Italian Rum Baba #TwelveLoaves May

Italian Rum Baba | Bakewell Junction

For this month’s #TwelveLoaves linky party, the theme is any bread we wish to share to celebrate the #TwelveLoaves anniversary.  A long time friend of mine loves Rum Baba and she asked me to find an authentic and classic Neapolitan recipe which I’d like to share for #TwelveLoaves May.  I can’t wait to make this recipe again for my friend – she’ll love them.

It was hard to figure out what the end result should be because I don’t like bakery made Rum Baba (it’s the picky thing again).  On the up side, my Mom and a co-worker do like Rum Baba and they were able to help me with deciding which of the recipes I tried worked better.  The first recipe was tasty but it wasn’t what I thought of as authentic Rum Baba.  This recipe turned out to be authentic and, surprise of all surprises, my husband loved them too.  I found the recipe I adapted on You Tube from the Giallo Zafferano kitchen.  There’s a video but you can get the details too.

This is a relatively easy recipe and I recommend you give it a try.  The syrup gives it a lovely sweetness.  If you have brioche pans, you can use them to make these or you can use a cupcake pan like I did.

Enjoy!

Italian Rum Baba

Yield:  12 rum baba                  Cook Time:  20 minutes

Dough:

• 2 cups flour
• 2 1/2 tablespoons sugar
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 4 large eggs
• 1 1/3 tablespoons instant yeast
• 9 tablespoons of room temperature butter
• 1/4 cup of milk

Syrup:

• 2 cups water
• 2 1/2 cups of sugar
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1/3 cup of rum

Directions:

Step 1:  For the dough:  Heat milk to 110 degrees in a microwave safe small bowl or a 1 cup measure.  I heated the milk in the microwave in small intervals until the thermometer read 110 degrees.  Add 2 teaspoons of sugar and the yeast and mix briefly to combine.  Set aside until the mixture begins to foam.

Step 2:  In the interim, set up your electric stand mixer with the dough hook attachment.  Add the flour to the mixer bowl.  In another bowl beat the eggs and then mix in the salt.  Turn on the mixer on low and add in the egg mixture.  Then add in the yeast mixture.  Scrape down the sides of the bowl to ensure the flour is incorporated.

Step 3:  While the flour is incorporating, in another small bowl mix the softened butter and remaining sugar together.  Turn the mixer to high and add the butter mixture to the dough and knead until the butter is completed incorporated.

Step 4:  Transfer the dough to a large greased bowl.  You can use butter or cooking spray to grease the bowl.  Cover the dough with plastic wrap and place in a warm place to rise for approximately 1 to 1 1/2 hours (see tips).  The dough should double in size.

Step 5:  Flour and butter the baba moulds, brioche moulds or cupcake tins to prepare them.  Deflate the dough with a large spoon and fill the 12 moulds about halfway.  Place the moulds on a baking sheet and let them rest for about 20 minutes in a warm place.

Step 6:  Preheat oven to 400 degrees.  Bake the batter at 400 degrees for 10 minutes.  Lower the temperature to 350 degrees.  Bake 10 minutes more.  Remove the baba from the oven and let cool about 10 minutes; then depan and transfer them to a cooling rack to cool completely.

Step 7:  For the syrup:  While the baba bake.  Boil the water in a medium sauce pan.  Add the sugar and stir until completely dissolved.  Let the syrup continue cooking to thicken.  After about 5 minutes add the vanilla and rum and mix to combine.  Continue stirring and cooking for another 2 to 3 minutes.

Step 8:  Place the rum baba in the plastic container upside down. Prick the bottoms with a toothpick.  Pour about 3/4 of the syrup over the Rum Babas and let them soak it in.  Reserve the remaining syrup and any that’s run out of the babas to pour over the babas when serving.

Tips:  To create a warm environment, you can boil a pot of water while preparing the dough and place the water and dough in a cold oven.  The boiling water will create a warm moist environment in the oven for the dough to rise well.  In addition, you can garnish with whipped cream but I usually see these plain.

Storing:  Store Rum Babas in a sealed plastic container for a few days.

Enjoy!!!

Recipe adapted from Sonia and Giallo Zafferano on You Tube.

What is baking this May in the TwelveLoaves kitchens?

#TwelveLoaves May:  Bake any bread, yeast or quick bread, loaf or individual.  This #TwelveLoaves May 2013 is all about May is all about celebrating bread and the one year anniversary of #TwelveLoaves.  Do you have a favorite bread?  We would love to see it.   Think luscious quick loaves, sinful scones, delightful Danishes.  Any bread recipe you’d like to bake, share it with us!  Let’s get baking!

Look at what our very talented #TwelveLoaves bakers have created this May!

• Apple Kuchen by Liz at That Skinny Chick Can Bake
• Basic Focaccia by Holly at A Baker’s House
• Buttermilk Sourdough Waffles by Renee at Magnolia Days
• Cinnamon Crescent Rolls by Krista at A Handful of Everything
• Cinnamon Rolls by Dionne at Try Anything Once Culinary
• Cinnamon Sugar Challah by Paula at Vintage Kitchen
• Olive Bread by Rossella at Ma che ti sei mangiato
• Mexican Hot Chocolate Bread by Lora at Cake Duchess
• San Francisco Sourdough Bread by Karen at Karen’s Kitchen Stories
• Zucchini Pineapple Quick Bread by Lyn at The Lovely Pantry

We would love to have you join our #TwelveLoaves group; it’s easy!
1. When you post your Twelve Loaves bread on your blog, make sure that you mention the Twelve Loaves challenge in your blog post; this helps us to get more members as well as share everyone’s posts. Please make sure that your Bread is inspired by the theme!
2. Please link your post to the linky tool at the bottom of my blog. It must be a bread baked to the Twelve Loaves theme.
3. Have your Twelve Loaves bread that you baked this May 2013 posted on your blog by May 31, 2013.

You are next… Click here to enter

Lora launched this Twelve Loaves this last May and there have been many wonderful recipes shared since then.  I haven’t participated from the beginning but it’s been fun the past few months that I have participated.
Check out what we have been busy baking!

May theme: Focaccia
June theme: Corn Rolls
July theme: Challah
August theme: Summer Fruit
September: Say CHEESE!
October: Seeds, nuts and grains
November: Autumn Fruits: Apples and Pears
December: Boozy Bread
January: Clean Slate
February: Open Challenge
March: Holiday Breads
April: Berries

Follow @TwelveLoaves on Twitter

See what’s freshly baked for #TwelveLoaves on the growing Pinterest board.

This post may also be entered in the following linky party.  Click the button below to see the other great posts in the blog hop.

Berry Bread with Spread #TwelveLoaves April

Berry Bread | Bakewell Junction

For this month’s #Twelve Loaves linky party, the theme is berries.  Now I don’t normally make bread with berries, so I needed to find a recipe that I would like – not an easy task since I’m kind of picky.  As it happens, I found this recipe on Taste of Home and both my husband and I liked it.  The bread is sweet and moist with a lovely flavor.  I’ll definitely make this again.

It was a little odd with the frozen strawberries was that there seemed to be more liquid than strawberries but it turned out well, so who am I to question?  Also, the spread can be used on regular toast or bagels.

Enjoy!

Berry Bread

Yield:  2 Loaves                  Cook Time:  50 minutes

• 2 10 ounce packages frozen and sweetened sliced strawberries, thawed (I couldn’t find this size, so I bought 16 ounce packages and saved the extra)
• 3 cups flour
• 2 cups sugar
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 4 eggs
• 1 cup canola oil (I substituted olive oil)
• 3 ounces macadamia nuts, optional (I skipped the nuts)

Spread:

• 1 8 ounce package cream cheese, softened
• 3 tablespoons strawberries

Directions:

Step 1:  For the bread:  Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Spray two 8 by 4 inch loaf pans with cooking spray.  Drain the strawberries.  Set 1/4 cup of the strawberry juice aside.  Set 3 tablespoons of the berries aside to be used for the spread.

Step 2:  Mix the flour, sugar, salt and baking soda in a large bowl.  In a medium bowl, mix together the eggs, oil, 1/4 cup of juice and the remaining berries.  Stir the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients to create a stiff batter.  Do not over mix.  If using, fold in the nuts.

Step 3:  Divide the batter evenly and place in the loaf pans.  Bake for 50 to 55 minutes.  When done, a toothpick inserted in the bread will come out clean.

Step 4:  For the spread:  While the bread bakes.  Soften the cream cheese in the microwave in small increments. Beat the 3 tablespoons of strawberries set aside earlier into the cream cheese.  Keep the spread in the refrigerator until ready to serve.

Storing:  Store loaves in a sealed plastic container or covered with plastic wrap.

Enjoy!!!

Recipe from Taste of Home by Pat Stewart, Lees Summit, Missouri.

What is baking this April in the TwelveLoaves kitchens?  Berry Breads!

#TwelveLoaves April:  Berries.  Bake a bread, yeast or quick bread, loaf or individual.  This #TwelveLoaves is all about breads featuring beautiful berries!  Think luscious quick loaves, sinful scones, delightful Danishes.  Any way you want to feature your berries, we want to see it.  Let’s get baking!

Look at what our very talented #TwelveLoaves bakers have created this April!

• Lemon Blueberry Bread by Alice at Hip Foodie Mom
• Yoghurt Scones With Cranberries by Rossella at Ma che ti sei mangiato
• Raspberry Quick Bread by Holly at A Baker’s House
• Mixed Berry Bread by Renee at Magnolia Days
• Raspberry Danish by Liz at That Skinny Chick Can Bake
• Strawberry Cinnamon Swirl Bread by Paula at Vintage Kitchen
• Berry Oatmeal Muffins by Roxana at Roxana’s Home Baking
• Strawberry Monkey Bread by Lora at Cake Duchess
• Berry Breakfast Bread by Dionne at Try Anything Once
• Strawberry Scones by Karen at Karen’s Kitchen Stories

We would love to have you join our #TwelveLoaves group; it’s easy!
1. When you post your Twelve Loaves bread on your blog, make sure that you mention the Twelve Loaves challenge in your blog post; this helps us to get more members as well as share everyone’s posts. Please make sure that your Bread is inspired by the theme!
2. Please link your post to the linky tool at the bottom of my blog. It must be a bread baked to the Twelve Loaves theme.
3. Have your Twelve Loaves bread that you baked this April 2013 posted on your blog by April 30, 2013.

You are next… Click here to enter

Lora launched this Twelve Loaves this past May and there have been many wonderful recipes shared since then.  I haven’t participated from the beginning but it’s been fun the past few months that I have participated.
Check out what we have been busy baking!

May theme: Focaccia
June theme: Corn Rolls
July theme: Challah
August theme: Summer Fruit
September: Say CHEESE!
October: Seeds, nuts and grains
November: Autumn Fruits: Apples and Pears
December: Boozy Bread
January: Clean Slate
February: Open Challenge
March: Holiday Breads

Follow @TwelveLoaves on Twitter

See what’s freshly baked for #TwelveLoaves on the growing Pinterest board.

This post may also be entered in the following linky party. Click the button below to see the other great posts in the blog hop.

Basic Crepes

To prepare for a family get-together for my Mom’s and Niece’s birthday this past weekend, I started by planning to make their favorite entrees.  My Mom’s favorite entrée is Manicotti, so this was a must have on the menu.  The crepe recipe for the Manicotti was originally given to us by my Aunt Marion and my Mom used it every time she made Manicotti for as long as I can remember.

It takes a few steps to prepare the Manicotti, so I usually make the crepes a few days in advance.  If you store the crepes properly they can be made in advance and there is no change in texture or flavor.  There are tons of recipes that can be made with these crepes but my family had only ever used them for Manicotti.  I’ll have to find other filling recipes that would be wonderful with these crepes too.

Stay tuned for the remaining recipes to make the Manicotti.

Enjoy.

Beat the eggs.

Beating in the water and salt.

Start mixing in the flour.

After the flour is completely incorporated, the batter is ready for cooking.

A crepe ready to be turned over.

All finished and ready to be stored until it’s time to assemble the Manicotti.

Crepes

Yield:  20 – 25 5 inch crepes                Cook Time:  30 – 60 minutes

Ingredients:

• 2 cups flour
• 2 cups water
• 4 large eggs (extra large works too)
• 1/2 teaspoon sea salt or more to taste

Directions:

Step 1:  Beat the eggs in a large bowl with a whisk or fork.  Add the water and salt to the eggs and beat until incorporated.  Add flour in small increments to mixture and beat to incorporate.  Repeat until all the flour is combined.  Try to dissipate any lumps that may have formed (especially any larger ones) but it’s okay if a few small lumps remain.

Step 2:  To form the crepes, coat a heavy fry pan or cast iron fry pan with cooking spray.  Heat pan on medium until hot.

Step 3:  Pour about 1 ounce of mixture into the pan (I use a miniature ladle to make this easier) and immediately lift the pan off the heat and tilt pan to spread the mixture into a five inch circle.  Typically I pour the mixture onto one edge of the pan and then let the mixture spread into the rest of the pan.

Step 4:  Return the pan to the heat and cook until most of the batter becomes loses its shine and looks matte.  There will be little, if any, browning.  Using a fork or spatula, gently flip the crepe and cook for 30  seconds.

Step 5:  Remove the crepe from the pan and place on the edge of a plate.  Repeat until all the batter is finished.  After each crepe is finished, place it on the plate overlapping the previous crepe with a slight offset until all the crepes are finished and the plate is ringed with crepes.

To store the crepes:  Cover the plate with plastic wrap and ensure that all the crepes are covered completely, so they don’t dry out.  These can be stored this way for three or four days.  If the crepes get a little bit dry, they will be re-hydrated when they are made into Manicotti.

Enjoy!!!

Recipe from my Aunt.

Prosciutto Bread (aka Lard Bread)

There’s a bread that can be found at most Italian deli’s in New York City – it  used to be called Lard Bread but it’s been referred to more recently as Prosciutto Bread.  It’s an unbelievably delicious bread and I’ve always wanted to make a homemade version of it.  Some of my research stated that the bread is usually prepared for Easter but I don’t recall that being the case.  What I do recall is thinking that there should be more prosciutto and less black pepper.  By baking the bread myself, I can change it to my taste.

When I’m having antipasto, I normally like to buy Parma Prosciutto (which tastes out of this world) but when you’re cooking with it, there’s no need to use the most expensive one.

For Mother’s Day, I tried two different Prosciutto Bread recipes and my family absolutely loved this one.  I had to hide some of the remaining loaf, so I would have some for the pictures in this post.

Enjoy.

After kneading the dough needs to rest.

Ready for the oven.

Hot out of the oven.

Take a bite after tearing the bread into a nice big hunk.

Prosciutto Bread

Yield:  1 loaf                Cook Time:  30 – 35 minutes

Ingredients

• 2 plus 3 tbsp cups bread flour, divided
• 1 tbsp. malt powder (or 1 tbsp sugar)
• 3/4 tsp. instant yeast
• 1/2 tsp. coarsely ground black pepper (I used regular grind pepper and a scant 1/2 tsp)
• 3/4 tsp. salt
• 1 cup water (70F -90F)
• 8 oz. Prosciutto, 1/8″ thick, cut into 1/4-inch dice (no need to use Parma Prosciutto for this bread and you can substitute salami, sweet capicolo or pancetta or, if you don’t like the meats, you can try cheese but you should probably use half the amount)
• 4 tsp. bacon fat, lard, or butter, melted

Directions:

Step 1:  Mix 2 cups flour, malt powder and yeast in a stand mixer.  Combine salt with flour mixture – this is done separately from the first mixing so the salt doesn’t retard the action of the yeast.

Step 2:  Add water to mixing bowl and mix with flour with dough hook on low to moisten.  Knead for seven minutes on medium speed.  Mix in prosciutto on low speed.  Dough should be slightly tacky but not sticky.  If dough is too sticky knead in more flour a little at a time.  If the dough is too dry, spray with a bit of water and knead.

Step 3:  Shape dough into a ball and place on a lightly floured surface.  Sprinkle dough with flour, cover with plastic wrap and let rest for 20 minutes.

Step 4:  Roll dough into an 18” cylinder and form into a ring.  Ensure the ends stick together and place on parchment paper on a large cookie sheet.  Spray dough with cooking spray and cover with plastic wrap.  Let rise in a warm draft-free place until doubled for about 1 hour.  I usually heat my oven to the lowest setting and then shut it off before placing dough into it to allow it to rise.  Also, I like to let the last rise happen overnight but I didn’t have time for that this time.

Step 5:  Use a pizza stone or baking sheet on a low shelf of the oven and place a baking sheet on the lowest shelf of the oven (or on the bottom of the oven if your heating element isn’t on the bottom of the oven).  Preheat oven to 450 degrees for at least 10 minutes.

Step 6:  Transfer bread to pizza stone or baking sheet in the preheated oven and brush with about 1/3 of melted butter.  Add about half to a dozen ice cubes into the baking sheet on lowest shelf of the oven.

Step 7:  Bake 15 minutes.  Remove parchment paper and turn bread front to back to allow for even baking.  Brush bread with about another 1/3 of melted butter.  Add another dozen ice cubes.  Bake another 5 minutes.  Reduce temperature to 400 degrees.  Bake another 10 to 15 minutes.

Step 8:  Turn off oven and leave bread in the oven with door propped open for another 5 minutes.

Step 9:  Remove bread from oven and brush with the remaining butter.  Allow to cool but if you aren’t having company or bringing this bread to a function, this bread tastes delicious slightly warm and crispy.

Enjoy!!!

Recipe adapted from Seriously Good (originally from Rose Levy Beranbaum’s The Bread Bible).