Classic Breton Butter Cake Food

BRETON BUTTER CAKE

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Cream butter and sugar in bowl of electric mixer fitted with paddle attachment until light and fluffy. Beat in vanilla and yolks one at a time, beating well after each addition. Add flour and salt; beat just until combined. Do not overmix.
• Transfer batter to 9-inch tart pan with removable bottom; with small offset spatula, spread batter and smooth top. (If necessary, chill batter 10 minutes before smoothing.) Place pan in refrigerator 15 minutes.
• Remove from refrigerator. Brush top with beaten egg, and mark a criss-cross pattern with a fork. Brush again with egg. Bake until cake is deep golden brown and edges pull away from sides of pan, about 50 minutes.
• Transfer to a wire rack to cool slightly. Remove cake from pan, and slice while still warm. Serve with strawberry compote.

GATEAU BRETON

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C). Grease a 9-inch springform pan.
• Mix 1 teaspoon egg yolk and water in a small bowl. Set aside for glazing the cake.
• Combine remaining egg yolks, flour, butter, sugar, and cornstarch in a large bowl. Mix with an electric mixer until dough is stiff and sticky, similar to cookie dough. Knead dough a little bit to bring it together.
• Press dough into the prepared pan with your hands. Brush glaze on top.
• Bake in the preheated oven for 15 minutes. Reduce temperature to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Continue baking until golden brown, about 25 minutes more. Cool for 10 minutes. Slice cake crosswise.

GâTEAU BRETON

Steps:

• In a small pot over medium-high heat, combine prunes, rum and 2 tablespoons water. (Use 1 cup/240 milliliters water if using dried apricots.) Cook until most of the liquid has been absorbed (about 5 minutes for prunes, 10 to 15 for apricots). Use a fork to mash into a thick purée. Cover and chill.
• In a food processor, pulse to combine flour, sugar and salt. Add butter and pulse until mixture resembles bread crumbs. Add 5 egg yolks and pulse until mixture comes together as a dough. Divide in half, form into disks, and wrap in plastic wrap. Chill at least 2 hours or until firm.
• Heat oven to 350 degrees. Grease and line an 8-inch round cake pan with parchment paper. Between two sheets of parchment paper or plastic wrap, roll one of the dough halves into an 8-inch circle. Transfer dough to prepared cake pan, pressing into edges. Spread prune or apricot purée across dough, leaving 3/4 inch border around outside edge. Roll second piece of dough into an 8-inch circle, transfer to cake pan, press around outside edge to stick the pieces together and seal in fruit purée.
• In a small bowl, combine remaining egg yolk with 1 teaspoon water and beat lightly. Brush over top of cake, then use a fork to score a crisscross pattern into the dough. Bake until golden brown, about 50 minutes (cover with foil if cake is browning too quickly). Cool in pan 15 minutes. Flip onto a plate, then invert onto a wire rack and let cool completely.

GRANDMA'S BUTTER CAKE

Steps:

• Preheat gas oven 350 degrees, electric 325 degrees. All ingredients should be room temperature. Grease and flour 2 (9-inch) round cake pans. Sift flour, add baking powder and salt. Set aside. On medium speed, cream butter and sugar, until light and fluffy. (Or 150 strokes by hand.) On medium speed, (or another 150 strokes) add 1 egg at a time. After 2 eggs add 2 tablespoons flour. Add flour mix alternating with the milk, ending with the flour. Add extracts. Place cake pan in middle of oven. Pans should not touch. Baking time approximately 35 minutes.
• In a hot cast-iron skillet or heavy saucepan melt butter and brown sugar together on high heat, stirring until sugar is thoroughly melted. Transfer into mixing bowl and, using mixer on low speed, starting and ending with confectioners' sugar; alternately add heavy cream with vanilla, beating until frosting becomes spreadable. Spread on cooled cake.;

SUGAR CRUSTED BRETON BUTTER CAKE

Steps:

• In a medium bowl, dissolve the yeast in the warm water. When dissolved, mix in 1/2 cup of the flour with your fingers, rubbing them together to break up any lumps. Cover with a barely dampened towel and let rise in a warm place until doubled in bulk, about 30 minutes. Meanwhile, in a large bowl, combine the remaining 1 3/4 cups of flour and the salt. Add the yeast mixture and mix together with the tips of your fingers. Gradually sprinkle in the lukewarm water, mixing with your fingers to make a pliable dough. If the water is all mixed in and the dough still seems dry, add another tablespoon of water. Knead until smooth, about 4 minutes. Return the dough to the large bowl, cover with the damp towel, and let rise in a warm place until doubled in bulk, about 1 hour. Turn the dough out onto a floured work surface and dust the top with flour. Roll into a rectangle about the same size as a sheet of paper (8 1/2 by 11-inches). Turn the rectangle so that it is vertical to your body. Dot the lower 2/3 of the dough with the pieces of butter and sprinkle with sugar. Working as though you are folding a letter, and folding the top down first, fold the dough in thirds. Roll out the folded dough into a rectangle, 8 1/2 by 11 inches. Fold in 3 again in the same way, cover with the damp towel, and let rest 15 minutes. Roll into a rectangle again, fold in 3, cover with the damp towel, and let rest 15 minutes. One last time, roll into a rectangle, fold in 3, cover with the damp towel, and let rest 15 minutes. Preheat the oven to 400-degrees F. Butter and flour a 9-inch cake pan. Roll the dough into a circle about 9 inches in diameter. Transfer to the prepared pan. Using a sharp knife or razor blade, make a cross-hatch pattern across the top of the cake (like a tic-tac-toe board). Bake for 20 minutes, brushing the top every 5 minutes with the melted butter that oozes out from the cake. Sprinkle with the confectioners' sugar and continue baking (do not baste) until golden brown on the top but still moist inside, about 10 minutes more. Let cool on a rack until the crust is caramelized and slightly crispy. Wash strawberries in cold water, allow the berries to drain. Combine the egg white and water and foam up mixture with a whisk. Dip the strawberries in the foam and then dip in superfine sugar. Arrange the frosted strawberries in the center of the cake. Serve at room temperature or slightly warm, cut into wedges.
• *RAW EGG WARNING
• Food Network Kitchens suggest caution in consuming raw and lightly-cooked eggs due to the slight risk of Salmonella or other food-borne illness. To reduce this risk, we recommend you use only fresh, properly-refrigerated, clean, grade A or AA eggs with intact shells, and avoid contact between the yolks or whites and the shell.

BRETON BUTTER CAKE

Steps:

• In a small bowl, combine yeast with 2/3 cup water and the orange flower water. Let sit until bubbly. In a large bowl, combine the flours, salt and yeast mixture. On a lightly floured surface, knead dough until smooth. Butter a large bowl and add dough. Cover, and let rise in a warm place until doubled, 30 to 60 minutes. Place in refrigerator to firm up, about 30 minutes.
• On a lightly floured surface, pound chilled butter into a 5-inch square. Cover with plastic wrap and let come almost to room temperature; it should have an icing-like texture. On a lightly floured surface, roll out dough into a 10-inch disk. Place butter on top and fold dough up and around it to cover.
• Working quickly, roll out dough so that it is 2 feet long and 1 foot wide. Using a pastry brush, brush off excess flour. Sprinkle with 3 tablespoons sugar, and fold into thirds as if folding a business letter. Turn 90 degrees, sprinkle with 3 tablespoons sugar, roll out to 2 feet long and 1 foot wide, and fold into thirds. Repeat 2 more times, scraping up sticky areas. Avoid using too much flour.
• Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Butter and sugar a 9-inch glass pie plate. Place dough in plate, tucking corners under. Let rise in a warm place until soft and puffy, 1 to 2 hours. Brush surface with melted butter, and sprinkle with a generous amount of sugar and a little orange flower water. Bake until risen and golden brown, 25 to 30 minutes. If top browns before bottom, cover with foil. The bottom should be hazelnut brown. Remove from oven, slice and serve warm.

CLASSIC KOUIGN-AMANN

Steps:

• Dissolve the Yeast
• Combine 2 Tbsp. warm tap water in a medium bowl and whisk in the yeast to dissolve. Set aside until the mixture is cloudy and slightly puffed, about 5 minutes.
• Make the Dough
• Add ⅓ cup room temperature water to the bowl, then add the flour, melted and cooled unsalted butter, sugar, and salt. Mix with a spatula or wooden spoon until you have a shaggy dough. Knead the dough by hand in the bowl several times to bring it together, then turn it out onto a clean work surface and continue to knead by hand, adding a sprinkle of flour only if the dough is sticking to your hands and/or the surface, until you have a very smooth, supple, and soft dough, 6 to 8 minutes.
• Proof the Dough
• Gather the dough into a ball and dust lightly with flour. Place it inside the same bowl and take a photo so you can gauge how the dough rises over time. Cover it with a damp kitchen towel and let sit it in a warm spot until the ball has nearly doubled in size, 1 to 1¼ hours.
• Make the Butter Block
• While the dough is rising, place the pieces of chilled, salted butter in a mound on a sheet of parchment paper, then fold the sides of the parchment up and over the butter. Use a rolling pin to beat the butter firmly but gently, flattening it into a single layer about ¼-inch thick (beating the cold butter makes it pliable without also making it soft and sticky). Unfold the parchment paper and use a small offset or regular spatula to spread the butter into a 6-inch square, squaring off the corners and straightening the edges, too. Fold the parchment around the butter again to completely enclose it (like you're wrapping a gift), eliminating any air pockets, and creating a neat square packet. Turn the packet over so the folds of the parchment are facing down and roll across the butter block in both directions with your rolling pin to flatten and even out the thickness. Refrigerate the butter while the dough is rising.
• Punch Down and Chill the Dough
• When the dough has nearly doubled, use a fist to lightly punch it down to expel some of the gases produced during the first rise. Turn out the dough onto a piece of parchment paper and flatten with the heel of your hand, also tugging on it to create a square shape about 7 inches across. Wrap the dough in parchment paper like a present, just as you did the butter, and roll across it in both directions several times with the pin to even out the thickness. Transfer the dough to the freezer and chill until the dough is very firm but not frozen, about 5 minutes. Remove the butter block from the refrigerator and let it warm slightly at room temperature while the dough chills.
• Enclose the Butter Block
• Remove the dough from the freezer, unwrap, and place on a lightly floured surface (save the piece of parchment for wrapping the dough again later). Unwrap the butter just so the top is exposed, and, using the sides of the parchment paper, turn the block over and place it on top of the dough, positioning it so it looks like a diamond set onto the dough square, with the points of the butter aligning with the midpoints of the sides of the dough. Peel off the parchment paper and discard. Fold each of the four corners of the dough inward one at a time toward the center of the butter block. They should easily meet and overlap slightly in the center and along the sides. Pinch the dough together firmly along all the seams so they seal.
• Roll and Fold the Dough 2 Times
• Dust more flour underneath and on top of the dough, which should now completely encase the butter block. Use the rolling pin to lightly beat the dough to flatten and lengthen slightly, then roll out the dough, working it both toward and away from you, to elongate it into a rectangle that's about three times longer than it is wide and about ¼-inch thick (the exact dimensions aren't important). Dust the underside with more flour only as needed, and do your best to keep the edges squared-off.
• Brush off any excess flour and sprinkle the surface of the dough lightly with some of the remaining ½ cup sugar. Fold the dough in thirds like a letter, first lifting up the bottom third and pressing it into the center, then folding down the top third. This rolling and folding process is called a "turn," and it creates the layers of butter and dough that make a flaky pastry.
• Rotate the dough 90 degrees counterclockwise, dust with a bit more flour if needed, and repeat the rolling out and folding process with a little more sugar. This is your second turn.
• Chill the Dough
• Wrap the dough in the reserved piece of parchment paper and refrigerate until the dough is firm and relaxed, 45 minutes to 1 hour.
• Prepare the Pan
• Lightly brush the bottom and sides of a 9-inch cake pan with some of the 3 tablespoons melted, cooled butter. Press a fresh piece of parchment paper into the bottom of the pan and up the sides, flattening and smoothing the parchment where it overlaps and creases around the sides. Pour all but 1 tablespoon of the remaining melted butter in the bottom of the pan and use a brush to coat the sides with some of the butter, making sure the entire bottom of the pan is covered as well (the remaining butter is reserved for the top). Sprinkle 2 tablespoons of the remaining ½ cup of sugar across the bottom of the pan and shake to distribute, then set aside.
• Do the Final "Turn"
• Remove the chilled dough from the refrigerator and unwrap (reserve the parchment). Place on a lightly floured surface so the flap is facing up and the edge of the flap is on the right (if you were to unfold the dough, you would open it to your left like a book).
• Roll out the dough again into a long rectangle just as you did before, dusting underneath with more flour if needed. Lightly sprinkle some of the remaining sugar across the surface of the dough and fold in thirds again. Wrap in parchment again and chill until the dough is firm and relaxed, 20 to 25 minutes.
• Roll Out the Dough
• Remove the dough from the refrigerator and unwrap (save the parchment, one last time). Roll out on a very lightly floured surface into a thin square measuring about 15 inches across. Slide the dough onto the reserved parchment paper. Fold the 4 corners inward so they meet in the center, then push the four newly-formed corners toward the center with your hands to create a round. Roll out the dough in all directions until you have a 9-inch round, then use the parchment paper to help you flip over the dough and place upside-down in the prepared pan. Brush the surface of the dough with the remaining 1 tablespoon melted butter and sprinkle with any remaining sugar.
• Proof Again
• Cover the pan loosely with a damp towel and let sit at room temperature until the dough is puffed and slightly risen, 45 minutes to 1 hour. (Alternatively, the covered pan can be refrigerated up to 12 hours. Do not let it rise at room temperature before baking, as the rise will happen slowly in the refrigerator. Transfer directly to the preheated oven.)
• Preheat the Oven
• Arrange an oven rack in the center position and preheat the oven to 400°F.
• Bake and Cool
• Uncover the pan and transfer to the oven. Immediately reduce the temperature to 350°F and bake until the kouign-amann is deep golden brown and caramel is bubbling around the sides, 35 to 45 minutes. Remove the pan from the oven and let sit for 5 minutes. Place a wire rack upside-down over the pan and invert. Tug on the ends of the parchment to dislodge the kouign-amann from the pan and turn out. Remove the parchment paper and let cool completely before slicing into wedges.