Baba dough from the course Neapolitan cuisine!

[Sussan Estela Olaya]

Hi Panos.

Welcome to the Scoolinary community! Thank you for your questions.

If your babà dough is more liquid than elastic, here are a few points to check:

1. Gluten Development

W370 flour has a high protein content and requires sufficient kneading to develop a strong structure. The mixer used by the chef in the video might have a higher power, which could explain why they achieve the ideal consistency within the indicated time. This is why it’s important to pay attention to both the mixing/kneading time and the results you’re getting. If your dough doesn’t look like the instructor’s after mixing, it would be best to knead for a few more minutes to reach the right consistency.

Also, keep in mind that flour behaves differently depending on its country of origin. Even if it has the same gluten percentage, many factors can affect how it performs.

Make sure to mix well after each addition of eggs and butter. The dough should become more elastic over time.

If, after 20 minutes, it’s still too liquid, try extending the kneading time a bit until the dough becomes more cohesive.

2. Ingredient Temperature

Cold eggs help maintain the structure while gluten develops. If they are too warm, the dough can become more liquid.

The butter should be soft but not melted (around 18-20°C). If it’s too soft, it can weaken the dough’s structure.

3. Order of Ingredient Incorporation and Flour Absorption

Ensure that the flour fully absorbs the first portion of eggs before adding more. If you add all the eggs too quickly, the dough may become too liquid.

If, after making these adjustments, the dough is still too soft, try slightly reducing the amount of egg in your next attempt (try 610-620 g instead of 640 g) and adjust according to the texture.

If you try making the dough again and apply any of these tips, let us know what worked for you!

Best regards.

[Panos]

Hey Susan,

Thank you for your response! I adjusted the recipe a bit! I used a bit less eggs and I added a bit more flour! They came out really good! Mext step is the soaking in the syrup! For now I changed the recipe as you proposed and it seems it works well! I use a strong bread flour that contains 22 grams of protein (aka gluten)! I will let you know for further additions!!

[Sussan Estela Olaya]

Hi Panos.

So glad to hear the adjustments worked well, Panos! It sounds like you’ve found a great balance in the recipe.

I’m looking forward to seeing how your recipe evolves, and if you make any more tweaks, we’d love to hear about them if possible.

Thanks for sharing your experience, and let’s stay in touch to keep improving together!

Best regards.

[Panos]

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