Over 10 years ago Michele had the opportunity to meet Sabatino Sirica and see him demonstrate his pastries. She said that they were some of the best she had ever had.
Michele D’Amelio and Sabatino
Recently Roberto Caporuscio of Keste Pizza and Vino Wall Street invited me to an event called “Made in Italy: Slow Cooking at Keste.” A demonstration and tasting by Sabatino Sirico was on the schedule and the translating was going to be done by Michele D’Amelio, an Italian pizzaiolo that works for Caputo Flour in America. I was happy to attend and finally get a chance to taste the pastries.
It was a two day event and I attended the second day and Sabatino demonstrated how to make Graffe and Babà. Graffe are Neapolitan style donuts sometimes called ciambelle. Cavaliere Sabatino Sirica has a Pasticceria, Rosticceria and Gelateria in S. Giorgio a Cremano, Naples. Michele and I will try to visit the shop when we are in Naples next month. 
The Graffe ready for frying
After frying
Ready to Eat
Graffe
Here are the ingredients. Note that the flour is Caputo’s Chefs flour”00″
500 grams of 00 flour
500 grams Manitoba flour
25grams sugar
150grams butter
40 grams yeast
2 eggs
250 milliliters milk
200 milliliters water
Vanilla
Grated orange and lemon zest
Next Sabatino prepared the Baba’, a sweet yeast raised pastry soaked in rum or other liqueur flavored syrup.
Sabatino preparing the dough for Baba’
Sabatino putting the dough in the molds
Sabatino showing how light the dough is and easy to stretch
Finishing filling the molds
Frying the pastry
The finishd Babá
Ready to Serve
For the Baba, Sabatino used 50% Caputo Nuvola Super “0” and Caputo Chef’s flour “00”. The ingedients were:
Babá
1kg of flour
100 grams sugar
40 grams salt
350 grams butter
4 kilograms eggs(not sure about the eggs)
Syrup
1 Liter water
500 grams sugar
50 grams strong rum
There were other pastries, including sfogliatelle.
Palmier cookies, layer cake and a cut baba’ to show the texture.
Sweet buns.
I have spent a lot of time in Naples and start every day with pastries like these. Sabatino’s were as good if not better than those I have had before! I am looking
forward to visiting him.