Which Galette des Rois are you? Yes, unless you know it already, there are 2 kinds of King’s Brioche to celebrate the delicious French tradition for Epiphany. The frangipane widely enjoyed in the Northern part of France and perhaps the most popular for its dense and creamy almond paste filling, and the brioche-style cake enjoyed in the South of France (where I’m from), also my favorite for its light billowy brioche, flavored with orange and topped with candied fruits. So delicious and guilt-free guarantied!
1 cup +1/2 cup all-purpose flour
2 tbsp sugar
1 orange zest (or 3 clementines zest)
2 tsp + 1/4 tsp instant yeast
1/4 tsp salt
2 eggs, beaten (use 3/4 for the pastry + keep 1/4 as egg wash)
2 tbsp butter, melted
1 cup of sugar
2 cups of water
3-4 clementines, thinly sliced
1. Mix yeast with 2 tbsp of lukewarm water and let it sit for a minute to activate it. Bubbles should form.
2. In a large mixing bowl, combine flour, sugar, salt and orange zest. Dig a well in the middle.
3. Add the activated yeast, 2 beaten eggs (use 3/4 for the pastry + keep 1/4 as egg wash), the melted butter.
4. Mix until fully combined and the dough starts to come together into a rough, sticky ball. Add more flour if necessary.
5. Transfer the dough to your mixer bowl, attached to the stand mixer. Add the dough hook and lock your stand mixer head.
6. Mix on speed 2 for about 30 seconds. Increase speed to 4 and knead for 10 to 15 minutes or until the dough detached easily from the hook. The dough is soft and just slightly sticky.
7. Shape into a smooth ball, place the dough back in the mixing bowl. Cover with a large plate then top with a folded towel. Let it rest for 1 hour in a warm room.
8. After the 1 hour, the dough should have doubled in size. Place the dough on a tray line with parchment paper.
9. Make a hole in the center of the dough with the help of your finger, then gradually expand the center hole. Optional: hide the “Fève” (small trinket) inside the dough, from below the dough, closing the edges around.
10. Cover the baking tray with a clean tea towel and let the dough rest for another hour, in a warm room.
11. Preheat the oven to 300F (150C).
12. Brush on top of dough with the 1/4 egg mix you kept aside.
13. Bake for about 20 minutes, or until the king’s brioche is golden brown.
1. Thinly slice the clementines.
2. In a large saucepan, combine 1 cup of sugar with 2 cups of water over medium heat, and stir until sugar is dissolved.
3. Place the clementine slices and cook for 20-30 minutes flipping the slices every 10 minutes. Toward the end, lots of bubbles will form in the liquid.
4. Place the slices onto a baking paper and let them dry for a few hours, at best for 12hours at room temperature.
5. Keep reducing the sugary liquid to form a caramel. Resist the urge to stir the sugar as it cooks, just let it bubble until a nice golden-brown color starts to show in some areas. This is the moment to lift the pan by the handle and use your wrist to swirl the mix around. This will keep your caramel evenly browned. When your caramel has reached that perfect amber color, remove it from the heat and let it cool down for 1 minute.
6. Using two forks back to back, dip them in the hot caramel and lift to form angel hair. Be patient, the caramel needs to reach the right temperature. If you see tiny strands coming off when lifting, your sugar is cool enough to fling. Set a couple of wood spoons over a bowl and just flick your forks back and forth over it.
Cheers Xx
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