It is said that the babà was born in Poland, at the court of King Stanisław Leszczyński, who, dissatisfied with local desserts, asked his pastry chefs to create something new.
The Polish pastry chefs were inspired by a traditional dessert from their homeland, the "babka", and enriched it with raisins and saffron. The result was a soft and fragrant dessert, which the king named "babà", in honor of his favorite literary character, Ali Baba.
The babà arrived in Naples in the 18th century, thanks to the French chefs serving the Bourbon court. Neapolitan pastry chefs immediately fell in love with this dessert and reinterpreted it by replacing the raisins with a rum syrup, which gave it its unique flavor. The babà is one of the most beloved desserts among Neapolitans, so much so that there’s a local saying: "If you want to get out of trouble, eat a babà."
Preparing babà is quite laborious, but the final result is definitely worth it. Here are the ingredients and the procedure:
Dissolve the yeast in lukewarm water and add it to the flour. Add sugar, salt, and eggs, kneading until you get a smooth dough.
Incorporate the melted butter and continue kneading. Pour the dough into a buttered mold and let it rise for about 2 hours, until it doubles in volume. Bake at 180°C (356°F) for 30 minutes, until golden. Meanwhile, prepare the syrup by boiling water and sugar, then let it cool and add the rum.
Once baked, soak the babà in the syrup and let it absorb well. Serve warm, with whipped cream or custard. Ideal for breakfast, a snack, or dessert – you can also fill it with cream, whipped cream, or ice cream.Babà is a dessert suitable for many occasions. You can enjoy it at breakfast, as a snack, or as a final course.
