Savarin / Baba Au Savarin

  

              Savarin is a rich cake  made with a sweet yeast dough which is soaked in a rum syrup overnight after baking and then either filled with pastry cream or topped with whipped heavy cream and garnished with fresh fruit.   This traditional dessert is often served at celebratory occasions like weddings, christenings and other happy events.

                   Baba (BAH-bah) – Baba is called Babka in Poland and in France. In French, the word baba meaning, "falling over or dizzy." These are small cakes made from yeast dough containing raisins or currants. They are baked in cylindrical molds and then soaked with sugar syrup usually flavored with rum (originally they were soaked in a sweet fortified wine). After these cakes were soaked in the wine sauce for a day, the dried fruits would fall out of them.

             The dessert became very popular in France, but the people called it Baba Au Rhum and soon dropped the name Savarin. In other parts of the world, the cake is known as simply Savarin. In Turkey this cake is called "father's cake." This traditional dessert is often served at celebratory occasions like weddings, christenings and other happy events. ( info courtesy )  I, prepared this recipe for Daring Bakers and now I am sharing this recipe for Blogging Marathon week 28 under the theme "Kid's Delight".  Check out the Blogging Marathon page for the other Blogging Marathoners doing BM# 28

Preparation time:
Sponge: 30 minutes

First Mixing and Autolyse: 35 minutes

Second Mixing: 35 minutes

Proofing: 2 to 3 hours

Shaping: 20 minutes

Final Rising: 1 to 1,½ hour

Syrup preparation: 15 minutes

Glaze preparation: 10 minutes

Pastry cream preparation: 30 minutes

Whipped cream preparation: 15 minutes

Baking time : 40 minutes

Soaking time: 1 hour

Glazing: 10 minutes

Adapted from here ( Thanks Natalia for this wonderful recipe)
Servings: 8 ~ 10

Ingredients

2½ cups / 350 gm bread flour

2 tablespoons lukewarm water

6   large eggs at room temperature, separated

½ satchel / 1½ teaspoons instant yeast 

4 teaspoons sugar

⅔ stick / ⅓ cup  butter at room temperature

1 tablespoon  orange and lemon zest (optional)

1 teaspoon salt

¼ cup / 2 oz) butter for greasing the work surface, hands, dough scraper and baking pan

Method:
For Sponge Mixture

• In a small bowl mix 2 tablespoons (30 ml) lukewarm water, 3 tablespoons  flour and yeast , cover with cling film and let rise 60 minutes.

For Dough 

• After 30 minutes put the egg whites in the mixer bowl and start working with the paddle at low speed adding flour until you have a soft dough that sticks to the bowl and work until it comes together , cover with cling film and let rest 30 minutes.
• Add the sponge to the mixer bowl along with a tablespoon of flour and start mixing at low speed (if you wish to add the zests do it now.
• When it starts pulling away from the sides of the bowl add one yolk and as soon as the yolk is absorbed add one tablespoon of flour.
• Add the second yolk , the sugar and as soon as the yolk is absorbed add one tablespoon of flour
• Raise the speed a little
• Add the third yolk and the salt and as soon as the yolk is absorbed add one tablespoon of flour
• Keep on adding one yolk at the time and the flour saving a tablespoon of flour for later
• Mix the dough until is elastic and makes threads
• Add the butter at room temperature and as soon as the butter is adsorbed add the last tablespoon of flour
• Keep on mixing till the dough passes the window pane test
• Cover the dough with cling film and let it proof until it has tripled in volume 2 to 3 hours.
• You can prepare the Pastry cream now if you chose to use it, and refrigerate it
• While you wait prepare your baking pan buttering it very carefully not leaving too much butter on it
• Grease your dough scraper, your hands and your work surface and put the dough on it and fold with the Dough Package Fold two or three times around (5 folds twice or three times). Cover with cling foil and let it rest 15 minutes on the counter
• Turn the dough upside down and with the help of your buttered dough scraper shape your dough (check here for folding mathod) in a rounded bun
• Make a hole in the center with your thumb and put it in the prepared pan
• Cover with cling film and let rise in a warm spot until the dough reaches the top of the pan about 1 hour.

Cooking:

• Pre-heat oven to moderate 340°F/170°C/gas mark 3
• Bake the Savarin for about 40 minutes until the top is golden brown
• Meanwhile prepare the Syrup
• When the Savarin is done take it out of the oven, let it cool and remove carefully out of the pan
• You have two choices now : you can immerse it in syrup right now or you can let it dry out (so it will lose some of his moisture that will be replaced by the syrup) and soak it later on.
• To immerse it in syrup it is a good idea to place it in the mold you baked it in (I’m afraid a spring-form one wouldn’t work for this) and keep adding ladles of syrup until you see it along the rim of the pan. Or you can just soak it in a big bowl keeping your ladle on top of it so it doesn’t float. Once the Savarin is really well soaked carefully move it on a cooling rack positioned over a pan to let the excess syrup drip
• The soaked Savarin gains in flavor the next day
• Whatever you decide the day you want to serve it glaze it and fill the hole with your filling of choice and decorate it. You can serve the Savarin with some filling on the side
• Enjoy it !

Peach Flavored Syrup:

Servings: 1 savarin

  Ingredients

  Method

• Combine tea, water, sugar, lemon zest and cinnamon stick and bring to a boil, Let boil 5 minutes and remove from the heat. When cooled a bit add the peach juice.

Pastry Cream and Chantilly:

Servings: 1 savarin plus some for serving
 Ingredients

2 cups  milk

Method:

• In a saucepan bring to a boil milk and sugar
• In a bowl whisk together egg yolks, egg, cornstarch and sugar
• Add the hot milk to the eggs one tablespoon at the time to temper it
• Pour in the saucepan again and bring to a boil stirring constantly
• When the cream thickens remove from the stove
• Put cling film onto the cream (touching the surface) and cool
• Pour 1 cup  cold heavy cream in mixer bowl with the whisk attachment
• Beat until whipped
• Combine with the cooled pastry cream adding a tablespoon at the time of whipped cream until it gets to the right consistency. 

Glaze:

  Ingredients

Method:

• In a saucepan mix jam and water and warm up.When the savarin is cool and soaked brush it with the glaze

Storage & Freezing Instructions/Tips:

• You can store the dried savarin for 5 days in a closed container. If you have soaked it cover well with cling foil and store it in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.