir in the dark rum.
- 11
Dip the cooled babà into the warm syrup, gently pressing them until fully saturated.
- 12
Rest the soaked pastries on a wire rack and brush with warm apricot jam.
Chef's tips
Kneading until a strong gluten network forms is crucial so the sponge retains its structure without disintegrating in the liquid. Always ensure the syrup is warm and the baked pastries are completely cooled before immersing them.
Ingredient substitutions
- fresh yeast → 4 g of instant dried yeast mixed straight into the flour
- dark rum → limoncello for a coastal Campania variation
Storage
Store the soaked pastries in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to three days.
Reheating
Do not reheat; bring to room temperature for fifteen minutes before serving.
Common mistakes to avoid
- •Soaking hot babà in boiling syrup, which causes the delicate crumb to collapse into mush.
- •Under-baking the sponges, which leaves them too weak to absorb sufficient syrup.
- •Under-kneading the wet dough, resulting in a dense, heavy texture rather than an airy honeycomb.
Serving suggestions
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