Baba Napoletani

Sponge:

113g milk
8g compressed yeast
95g AP flour

Dough:

3 eggs
½ tsp. salt
25g sugar
189g AP flour
113g butter, melted & cooled

Warm the milk and sprinkle the yeast over it. Wait 5 minutes and then stir in the 189g AP flour. Ferment until bubbly, about 20 minutes. If using instant dry blend yeast with the flour and add to the warmed milk.

With the paddle, beat the eggs, salt, sugar, and flour into the sponge. Mix well; then slowly add the butter. Scale evenly into 48 portions and place in lightly sprayed mini silicone muffin pan. Place in the proof box and proof until the dough fills the tins. Bake at 400º until golden, about 8-12 minutes. Cool on a rack.

Syrup:

300g sugar
450g water
85g dark rum

Heat the water and sugar to a boil. Stir in the rum. Measure ½ cup of this syrup and save for the glaze. Dip the babas in this syrup a few at a time for about 1 minute, until they swell slightly. Place on a non-reactive pan to drain.

Glaze:

170g apricot glaze
60g reserved syrup 

Heat to a boil and brush on the babas.

Icing:

240g 10x sugar
151g water

Stir sugar and water together and heat until hot, but not boiling. Brush over the tops of the babas. Hold babas at room temperature and serve that day.