Rustic Babà

The rustic babà is a savory variation of the more famous Neapolitan sweet, ideal for an appetizer or a tasty starter. Here is the recipe.

Ingredients

• 250 g of all-purpose flour
• 12 g of fresh brewer’s yeast
• 3 whole eggs
• 50 ml of lukewarm water
• 50 g of softened butter
• 1 teaspoon of sugar
• 1 pinch of salt
• 150 g of diced cooked ham
• 150 g of cheese (emmental, provolone or another cheese of your choice) diced
• 50 g of diced salami (optional)
• Black pepper to taste

Preparation

1. Dissolve the brewer’s yeast in the lukewarm water with a teaspoon of sugar.
2. In a bowl, sieve the flour and make a well in the center. Add the eggs, softened butter, salt, pepper and dissolved yeast.
3. Work the ingredients until you achieve a smooth and sticky dough.
4. Add the diced cooked ham, cheese and eventually the salami. Gently incorporate them into the dough.
5. Let the dough rise in a bowl covered with a tea towel in a warm place until it doubles in volume (about 2 hours).
6. After the dough has risen, take it and fill babà molds previously buttered, filling them only halfway to leave room for rising in the oven.
7. Let rise again in the molds for about 30 minutes.
8. Bake at 180°C for about 20 minutes or until golden brown.
9. Remove from the oven and let cool before unmolding the rustic babàs.

Curiosity

Typically, babà is known as a sweet soaked in rum, but this rustic version lends itself perfectly to being stuffed differently, with savory ingredients, making it a suitable dish for appetizers or buffets. If you wish, you can further customize your rustic babàs by adding other ingredients to taste, such as olives, oil-packed peppers or grilled vegetables.