Galettes Bretonnes are a classic French butter biscuit from Brittany, known for their rich flavour and delicate, sandy crumb. Made with plenty of butter, they’re simple, golden, and melt-in-the-mouth. In France you can buy these at the shops, but I’ve always felt they’re the kind of thing worth making at home. Let’s go!
Galettes Bretonnes
Galettes Bretonnes are traditional butter biscuits from the Brittany region of France (Bretagne in French) that have a deep buttery flavour and a signature short, crumbly texture that’s still snappy and hold its shape despite being thin. Baked into flat rounds with a cross pattern, they sit somewhere between shortbread / French sablé and vanilla biscuits (sugar cookies) and are not to be confused with their more substantial cousin, the Palet Breton.
They’ve always felt familiar to me. My father and grandparents spent many holidays in Brittany and talked about it often, and my grandma would buy Galettes Bretonnes for me when I was a kid. Still takes me right back, so here’s my recipe to make them at home.
Ingredients
You only need 5 ingredients to make these buttery biscuits (milk doesn’t count 😅).
Salted butter – This cookie is specifically made with salted butter rather than unsalted which is typical for cooking recipes from the Brittany region of France. If you don’t have salted butter you can use unsalted and add a bit of salt.
Caster sugar (superfine sugar) – This is a finer grain sugar that dissolves more easily than regular granulated sugar which is larger grains.
Egg yolks – One goes into the dough for extra richness and texture you don’t quite get from a whole egg, and another is brushed on top to give the biscuits that golden finish.
Flour – These biscuits are made with plain / all-purpose flour.
Vanilla extract – This adds flavour so they taste more than just a sweet biscuit.
Milk – Added to the egg wash to stretch it out, so you’ve got enough to brush all the biscuits without needing an extra yolk.
How to make Galettes Bretonnes
This is one of those biscuits where the dough is rolled out thinly, biscuits cut out using a round cutter then baked. The dough is easy to work with but once you cut the rounds out, handle them gently using a spatula to move them onto the trays.
make biscuit dough
Cream butter and sugar – Using an electric beater on medium low speed, beat the butter in a bowl for about 30 seconds until smooth. Add the sugar then beat on medium for about 1 minute until the butter becomes pale in colour.
Yolk and vanilla – Add the egg yolk and vanilla, then beat just until combined then stop beating.
Add flour in 3 batches – Add one-third of the flour and mix in with the beater on medium low speed. Then add half the remaining flour, mix in again with the beater, then beat in the remaining flour. It will resemble wet sand.
Bring dough together – Turn the mixture out onto the counter, then push the mixture together into a mound.
Knead into ball – Use your hands to knead the dough so it comes together into a smooth ball.
Fridge 1 hour – Wrap the dough in cling wrap and refrigerate for 1 hour.
CUT OUT AND BAKE
Roll out dough – Put the dough between 2 sheets of baking paper (parchment paper) then use a rolling pin to roll the dough out to 5mm / 0.2″ thickness. It doesn’t matter what shape it is as long as you get the right thickness.
Cut out biscuits – Use a 7cm/2.8″ round cookie cutter to cut out rounds and use a spatula to transfer to lined baking trays (you will need 3 trays).
Gather and re-roll scraps – Gather the dough scraps and re-roll out and continue cutting out cookie rounds. You should get 24 cookies in total.
Egg wash – Whisk the egg yolk and milk and brush onto the surface of each biscuit.
Cross imprint – Using a 4 pronged fork, dip it in water then lightly drag it across the surface in a cross formation (per step photo above) for the signature design.
Bake 15 minutes – Place 2 trays in the oven and bake for 15 minutes at 180°C/350°F (160°C fan-forced) until they are light golden. Keep the 3rd tray aside and cook it after the first 2 trays are done.
Cool – Leave on the trays for 5 minutes, then transfer to a rack to cool completely.
Once cooled, these biscuits can be enjoyed at any moment as a treat, with a cup of tea or coffee, mid-afternoon or whenever you feel like something small yet satisfying. For me, they’ve always been tied to the stories of Brittany that my grandfather used to tell me, along with a few from my childhood, and I hope they find a place in your kitchen too. Bon appétit! – JB
Watch how to make it
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Galettes Bretonnes (Brittany Butter Biscuits)
Ingredients
- 180g / 12 tbsp salted butter , softened (Note 1)
- 2/3 cup caster sugar / superfine sugar (Note 2)
- 1 egg yolk , from large eggs (55g/2oz each in shell), at room temperature (Note 3)
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 2 cups plain flour / all-purpose flour
Egg wash
- 1 egg yolk , from large eggs (55g/2oz each in shell), at room temperature
- 1 tsp milk
Instructions
ABBREVIATED RECIPE:
- Cream butter and sugar. Beat in yolk and vanilla, then beat in flour in 3 batches. Turn out, knead into ball, refrigerate 1 hr. Roll out into 5mm/0.2" thickness, cut out 7cm/2.8" rounds (24 pieces). Brush with egg wash, score cross design with fork, bake 15 min @ 180°C / 350°F (160°C fan).
FULL RECIPE:
- Cream butter & sugar – Place butter in a bowl and beat for 30 seconds using an electric beater on low speed. Then add sugar and beat for 1 minute on medium until fluffy and slightly paler in colour.
- Beat in egg yolk and vanilla, just until combined then stop beating.
- Make dough – Add 1/3 of the flour to the mixture and mix still using the beater on medium low speed. Once incorporated, add half of the remaining flour then mix and repeat with the remaining flour. It will resemble like wet sand. Turn out onto the work surface and use your hands to bring it together, then knead it into a smooth ball of dough.
- Rest – Wrap in cling film and refrigerate for 1 hour. (Note 4)
- Preheat oven to 180°C / 350°F (160°C fan-forced).
- Roll – Using a rolling pin, roll the dough between two sheets of baking paper / parchment paper to 5mm / 0.2" thickness. It doesn't matter what shape it rolls out to as long as it's the correct thickness.
- Cut – Using a 7cm / 2.8" round cookie cutter, cut out the galletes. Use a spatula to transfer them onto 3 baking paper / parchment paper lined trays. Re-roll scraps and repeat until all dough is used – you should get 24 biscuits. (Note 5)
- Egg wash – Mix together egg yolk and milk then brush the galettes lightly with the egg wash.
- Decorate – Dip a fork in water and use the back of the fork to lightly scrape a cross on the surface of each biscuit (watch video, it's helpful).
- Bake 2 trays for 14 – 15 minutes until the biscuits are lightly golden (watch the top tray as it might brown faster). Once they are done, bake the 3rd tray.
- Cool – Leave biscuits on trays for 5 minutes, then transfer to a rack to cool completely.
Recipe Notes:
Nutrition Information:
In Memory of Dozer
A little behind-the-scenes moment for you. This was taken while we were shooting the laksa for Nagi’s second cookbook. While we were busy plating, adjusting, and chasing the light, Dozer had found the best spot in the house… fast asleep right under the shooting table, completely unfazed by it all. Classic Dozer. ♥️🦮
The French Canadian in me jumped at the word galette which means any large cookie… a very colloquial word. I’d add a tablespoon of peanut butter for a slightly different take. JB will find this sacrilegious I reckon! Love your work as always!
Hi Patrick, if the peanut butter suits you, I am cool with it! I love it when home cooks adapt recipes to their taste 🙂
Its really great to have these classic french recipes, perfected by a chef, and available in english on a blog….. seriously, thanks! You & Nagi should make the next one a french cookbook. I would bet it would FLY OFF the shelves
Hi, haha not a bad idea! We’ll think about it 🙂
Hi JB, these biscuits look sensational, I’m just wondering for someone like me who prefers biscuit recipes with no creaming of butter and sugar. Do you have any of those up your sleeve? Something simple, no machinery required and just stirring all the ingredients together in a bowl. Thank you so much.
Hi Nancy, have you tried these ones without sugar?
This gives me a very vague memory of my English (with French heritage) Grandmother. She always had yummy biscuits in her cupboard. I wish I knew how to make these GF. I can literally almost taste the memory of them.
Hi Jade, I haven’t tried to make if GF, but you could 🙂 and it’s such a grandma thing to keep biscuits in the cupboards isn’t it! Mine was the same!
Scrumdiddelyumptious JB! I have had many happy holidays in Brittany! I adore France. Thank you so much for sharing and thank for the lovely pic of Dozer. Get well soon Nagi (eat plenty of chicken soup). Much love xxx
Hi Ali, I can’t tell you how much my grandpa used to love Brittany, and we are from Burgundy so it has nothing to do with it. He just fell in love with it and loved spending his holidays there. So I totally understand what you mean. 🙂
I love it if we could save our favourite recipes in a folder for future reference.
Hi, there is an app called Clove which is completely free to store recipes. You just copy this link, paste it into Clove and it copies the recipe there including a link to come back here. You can make a menu plan and shopping list if you want. I love it! It has become my new recipe book. All of my favourite Nagi recipes are there. Sorry if this posts twice but i lost the post the first time.
Hi Tom you can click on the heart at the bottom of the page 🙂
These look so good! Thank you JB.
You are very welcome Roslyn!
These look GREAT. Can’t wait to try them! Thank you, JB.😊 And thank you, too for the “Dozer napping while you work” photo. Just like our dogs do at our house… Nagi, hope you feel better soon.😘
Hi Lynn, thank you for your kind message and yes I feel like all dogs are the same 😅
Love a biscuit, one of my favourite foods, can’t wait to try these ones, and Dozer we miss you so much xx
Please try them soon Lucy! We miss Dozer too..
JB, these look tres fantastic! Few ingredients and beautiful. Bet they tast fabulous too. Can hardly wait to try.
Great shot of Dozer too. Sweet dog.
Nagi, feel better! Rest and eat some of those cookies!
Yes, yes and yes! Merci Janet!
Thank you for the yummy looking & tasting ( I’m sure 😋) Galettes Bretonnes JB 😃 Feel better soon Nagi ❤️ cyber hug coming your way 🥰🤗✈️& thanks for the “perfect spot ” Dozer pic share too 😍
Thank you Stefi for your warm message ♥️
These look wonderful JB! As a Scot (now in NZ), these are a blend of the ‘Auld Alliance’ of France and Scotland 😉 Huge bonus of being a classic store cupboard recipe, will make these in the morning thank you
Thanks Audrey, they’ll be perfect with your morning coffee!
these look delicious JB! thanks for the clear instructions and for the pic of Dozer x
You are welcome Mary-Anne, my pleasure! 🙂
Are these a version of a shortbread? They look great. Thanks JB!
Hi Laney, that’s what they are. With a lovely buttery flavour but still a bit snappy.