About the puff pastry

The puff pastry-making technique is quite difficult for newbies; I therefore recommend getting a ready-to-use pastry. Frozen or chilled does the job nicely. Just allow plenty of time to defrost (2 hours).

Here we go ! You’ve done or obtained some puff pastry. 450 g should be enough

You’ll have to prepare the almond cream
100 grams grounded almond, mix with same weight of caster sugar. Add 100 grams of soften butter and add 2 or 3 eggs. Smooth it all with a spatula (you can use a mixer to fluff it)
Add a flavour : rum or bitter almond extract. Optionally you can liaise with a little bit of "crème pâtissière".




You will roll the pastry and cut two discs off it (one slightly larger). Flip over those discs (for a better rise). Prepare an egg wash by mixing an egg yolk added with its weight of water, a pinch of sugar and pinch of salt.
Lay the almond cream on the small disc centre. The cream should be dense, not runny.




Brush the outside of the lower disc with the egg wash you've made, starting from the edge of the filling.
Place the second disc on top.
Make the edge stick while by pressing them with your thumb. Then use the technique “chiqueter” : using a knife, make small cuts at almost a 90 degrees' angle.


Cut off a small hole in the centre of the top disc : It is the “chimney”. (This will prevent sides from breaking apart when steam is created in the baking).
Brush top disc and decorate it.


I cannot stress enough how important it is to leave the galette (le pithiviers) in a cool place for at least one hour. Then finish up the decoration. Give another brush of egg wash.
Moisten an oven tray (Do NOT grease it ! ). Lay a sheet of greaseproof paper on it, then the galette.


Baking is quick. Preheat oven to 200°C/400°F/Gas Mark 6. Start cooking and let the puff develop for 10 minutes, then lower the temperature to 180°C/350°F/Gas Mark 4 and bake the pastry thoroughly for another good 20 minutes, until nice and brown.