This recipe stems from the delightful cookbook A Kitchen in France: A Year of Cooking in My Farmhouse by Mimi Thorisson. This isn't your average cookbook. It is filled with charming stories about Mimi and her family getting used to life in the country after moving suddenly from Paris and the amazing food they cook. Mimi's husband is a photographer so all the photos are breathtaking. Most of the food looks so elegant and divine, but way to fancy and time consuming for my working life. But this recipe caught my attention. It was simple, yet looked absolutely divine. And I already had all the ingredients. So after drooling all afternoon at beautiful French cooking, I decided to go home and make this one for the husband and I.
It was even better than I expected. The buttery dough infused with lemon would be amazing on its own, but with caramelized sugar on the top, it is to die for. Though it takes time to let it raise, the rest of the process is very simple and worth every effort. I'll be making this one again. Maybe even this weekend now that I've thought of it...
We ate it plain, but I think it would be delicious topped with fresh berries. It definitely tastes best fresh, so enjoy it right away.
3 teaspoons active dry yeast
1/3 cup lukewarm water
12 tablespoons of butter at room temperature (I used unsalted)
1 large egg
Grated zest of 1 lemon
Pinch of fine sea salt
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1 1/3 cup all-purpose flour, plus more for rolling
Mix the yeast in the lukewarm water in a small cup. Set aside for 5 minutes to allow the yeast to dissolve.
In a large bowl, mix together 8 tablespoons of the butter with the egg, lemon zest, salt, and 2 tablespoons of the sugar. Add the yeast mixture and then gradually add the flour, mixing until you have a soft and elastic dough. (I did this in my kitchen aid, but you could certainly do it with a spoon.)
Shape the dough into a ball, put it in a greased bowl, cover with a damp cloth, and let rise in a warm spot until doubled in size, at least 2 hours.
Preheat the oven, 450°F and butter a baking sheet or line with parchment paper.
On a parchment-paper-lined surface, roll the dough into a 10-inch circle about 1/2 inch thick. Fold over the edges to make a raised edge.
Sprinkle the remaining 6 tablespoons sugar over the dough and dot with the remaining 4 tablespoons of butter.
Transfer to the baking sheet and bake until golden and caramelized, 15 minutes. Let cool for 5 minutes and serve warm.
No comments:
Post a Comment