No. 3032 — Egg-Yolk Baba, with Two Variations

For a baba about ¾ arshin high, mix ¼ garnetz (3 glasses) yolks with ¾ glass yeast mixture, strain and add ¼ garnetz flour. Allow to rise. Beat well with a spatula, pour in 1½ glasses warm butter, add ¾ glass sugar, then gently stir in the foam of 15 beaten whites.

Pour into a buttered mould and, when risen, put carefully into a hot oven. At most 2 tablespoons milk may be added merely to rinse the bowl and sieve that held the yolks. The source advises filling only one-quarter of the mould.

Some cooks let this dough rise three times: once just until yeast begins to act; again after adding the butter and sugar until it doubles; and a third time in the mould after adding the beaten whites. The baba may also be made without the beaten whites, keeping the other proportions unchanged.

Another, said to be even better: beat 60 strained yolks as long as possible until foamy. Add ¾ glass thick yeast mixture and 2 glasses flour; let rise. Add 1¼ glasses sugar and ½ glass warm melted butter, beat well, fill one-third of the mould, let rise and bake carefully. For six people use one-third of this version.