Broyé du Poitou (Shortbread from Poitiers) recipe for #BakingBloggers: Baking of France! This shortbread/cake only uses a handful of ingredients and is traditionally served by punching the center to break it into pieces.
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Baking Bloggers
Created by Sue of Palatable Pastime, #BakingBloggers get together monthly to vote on a different baking project. For August, we are featuring the Baking of France and I am joining in with a recipe for Broyé du Poitou (Shortbread from Poitiers)!
Check out more of my #BakingBloggers recipes here: Voisilmäpulla (Finnish Butter Eye Buns), Strawberry Nutella Galette, and Magdalenas (Spanish Muffins).
Broyé du Poitou (Shortbread from Poitiers)
While searching through cookbooks to find a recipe for the event, I came across Broyé du Poitou (Broyé Poitevin) in Baklava to Tarte Tatin.
This large, crumbly shortbread or cake comes from Poitou-Charentes (now a part of Nouvelle-Aquitaine) in Western France. A buttery dough is formed into a large thin circle, decorated with scalloped edges and diagonal lines across the top, then baked until golden brown and firm.
I also added a few sliced almonds, but this is completely optional.
The kids were most excited about the traditional way this pastry is served. Once it has cooled to room temperature, punch the center with your fist to break the Broyé du Poitou into small, various shaped pieces. This way, you can grab a resulting larger or small piece based on personal preference. Pair with coffee or Claire’s favorite, hot chocolate.
I pressed the dough into a circle about 1/2 inch (1.25 centimeters) thick. You can make it a little thinner or thicker, but the cooking time may vary.
Notable Ingredients
If possible, use Beurre Charentes-Poitou (a French cream-colored butter with 82% butterfat) or another high-quality, salted butter.
Vanilla sugar is also optional, but really adds a wonderful light vanilla flavor. You can buy small packets of vanilla sugar in the European section of many larger supermarkets, but it is easy to make at home.
Scrape out the seeds of one vanilla bean and mix well with 2 cups (400 grams) granulated sugar. Store in an airtight container with the scraped out vanilla beans.
August: French Baking
- Alsatian Bacon and Onion Tart (Tarte Flambée) from Making Miracles
- Blueberry & Cream Cheese Croque Cake from Sneha’s Recipe
- Broyé du Poitou (Shortbread from Poitiers) from Tara’s Multicultural Table
- Chocolate-Covered Cherry Bon Bon Cookies from Faith, Hope, Love, & Luck Survive Despite a Whiskered Accomplice
- Crème Brûlée from Karen’s Kitchen Stories
- Easy Cauliflower Gratin from Cook with Renu
- French Breakfast Puffs from A Day in the Life on the Farm
- Gratin aux Courgette from Sid’s Sea Palm Cooking
- Pain de Campagne (French Country Bread) from Caroline’s Cooking
- Pissaladière – Bacon Onion Anchovy and Olive Tart from Food Lust People Love
- Poulet à la Normande from Culinary Adventures with Camilla
Broyé du Poitou (Shortbread from Poitiers) Recipe
Adapted from Baklava to Tarte Tatin
Broyé du Poitou (Shortbread from Poitiers)
Ingredients
- 1 cup (227 grams) salted butter softened at room temperature
- 1 cup (227 grams) granulated sugar
- 1 tablespoon vanilla sugar optional
- 2 large eggs
- 3 3/4 cups (470 grams) all-purpose flour
- Pinch salt
Topping:
- 1 egg yolk
- 1 tablespoon water
- Sliced/Flaked almonds optional
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350˚F (180˚C) and line a large (mine was 12 inches/30.5 centimeters wide) round baking sheet with parchment or lightly grease.
- In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a dough blade or in a large bowl, beat together the butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Beat in the vanilla sugar if using followed by the eggs one at a time.
- Mix in the flour and salt just until combined. Be careful not to overmix.
- Press the dough into a large, even circle about 1/2 inch (1.25 centimeters) thick on the prepared round sheet. Using your thumb and forefinger, pinch around the outside of circle to create a scalloped edge.
- In a small bowl, beat together the egg yolk and water. Brush the pastry with the egg wash, then use a fork to create diagonal lines across the top. If desired, sprinkle with the sliced almonds.
- Bake in the preheated oven until golden brown and firm, 25-30 minutes. Allow to cool completely to room temperature on a wire rack.
- To serve, either use your fist to punch the center and break into pieces or slice. Store in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 1 week.
Wendy Klik
What an adorable little sous chef. I love shortbread and this one sounds amazing.
Karen
Lucky Claire, getting to punch the shortbread!!! This sounds delicious!
Sid
I love shortbread, and this looks like not only a delicious one, but also one that’s fun for the kid in all of us. I mean, who wouldn’t want to ‘punch’ it and break it up. I also happen to have some really good butter that needs to be used, soon and this would be perfect.
Colleen - Faith, Hope, Love, & Luck
So very pretty! And I bet it tastes as good as it looks! Can’t try to come up with my own version of this recipe!
Melanie
I would love it with a coffee, looks so good!
Caroline
This looks lovely! I do love shortbread so keen to give this take on the theme a try. And how fun how it’s traditionally broken!
Renu
Wow this shortbread look so delicious and a perfect treat for my kids
Ricky Adams
Why salted butter? Sweet butter tastes so much brtter.
Tara
Hi Ricky! I was trying to keep the recipe as traditional as possible. Feel free to use your favorite butter and adjust the salt as needed.
HELEN PAGE
I’m eager to try this. The recipe was on a JacquieLawson Birthday Card.
Tara
Hi Helen! Hope you love it!
Rebekah
What if I do not have a dough attachment, what can I use?
Tara
Hi Rebekah! You can beat together the butter and sugar in a large bowl with a hand mixer or with a whisk until light and fluffy before adding the rest of the ingredients.
Neha
I absolutely adore shortbread and this one looks excellent! Can’t wait to try it!
Traci
Wow! I love how festive and simple this is! You always have the best recipes and this is another one for the books! Thanks for sharing 🙂
Ieva
Love the idea of punching it before serving – wonderful ‘table theatre’! But I suppose I’ll have to warm everyone that that’s how you serve it to avoid any misunderstandings…
Janet Knori
I have just finished making this recipe according to Jacquie Lawson’s recipe – don’t remember how I got it.
It really is delicious, especially to us shortbread lovers! But this recipe was lacking in a few details and I must have forgotten a couple, too. (Still delicious!)
That one recommended the addition of some cognac, just a touch. Maybe I added too much? The dough came out a tiny bit wet.
No one mentioned adding water to the yolk, so it was too thick and latex-like. (Needs to be like very thin paint).
While the flavor was still wonderful, the cake was not crisp enough to shatter, and could not be broken by fist. I had to dismember It by hand. You were right, though. As soon as I tasted it, I headed for the coffee.
Result? I’ll try again soon and leave out the cognac for now, water down the yolk, cook a few minutes longer, and bop it harder if possible. It will still be delicious. The Scottish are a thrifty people and so are the French. They would not waste the money on something iffy. You can hardly hurt shortbread with butter, flour and a touch of sugar!