Buttery & Tender Galettes Bretonnes: A Simple Home Baking Recipe
Homemade French Delights: How to Make Galettes Bretonnes
Introducing a recipe for Galettes Bretonnes, a delightful French cookie bursting with rich butter flavor! These cookies offer a wonderfully tender and crumbly texture that melts in your mouth.
Galettes Bretonnes Dough Ingredients
- 80g unsalted butter, softened to room temperature
- 40g powdered sugar
- 1g salt
- 67g cake flour
- 20g almond flour
- 0.5g baking powder
- 14g egg yolk (room temperature)
- 4g rum raisins (optional)
- 1/2 vanilla bean (or 1/2 tsp vanilla extract)
Egg Wash
- 5g egg yolk
- 5g water
- 5g egg yolk
- 5g water
Cooking Instructions
Step 1
In a mixing bowl, place 80g of unsalted butter that has been softened at room temperature. Using a whisk or spatula, cream the butter until it becomes smooth and creamy. Ensure the butter is not too cold or too warm.
Step 2
Once the butter is smooth, add 40g of powdered sugar. Whisk together until the butter and sugar are well combined and the mixture turns a pale ivory color. The fine particles of powdered sugar will ensure a smooth blend without lumps.
Step 3
Add 14g of egg yolk and 4g of rum raisins to the bowl. The rum raisins will enhance the flavor, but you can omit them if you’re making these for children or if you don’t prefer them.
Step 4
Split the 1/2 vanilla bean in half lengthwise using the back of a knife or a sharp tool. Then, scrape out the seeds using the back of the knife. The vanilla seeds will add a wonderful aroma and flavor to your cookies.
Step 5
Add the scraped vanilla bean seeds to the dough mixture. Do not add the pod, only the seeds. If you don’t have a vanilla bean, you can substitute with 1/2 teaspoon of vanilla extract.
Step 6
Gently mix all the ingredients together with a spatula or whisk until just combined. Avoid overmixing; mix only until the ingredients are evenly incorporated. Overmixing can make the cookies tough.
Step 7
Now it’s time to add the dry ingredients. Sift together 67g of cake flour, 20g of almond flour, and 0.5g of baking powder directly into the bowl with the wet ingredients. Sifting prevents lumps and ensures a lighter, more tender cookie texture.
Step 8
After adding the dry ingredients, use a spatula to gently mix them into the dough using a ‘figure 11’ motion (like drawing a number 11). Mix just until the flour streaks disappear. Be careful not to overwork the dough, as this can develop gluten and make the cookies hard.
Step 9
Once the dough is mixed, place it on a sheet of parchment paper on your work surface. If the dough is sticky, you can lightly flour your hands or place another sheet of parchment paper or plastic wrap on top before handling.
Step 10
Place dough guides (rolling bars) of about 1cm thickness on either side of the dough. Use a rolling pin to evenly roll out the dough to a uniform thickness. Using dough guides helps maintain consistent thickness for evenly baked cookies.
Step 11
After rolling, remove the dough guides. Carefully roll or fold the dough (still on the parchment paper) and refrigerate it for at least 30 minutes to rest. Chilling the dough makes it firmer and easier to shape.
Step 12
Take the chilled dough out of the refrigerator. Using a cookie cutter (approximately 5.5cm in diameter), cut out your desired shapes. It’s best to cut the shapes quickly before the dough becomes too soft.
Step 13
Place each cut-out dough piece into a muffin tin. The muffin tin will help hold the sides of the cookie, ensuring they keep their shape beautifully during baking.
Step 14
In a small bowl, whisk together 5g of egg yolk and 5g of water to make an egg wash. Using a pastry brush, lightly coat the surface of each cookie twice. This will give them a lovely golden sheen.
Step 15
Use a fork to gently prick the surface of the cookies, creating a decorative pattern. This is a traditional look for Galettes Bretonnes and also helps prevent the cookies from puffing up too much while baking.
Step 16
Bake in a preheated oven at 190°C (375°F) for 10 minutes, then reduce the temperature to 170°C (340°F) and continue baking for about 25 minutes. Baking time and temperature may vary depending on your oven. The cookies are done when the edges are lightly golden brown.
Step 17
Congratulations! You’ve made delicious Galettes Bretonnes. They might look crisp on the outside, but they’ll crumble delightfully in your mouth, releasing a rich buttery flavor. Enjoy them with a warm cup of tea or coffee!
