Rum Baba

An airy brioche dough that soaks up amber syrup until saturated. The texture is spongy and melting, contrasted by the firmness of a smooth whipped cream.

• Prep time: 45 min
• Cook time: 25 min
• Difficulty: Medium
• Calories: 595
• Protein: 8 g
• Carbs: 80 g
• Fat: 22 g

Ingredients

• 166.7 g Wheat flour ( sifted )
• 6.7 g Fresh baker's yeast ( crumbled )
• 2 piece Egg ( at room temperature )
• 53.3 g Minimum butter sweet ( softened )
• 180 g White sugar ( divided (20g dough, 250g syrup) )
• 0.7 pinch Gray sea salt
• 333.3 ml Mineral water
• 66.7 ml Rum
• 0.7 piece Vanilla bean ( split and scraped )
• 166.7 ml Isigny cream ( very cold )
• 1.3 tbsp Apricot jam (extra or classic) ( heated and strained )

Instructions

1. Kneading the dough

   In a bowl, mix flour, crumbled fresh yeast, sugar, and salt. Add eggs one by one. Work the dough until smooth and elastic. Incorporate softened butter. The dough should pull away from the sides.

2. First rise

   Cover the bowl with a damp cloth. Let the dough double in size in a warm place. It should be puffed up and full of air bubbles.

3. Molding and second rise

   Deflate the dough with your fist. Distribute into buttered molds, filling halfway. Let rise a second time until the dough reaches the top edge of the mold.

4. Baking

   Bake at 180°C. Cook until the babas are golden brown. When tapped on the bottom, they should sound hollow. Unmold onto a wire rack.

5. Preparing the syrup

   Boil mineral water with sugar and the split vanilla bean. Remove from heat and pour in the rum. The syrup should be hot but not boiling for soaking.

6. Soaking

   Submerge cold babas in the hot syrup. Turn them over to soak evenly. They should double in weight and be saturated with liquid like a sponge.

7. Finishing

   Heat the apricot jam and brush the babas to make them shine. Whip the cold cream into a firm chantilly. Fill the center just before serving.

Chef's tips

• The secret is the thermal shock: cold baba and hot syrup for maximum absorption.
• If the baba releases syrup when lightly pressed, it is perfectly soaked.
• Only add the rum after removing the syrup from the heat to preserve its full aromatic power.

Storage

Dry babas keep for 1 week in an airtight container. Once soaked and garnished, consume within the day.