Limoncello babas and strawberries

Baba au rhum is a great pastry classic. In this recipe, I replace the rum with my Zagara Bianca limoncello, which adds a lot of freshness and I love the combination with the strawberries! 

For 1 large baba or 9 small babas. For the dough :

 

150 g gluten-rich flour (manitoba flour)

150 g organic eggs (about 3 eggs of 40g each)

25g sugar

9g fresh baker's yeast

45 g soft butter

3 g of salt

 

For the syrup :

 

½ liter water

200g sugar

150 g limoncello. Add more when you're ready to serve.

The zest of a citrus fruit (your choice)

 

Separate the whites from the yolks.

Mix the whites with the same amount of flour for a few minutes to obtain a supple dough. Cover with plastic wrap (in contact with the dough) and leave to rest for 30 minutes.

Mélanger le reste de la farine avec la levure.

Once the flour and egg white has rested, add a third of the flour + yeast mixture and an egg yolk. Knead the dough in a food processor, using the paddle attachment, for a few minutes until absorbed. Repeat the operation with the other two thirds and one yolk each time. The dough should almost detach itself from the sides. Add the sugar and salt in three times, continuing to knead with the paddle attachment of the food processor for a further ten minutes.

Add the soft butter in three additions, still kneading with the paddle attachment. Finish kneading with the hook of the food processor for a few minutes.

Cover and leave it to rise for two hours in a warm place.

Cut the dough in pieces of approximately 40g and let rise again in well-buttered baba molds. It should rise almost to the top of the molds.

Bake at 180°C for approx. 10-12 minutes. Babas should be golden on the surface. Turn them out warm and leave to dry for a day (they can be stored for up to 5 days).

 

Prepare the syrup with the water and sugar, then add the limoncello and the zests. 

 

Let the syrup cool down to 40°C, and soak the babas in for an hour. The babas should be well soaked.

 

Drain the babas and cut them in half. Serve them with a quenelle of vanilla whipped cream and the strawberries.

Don't forget to add more limoncello and syrup when you serve the babas.