Gâteau Battu Recipe made in the Somme (north of France) (2024)

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Home » Discover » Amiens and other tales » Story of "gâteau battu" (local type of brioche)

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©CRT PIcardie-Sam Bellet

Gâteau Battu

What is it?

"Gâteau battu" is one of our traditional dishes, intimately linked to our culinary and gastronomic history.
Why "battu"?
Because the mixture is beaten, by hand, for a long time, to produce a soft, light and fluffy dough.
It's a kind of brioche, made with lots of butter and eggs, lighter and spongier than traditional brioche.
It is cooked in a tall, cylindrical fluted tin, producing a brioche shaped rather like a chef's hat. A genuine "gâteau battu" must be cooked in this specially shaped tin.

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An established tradition

REGIONAL SPECIALITY

"Gâteau battu" is always served at wedding receptions and other ceremonies but you can also enjoy some for breakfast or at tea-time! It is delicious with rhubarb jam.
While there is no known date for its first appearance and we know little of its history, there is no doubt that it originated in Picardy.
It was only in 1900 that it was officially recognised as a regional speciality, preserved and promoted since 1993 by the 'Noble Confrérie du Gâteau Battu'.
Every year the Confrérie instates new 'chevaliers', ardent defenders of this culinary speciality.
An annual 'Best Gâteau battu competition' has done much to enhance the reputation of this product.

"Children love it for their mid-afternoon snack! Even better with rhubarb jam..."

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The recipe

AUTHENTIC

> 125 gm flour > 5 egg yolks > 85 gm sugar
> 125 gm butter > yeast > pinch of salt
1/ In a large bowl, mix together the flour, egg yolks, yeast, sugar, salt and softened butter.
2/ Knead the mixture for 20 to 25 minutes then leave to rest for an hour.
3/ When the mixture has risen in the bowl, fold it back down. Leave it to rest for a further hour.
4/ Fold the dough back down again.
5/ Put the dough into buttered tins, filling only the bottom quarter of each tin.
6/ Leave the dough to rise. This will take between 60 and 90 minutes.
7/ Bake in a preheated oven (170° centigrade) for about 20 minutes.

Let's talk ToFrancis Fréville

MASTER BAKER

"My fondest memory? The day when my 12 year-old son helped with a batch of "gâteau battu". It was truly heart-warming. I went on holiday for a week and he took over. I began at the same age. As soon as I got back from school I'd go straight to the bakehouse".

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0N73PuWTHKs