Galette des rois

Discover the history of Galette des rois.

1. Puff pastry

   • 250 g butter
   • 125 g strong or bread flour
   • 125 g all purpose flour
   • 90 g cold water
   • 25 g powdered sugar
   • 4 g salt

   • In the bowl of the mixer, mix the diced cold butter, flours, sugar and salt at low speed for no more than 1 minute.
   • When the ingredients have started to mix, add the cold water and mix just enough until it is integrated into the mixture.
   • It is very important that the butter is not completely integrated into the dough and that there are visible chunks once all the ingredients have been mixed.
   • Wrap the dough in cling film and give it a rectangular shape of 20x13 cm.
   • Refrigerate for 1 hour.
   • After this time, take the dough out of the fridge, remove the cling film and place it on a generously floured work surface.
   • Using a rolling pin, roll out the dough lengthwise into a rectangle of 45x13 cm.
   • During the rolling process we can sprinkle flour on the dough, the work surface and the rolling pin itself so that the dough does not stick to any surface.
   • Now, fold the dough over itself in thirds, first one end to cover two thirds of the length of the dough and then fold over the other end. This way we get an envelope of 15x13 cm.
   • When making the folds, it is advisable to remove the excess flour with the help of a brush.
   • Then, place the folds at the top and bottom and repeat the last two steps to continue folding the dough and get the desired layers. Repeat this step four times (making a total of five folds).
   • During this process it is possible that the dough will become more and more elastic and it will be difficult to stretch it to the required dimensions. This is normal, as the gluten develops and gives the dough its elasticity. If this happens, let the dough rest in the fridge for 15-20 minutes so that the gluten relaxes and you can continue working more comfortably.
   • When the five folds have been made, wrap the dough in cling film and put it in the fridge for at least 1 hour until ready to use.

2. Pastry cream

   • 125 g whole milk
   • 25 g egg yolk (1-2)
   • 25 g white sugar
   • 12 g corn flour
   • 5 g vanilla

   • Heat the milk and vanilla in a saucepan over medium heat until it comes to the boil.
   • Meanwhile, in a bowl, mix the sifted cornflour, egg yolks and sugar with a whisk until a uniform, lump-free mixture is obtained.
   • When the milk comes to the boil, pour it over the egg yolk mixture in a trickle and mix it with the whisk, stirring constantly. Return the mixture to the heat and cook over a medium heat until the cream thickens.
   • Then, transfer the custard to a bowl and cover with cling film in contact with the custard.
   • Keep in the refrigerator until use for a minimum of 4 hours.

3. Almond cream

   • 120 g ground almond
   • 120 g butter
   • 120 g powdered sugar
   • 100 g eggs (2)
   • 40 g dark rum

   • In a bowl, mix the sugar and butter at room temperature with a rubber spatula until combined.
   • Then, add the ground almonds and combine them with the previous mixture.
   • Now, add the eggs together with the rum and stir until combined.
   • Set aside.

4. Frangipane cream filling

   • Pastry cream
   • Almond cream
   • 30 g candied orange (optional)

   • In a bowl, mix the almond cream with the custard until combined.
   • Then, optionally, cut the candied orange into squares of about 5 mm on each side and add it to the previous mixture.
   • Mix well so that the orange is evenly distributed.
   • Keep in the fridge until ready to use.

5. Assembly

   • Take our puff pastry out of the fridge and place it on our lightly floured work surface.
   • Then, with the help of a rolling pin, smooth the dough until it is about 3-4 mm thick and we have a 45x35 cm sheet.
   • During the rolling out process, you can sprinkle a little flour on the dough and the work surface to prevent the dough from sticking.
   • Now cut two dough discs of 22 cm and 26 cm and put them in the fridge for 10 minutes.
   • After this time, remove the discs from the fridge, place the small one on a sheet of baking paper and brush the edges with water, about 3-4 cm.
   • Take the frangipane cream out of the fridge and put it into a piping bag with a smooth nozzle 2 cm in diameter.
   • Pipe the cream onto the disc in a spiral from the centre outwards, leaving a gap of about 3 cm from the edge.
   • At this point we can place our bean into the frangipane cream if desired.
   • Now place the other puff pastry disc on top of the frangipane cream and carefully press your hands around the frangipane cream so that the discs stick together.
   • Cut off the excess dough from the top disc and turn the pastry over.
   • Brush the top with egg and place in the refrigerator for about 1 hour.
   • When the time is up, take the cake out of the fridge and with the blunt side of a knife, press lightly on the edge all around the cake, as if you were stitching the dough. We do this to seal the two puff pastry discs well.
   • It is important that the two discs are aligned and that the cream is perfectly sealed inside because during baking, if we have not been careful in the previous steps, the cream might come out of the inside.
   • Then, stick a toothpick into the centre of the cake and with a sharp knife, make curved cuts from the centre to the edge of the cake, leaving a small space between each cut.
   • The cut should be neither too deep nor too shallow, i.e. we don't want to cut all the way through the puff pastry layer so that the cream doesn't come out during baking, but we do want to draw the texture on the tart.
   • Remove the toothpick and bake at 190º C for 10 minutes and then at 180º C for 25 minutes.
   • Leave to cool on a wire rack and store in a cool, dry place.
   • It is advisable not to refrigerate the cake and eat it the same day it is baked.

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