Baba' al Limoncello

In a small bowl, add the water and melt the yeast. Add 4 Tbs of the flour and mix to form a small ball of dough. Cover the bowl wit the dough and place it in a warm location of the house to rise. When the dough doubles in volume (about 30 mins). Yous are ready to start mixing. In a stand mixer, using the paddle, add the small ball of dough and the remaining of the flour. Start mixing.

 

In a bowl, break the eggs and with a fork break all the yolks. As the flour is mixing add the eggs little by little. Then add the sugar. Set the speed at position #2 and continue to mix for about 20 mins.  The dough will become very elastic and completely stick to the paddle.

 

Remove all the dough from the paddle and replace the paddle with the hook. Star mixing again and start adding pieces of butted of about 1/2″ tick dipped in the salt.  Do not add another piece of butter until the previous one has been absorbed. Finish adding all the butter and salt and continue to mix at #2 speed for another 15-20 mins. The dough will become soft, elastic and slightly dark.

 

With a spatula scrape all the dough to the center of the bowl, cover and place it in the warm part of the house for about 3 hours or until the dough has doubled.

 

Prepare your Baba’ molds by buttering and flouring them. Take some dough in your hand, squeeze your hand and let the dough come out from the top of your wrist. Drop the dough in each mold. You want to fill the molds 3/4 of the way.

 

Preheat the oven at 350F. Once you filled all the Baba` molds, cover them and put them once again in the warm location to rise. After about 30 minutes the dough will reach the top of the mold and you are ready to bake. Bake the Baba’ for about 30 mins.  Check on the color as all ovens are different.  You want to take them out when they are golden brown. Let them cool and you are ready to dip them in the Limoncello Syrup.

 

Put the water and sugar in a pot together with the juice of one lemon and the peel of one lemon. Once  everything comes to a boil, shut of and let it cool.  Once it is cold, add the Limoncello and you can now dip the Baba’ into the syrup. When you dip the Baba in the syrup, you want to hold them submerged in the syrup for several minutes so that they can soak up the syrup. Once soaked, to give them a shiny appearance, brush them with lemon marmalade or any other clear marmalade that you have. They can be served as is or filled with any type of cream that you desire. Refrigerate and serve cold.