Joël’s Rum Baba recipe

Equipment: ▪ Baba mold, 24 cm in diameter ▪ A piping bag ▪ A mixing bowl ▪ A large saucepan ▪ Mixer or food processor, fitted with a dough hook

1 – The Baba dough Ingredients ▪ 15g fresh baker’s yeast ▪ 250g flour ▪ 3 eggs ▪ 5g salt ▪ 15g sugar ▪ 130g milk ▪ 75g butter Instructions ➢ Put the ingredients in the refrigerator at least 1 hour in advance. • In a bowl, pour in the yeast, flour, salt, sugar, milk and eggs. Important: the yeast must not come into contact with the salt. • Combine in the food mixer fitted with a dough hook, at low speed for 10 minutes and then at medium speed for the rest of the time. • Continue mixing until the dough comes away from the sides of the bowl and holds together (between 30 and 45 minutes) ➢ The dough must be smooth and elastic without tearing, like a spider’s web. • Gradually add the cubes of butter, until it has all been incorporated. • Stop the mixer and use the dough immediately.

2 – Rum syrup Ingredients ▪ 750ml water ▪ 400g sugar ▪ Juice of 2 lemons ▪ Zest of 1 lemon ▪ 150ml rum ▪ One vanilla pod Instructions • Pour 750ml of water into a saucepan, add 400g sugar, the juice of 2 lemons and the zest of 1 lemon. • Bring to the boil and remove from the heat. • Add 150ml rum and the vanilla pod, split open, together with its seeds. (For his recipe, Joël used “La Favorite”, an old rum from Martinique). • Cover the pan and leave to infuse for 15 minutes.

3 – Chantilly cream Ingredients ▪ 250g single cream (30% fat content) ▪ 40g icing sugar ▪ 1 vanilla pod Instructions • Place the utensils in the refrigerator for 30 minutes. • Place the cream in the refrigerator for 2 hours. • Then put the cream and sugar into a mixing bowl. • Whisk gently to mix the sugar into the cream. Add the vanilla seeds after a while. • Whisk at maximum speed until the cream is firm. ➢ The cream should have a matte finish. Use immediately or keep in the fridge until needed.

Joël’s Rum Baba - Instructions

• Step 1: After preparing the Baba dough (see “Baba” step), grease the mold and fill with the dough using a piping bag.

• Step 2: Leave the baba to rise in the oven at 30°C, close to a heat source or in a warm room, until it doubles in size. This should take 1 to 2 hours.

• Step 3: Preheat the oven to 160°C and bake the baba for 30 to 45 minutes and then remove from the mold. Return to the oven, switched off, for 15 minutes (on a wire rack, for example) to dry it out. Leave until completely cold. It can be left to dry out for up to 3 days.

• Step 4: Prepare the syrup.

• Step 5: Put the cold baba on a wire rack, and then over a shallow baking dish to catch the poured syrup. Gradually ladle the hot syrup over the baba to soak it. Once you have used all the syrup, repeat using the syrup in the baking dish. Repeat this operation several more times. Then leave on the wire rack to rest and to drain for 1 hour.

• Step 6: Prepare the Chantilly cream, and then enjoy!