Breton Apple Pie
Submitted by sista
A rich French Breton-style apple pie with buttery, egg-yolk dough scented with dark rum and vanilla. Golden, dense, and somewhere between a cake and a tart. Utterly irresistible.
YIELD
1 piePREP
15 minCOOK
45 minREADY
60 minForget everything you know about American apple pie. This is something else entirely.
Breton apple pie, or gateau Breton aux pommes, comes from Brittany in northwestern France, where butter is practically a religion.
The dough is outrageously rich. A full cup of unsalted butter, four egg yolks, a splash of dark rum, and vanilla get creamed together into something that’s more shortbread than pastry.
Half gets pressed into a springform pan, apple filling goes on top, and the second half of dough caps it like a golden lid, egg-washed and scored with a fork into a traditional lattice pattern.
What emerges from the oven is dense, buttery, and deeply satisfying. Not flaky, not fluffy. Just pure, rich, French indulgence.
Kitchen Tips
- The dough is soft and sticky. Flour your hands and work quickly. If it gets too warm, pop it in the fridge for 10 minutes.
- Use a homemade apple filling with firm apples like Granny Smith or Braeburn. They hold their shape and won’t turn to mush inside the crust.
- Don’t skip the egg wash. It gives the top that deep, lacquered golden color that makes this pie look like it belongs in a patisserie window.
- Let it cool in the pan for a few minutes before unmolding. The butter needs to set slightly, or the sides will slump.
Ingredients
Directions
Butter 10- or 9-inch springform pan.
Line bottom with parchment or wax paper cut to fit.
Cream butter until light. Slowly add sugar, beating until mixture lightens.
Beat in rum and vanilla. Add egg yolks, 1 at time, beating until mixture is very smooth and light.
Beat in flour until absorbed, without overmixing.
Place ½ dough in pan and press with fingertips evenly over bottom of pan and out 1 inch up sides.
Spread Apple Filling over dough.
Flour remaining dough and press into 10- or 9-inch disk on cardboard or tart pan bottom.
Slide dough over filling and press into place, making sure sides are straight and even.
Brush top with egg wash. Trace lattice pattern on top with fork tines.
Bake at 350℉ (180℃) 40 to 45 minutes, until deep golden and slightly risen.
Cool briefly in pan, then unmold onto rack to cool. Makes about 8 servings.
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