Today’s the perfect day to make what French people call Galette des rois! Ready to enjoy a good puff pastry filled with almond frangipane? Let’s get to work!
For the puff pastry, you’ll need:
- 500g of flour
- 250mL of water
- 325g of butter
- 10g of salt
For the frangipane, you’ll need:
- 150g of soft butter
- 150g of almond powder
- 150g of sugar
- 3 eggs (+1 for the egg wash)
To make your galette shine, you’ll need:
- 40g of sugar
- 40mL of water
Ideally, you should make your puff pastry the day before, so it has time to rest in the fridge overnight. Start by melting 50g of butter and let it cool until it reaches room temperature. Then, mix the flour, the water, the melted butter and the salt, and knead your dough until it forms a homogeneous ball. Wrap it with plastic wrap, and let it rest in the fridge for 2 hours. In the meantime, form a 12cm x 12cm square with the rest of your butter. I suggest you use two baking sheets and a rolling pin!
After 2 hours, roll down your dough to form a cross shape, and use the edges to encase your butter. Make sure it is well sealed, so the butter does not leak during the layering process! On a floured work surface, roll down your dough into a rectangular shape, until its length is 3 times as long as its width. Mark the first and second thirds of your dough, and fold it like a wallet. Repeat the same operation, and let your dough rest in the fridge for one hour. Repeat three times the same loop of rolling and folding the dough twice, and do not forget to let the dough rest between each step! Finally, let it rest in the fridge overnight. Congratulations, you just made your first puff pastry!
On the next day, start by making your frangipane by mixing the soft butter and the sugar. Add your eggs one at a time, and finally add the almond powder. Put your frangipane in a piping bag, and be ready to make your galette des rois!
Now, roll down your puff pastry until it is roughly 4mm thick. Use a mold or a big plate to cut 2 circles of 18cm of diameter. Add your frangipane on one circle, but not on the last 2cm of the diameter. Add the fève , and put a bit of water on the area without frangipane, and cover with your other circle. Seal the edges, brush with some egg wash, and let your galette rest in the fridge for 2 hours. Once it's done, preheat your oven at 200°C, brush once again your galette with some egg wash, make a nice pattern with a sharp knife, and bake your galette for 20 minutes at 200°C, and 30 minutes at 180°C. 5 minutes before taking the galette out of the oven, heat your sugar and water. Once your galette is ready, brush it one last time with your syrup, and it's done! Do not forget to crown whoever gets the fève !