Galette des Rois Cake of Kings

20cm/8” round cake tin, large oven tray, pastry brush and 2 x mixing bowls

PUFF PASTRY
200g Doves Farm Organic Plain White Flour
¼ tsp salt
8 tbsp cold water
150g butter, chilled
flour, for dusting
oil, for oven tray

ALMOND FILLING
75g butter
125g caster sugar
150g ground almonds
1 egg

220°C, Fan 200°C, 425°F, Gas 7

Puff Pastry

1. Put the flour into a bowl, add the salt and stir to combine.
2. Add the water and mix well.
3. Using your hands gather everything together to form a ball of dough. 
4. If this does not happen easily add another teaspoon of water.
5. Cover the dough ball and chill for 10 minutes. 
6. Cut the chilled butter into very thin slices and lay these out on a plate.
7. Dust the work surface with flour, place the dough in the middle and dust it with flour.
8. Gently roll the dough into a 20 x 30cm/8 x 12″ rectangle. 
9. Lay a third of the butter slices across the middle of the dough in lines which just touch.
10. Run a damp finger all around the outside of the pastry rectangle.
11. Gently lift the left side of the pastry over and onto the middle of the butter.
12. Now lift the right side of the pastry, folding it over so the butter is covered.
13. Press around the edges and pinch together any cracks.  
14. Gently fold the pastry in half, pinching any cracks to make sure no butter is exposed.
15. Dust the pastry with flour, turn it over and dust the other side.
16. For the second time, roll the dough into a 20 x 30cm/8 x 12″ rectangle.
17. Arrange another third of the butter in lines covering the middle of the pastry and finishing 1cm/⅜” from the sides. 
18. Run a damp finger all around the outside of the pastry rectangle.
19. Once again, carefully lift the left and right sides of the pastry over the butter to meet in the middle.
20. Press around the edges, pinching any cracks to make sure no butter is exposed.
21. Gently fold the pastry in half, dust with flour and chill for at least 10 minutes.
22. For the final time, roll the dough into a 20 x 30cm/8 x 12″ rectangle.
23. Arrange the remaining slices of butter in lines covering the middle of the pastry and finishing 1cm/⅜” from the sides. 
24. Run a damp finger all around the outside of the pastry rectangle.
25. Once again, carefully lift the left and right sides of the pastry over the butter to meet in the middle.
26. Press around the edges, pinching any cracks to make sure no butter is exposed. 
27. Gently fold the pastry in half, pinching together any cracks over the butter. 
28. Dust the folded pastry with flour and chill for at least 10 minutes or up to 4 hours.

Almond Filling

1. Cut the butter into small cubes.
2. Add the cubes and sugar into a mixing bowl and beat until light and fluffy.
3. Beat in the ground almonds.
4. Separate the egg, reserve the white for later, and add the yolk to the mixing bowl.
5. Mix together will.
6. Using your hands gather together a ball of the almond filling.

Galette Des Rois

1. Pre-heat the oven.
2. Remove the pastry from the fridge, and allow it to come back to room temperature.
3. Dust the work surface and pastry with flour then cut it in half.
4. Rub some oil around the inside of a large oven tray or insert a baking liner.
5. Roll the pastry into two 20cm/8” circles.
6. Stand a 20cm/8” round cake tin on each piece of pastry to use it as a guide and cut around the tin to make two circles.
7. Tip the prepared almond filling onto one pastry circle and spread it out keeping it 2cm/¾” from the circumference.
8. Brush egg white around the circumference of each pastry circle.
9. Lift the plain pastry circle over the almond paste one, pressing to exclude air and allowing the egg moistened edges to meet.
10. Press around the edges to seal the layers.
11. Brush egg white all over the top of the pastry.
12. Using a sharp knife make several cuts into the pastry to create a pattern such as zig zags, a leaf pattern or the spokes of a wheel. 
13. Carefully lift onto the oven tray.
14. Chill for 10 minutes or up to 4 hours.
15. Bake for 30-35 minutes until the pastry is golden.