Baba Au Rum Recipe

Make the dough

Warm the milk to about 100–105°F (slightly warm to the touch). In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a dough hook, combine flour, sugar, instant yeast, and salt. Add warmed milk, eggs (lightly beaten), and vanilla. Mix on low until combined, then increase speed to medium and knead for 6–8 minutes until the dough is smooth and slightly tacky.

Incorporate butter

With the mixer running, add the softened butter 1 tablespoon at a time, allowing each addition to be incorporated before adding the next. Continue kneading 6–8 minutes more until dough is glossy, elastic, and clears the sides of the bowl.

Shape and first rise: Turn the dough onto a lightly floured surface, shape into a ball, place in a lightly oiled bowl, cover with plastic wrap or a damp towel, and let rise in a warm place until doubled, about 1 to 1¼ hours.

Chill: Punch down the dough gently, reshape into a disk, wrap, and refrigerate 30–45 minutes to make it easier to roll out.

Form the babas

Divide the dough into 6 equal pieces (for 6 small babas) or 3 larger pieces. Roll each piece into a rectangle about 8x5 inches and 1/4 inch thick on a lightly floured surface. Spread an even layer of the white chocolate–citrus filling (see next section) over each rectangle, leaving a 1/4-inch margin. Roll tightly from the long side into a log, seal the seam, then coil each log into a spiral and tuck the end underneath. Place spirals into greased 3.5–4 inch fluted molds or muffin tins, seam-side down, leaving space to rise.

Second rise: Cover lightly and let rise until puffy and nearly doubled, about 45–60 minutes.

Bake

Preheat oven to 350°F (175°C). Brush the tops lightly with an egg wash if desired (1 beaten egg + 1 tsp water). Bake in the center of the oven for 18–24 minutes (smaller babas) or 25–30 minutes (larger) until golden brown and an instant-read thermometer in the center reads about 190°F (88°C). Remove from oven and let cool in pans for 10 minutes.

Warm the cream in a small saucepan over medium heat until it just begins to simmer. Remove from heat and add chopped white chocolate. Let sit 1 minute, then whisk until smooth to make a white chocolate ganache.

Stir in softened butter, grated bergamot zest, and chopped lemon verbena leaves while the ganache is still warm. Add powdered sugar to slightly thicken and sweeten. Let cool until spreadable but still pliable — about 20–30 minutes at room temperature. If it firms too much, gently warm to loosen.

Combine water and sugar in a small saucepan and bring to a simmer, stirring until sugar dissolves. Remove from heat, add lemon verbena sprigs and bergamot zest, and allow to infuse for 10 minutes.

Strain the syrup into a bowl, discard solids, then stir in the dark rum. Adjust to taste — if you prefer less boozy, add up to 2 tablespoons more warm syrup (no rum). Let the syrup cool slightly before using.

Soak the babas: While babas are still warm in their pans (about 10 minutes after baking), carefully brush or spoon the warm rum syrup over each baba. Allow the syrup to be absorbed; you may need 1–2 tablespoons per small baba or 3–4 tablespoons per large baba. Let the babas cool completely on a wire rack as they finish soaking.

Melt the reserved 1 oz white chocolate gently in a double boiler or short bursts in the microwave, stirring until smooth. Drizzle or shave over the top of each baba.

Dust lightly with powdered sugar and garnish with fresh lemon verbena leaves. If desired, brush the tops with the optional extra teaspoon of rum for gloss and aroma.

Serve: Present each baba on a small plate with any remaining syrup on the side. Best enjoyed the day of baking, but can be stored in an airtight container at room temperature for 1 day or refrigerated (bring to room temp before serving) for up to 3 days.