In French, this Breton Pound cake is called a “quatre-quarts“, which translates to “four quarters”. It is very popular in Brittany, of course, but also widely known and enjoyed all throughout France. It consists – just like a classic pound cake – of four ingredients of equal weight: one quarter flour, one quarter butter, one quarter sugar and one quarter eggs. It traditionally doesn’t require any leavening agent (ie. baking powder) or flavoring (ie. vanilla extract).

So what makes this Breton Pound Cake different from a classic Pound Cake?

Instead of classic salted or unsalted butter, this cake requires the use of sea-salted butter, known in French as “Beurre Salé”. This “Beurre Salé” is commonly consumed in the North-Western part of France (especially Brittany) and is used heavily in local baked goods (like in these Salted Butter Breton Sablés). It includes 3 to 5% more salt than the salted butter found in the US/Canada, which is in the form of sea-salt flakes. It gives this pound cake lovely salted-buttery notes, all while enhancing all the flavors.

If you live outside of France and can’t buy “Beurre Salé”, you can recreate it by using unsalted butter with some sea-salt flakes (such as Fleur de sel or Maldon). I do not recommend you use salted butter as a substitute: it usually has a higher water content than unsalted butter, so it could give you an inconsistent result.

This Breton Pound Cake (Quatre-quarts) is so humble, yet moist, with a slightly dense crumb (not too dense, nor gummy) and with lovely salted butter notes. In the Spring, it is the perfect canvas for whipped cream and fresh berries. Pairing it with fresh strawberries is actually very common to do in Brittany, using small local strawberries from Plougastel, which are so beloved in the region. 

In the Summer, you can use stone fruits like cherries, peach or apricots. In the Fall, spiced stewed apples and in the Winter, a warm chocolate sauce or blood orange marmalade. The next day, you can toast slices of it in your toaster (it is delicious!) or make French Toast with it. It is also ideal for trifles.

Cooking notes:

• Weigh your ingredients, rather than using cups.

Generally speaking, I am a huge advocate of using a food scale for baking. And this couldn’t be any truer when baking a Pound Cake: it is all about having the exact equal weight of eggs, flour, sugar and butter – so using a food scale is essential. Start by measuring the weight of your 3 eggs (3 large eggs, out of the shell – it should equal about 150g), and use the exact same weight of flour, sugar and butter.

• Have all your ingredients at room temperature.

The eggs should be at room temperature for them to retain more air when beaten. If too cold, the whites will be sifter and won’t welcome in air as much.

• Use an electric beater or a stand mixer (or some elbow grease!).

A Pound cake doesn’t rely on any leavening agents (ie.baking powder) for it to rise. Instead, it relies on the air that is trapped within the egg whites when beaten to a firm peak. For this reason, the use of an electric beater or stand mixer will be very helpful. If not, the recipe is doable by hand with a whisk, but get your wrist ready for a whole lot of beating. 

• A few flavoring twists.

I love the simplicity of this Breton Pound Cake, and enjoy it as is, allowing the lovely salted-butter notes shine through. But if you wish, you can add any of 1 tsp vanilla extract, ½ tsp almond extract, 1 tsp lemon zest or 1 tsp orange zest to add some different notes.

I hope you’ll love this Breton Pound Cake (Quatre-Quarts) with berries and whipped cream as much as I do! If you have any questions, please leave a comment. 

You may also like: 

• Orange Yogurt Cake
• Classic French Apple Cake
• Classic French Tarte aux Fraises

Breton Pound Cake (Quatre-Quarts) with berries and whipped cream

Print Recipe

Prep Time: 20 Minutes Cooking Time: 45 Minutes 45 Minutes

Nutrition facts: 200 calories 20 grams fat

Rating: 4.9/5

( 9 voted )

Ingredients

Note: This recipe is based on 3 eggs weighing 150g. If your eggs weigh less or more, adapt your other ingredient measurements accordingly.

3 large eggs (150g)
150g unsalted butter, at room temperature
1 tsp flaky sea salt, such as Fleur de sel or Maldon
150g Sugar
150g All-purpose Flour, sifted
For serving:
Whipped Cream (about 3 cups, whipped, for the whole cake)
About 2 cups of fresh berries (strawberries, raspberries and blackberries), washed and hulled.

Instructions

Pre-heat your oven to 350°F (180°C). 

 Melt the butter in a saucepan and set aside to cool.

In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the egg yolks and sugar until foamy and lighter in color. Whisk in the cool melted butter. Switch to a spoon or spatula, and mix in the flour and salt.

In a separate bowl, whisk the egg whites until firm. Add a spoonful of the egg whites to the batter and mix to loosen the consistency. Add the rest of the egg whites and gently fold in with a spatula.

Transfer the batter to the prepare pan and bake for about 1 hour, until golden and knife inserted in the middle comes out clean.

Transfer to a cooling rack and let cool for 10 minutes. Remove the cake from the pan and let cool to room temperature completely, before serving.

Just before serving, top the cake with whipped cream and decorate with fresh berries.

The post Breton Pound Cake (Quatre-Quarts) with berries and whipped cream appeared first on Pardon Your French.

What is Sablé Breton?

Sablé Breton, also known as French salted butter cookies, originate from Brittany, my home region, known for its high-quality salted butter. The word “sablé” means “sandy” in French, referring to the crumbly texture of these cookies. These buttery cookies can be found in all grocery shops and bakeries across Brittany. They are usually sold in tin boxes with flip lids decorated with illustrations or photos depicting Brittany life. And most locals like myself will tell you it is their absolute favorite!

Like many other Brittany recipes, these French salted butter cookies are made with the simplest of ingredients: flour, sugar, eggs and a lot of butter enriched with sea salt flakes. They have a very unique salty-sweet flavor that makes them a favorite not only in Brittany but in all French homes.

Let’s dive into how to create the perfect Sablé Breton right in your own kitchen!

Ingredients you’ll need for this traditional Sablé Breton cookie recipe

Brittany bakers like to rely on simple, yet high quality ingredients. Here are my recommendations for choosing the best ingredients for Sablé Breton cookies

1. Butter. This recipe is all about the butter: choose a good-quality European brand. Read my notes below where I give you more details about the right butter to choose, whether you’re in France or outside of France.
2. Salt. Whenever possible, use fleur de sel, available online and at many grocery stores across the US and Canada. If fleur de sel isn’t available, opt for high-quality sea salt flakes, like Maldon, which also offers excellent flavor and texture.
3. Sugar. White sugar is best here.
4. Eggs. We need 3 large eggs for the dough, and 1 egg yolk mixed with milk to brush atop the sablés right before baking. This helps provide the golden tops.
5. Flour. Use all-purpose flour.
6. Milk. We just need 1 tbsp (15ml) of milk for the egg brushing. Prefer 2% m.l. or whole milk.

If you want to stick to the authentic Sablé Breton look, use a 2-inch (5cm) round and scalloped cookie cutter.

Step by Step instructions

1. Preheat and Prep: Preheat your oven to 350°F (180°C). Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
2. Combine wet ingredients: Cream together the butter, salt and sugar until light and fluffy. Stir in the 3 whole eggs, one at a time.
3. Add dry ingredients: Slowly incorporate the flour into the butter mixture. Mix just until the dough comes together—don’t overmix, as you want to maintain that tender, crumbly texture.
4. Roll Out the Dough: Lightly flour your work surface and roll out the dough to about 1/2-inch (1.27cm) thickness. If the dough feels sticky, you can refrigerate it for 15 minutes to make it easier to handle.
5. Cut Out Cookies: Use a round cookie cutter to cut out your cookies and place them on the prepared baking sheet.
6. Bake: Bake in the preheated oven for 20-25 minutes or until the edges are golden brown.
7. Cool and Enjoy: Transfer the cookies to a wire rack to cool completely. Enjoy with a cup of coffee or tea!

Audrey’s tips for Perfect Sablé Breton Cookies:

Before you start, I wanted to share a few more notes and tips, including on choosing the right butter and salt – the two most important ingredients in this recipe.

1. Use High-Quality Butter

Since butter is the star of this recipe, using a European-style salted butter will give you the best flavor and texture.

In France, you have the choice between these three butter types:

• “beurre doux” (unsalted butter)
• “beurre demi-sel” (slightly salted butter)
• “beurre salé” (salted butter with sea salt flakes, 3 to 5% more salty than the “beurre demi-sel” butter). Beurre salé is mostly consumed in Brittany and is the one used to make these salted butter sablés. In your kitchen, you can recreate this salted butter by using “unsalted or “demi-sel” butter to which you add fleur de sel. Adding fleur de sel recreates this signature salty, crunchy bite that makes these cookies so special. 

You can find “demi-sel” French butters in the US/Canada at some grocery stores (such as Echire’s) or even some European-style butter, cultured or not cultured (such as Land O Lakes’). These are definitely good-quality butters and I’d strongly suggest using them for your baking projects. 

2. Choose the right salt.

To salt the butter and achieve an authentic taste, I rely on French Fleur de sel, which you can find online and in some grocery stores in the US/Canada. If you can’t find fleur de sel, try to find some other good-quality sea salt flakes. Maldon is very good too. It has fine flakes but the volume can remain the same as fleur de sel in this recipe.

3. Don’t Skip the Chilling

If your dough is too warm or sticky, chill it for a few minutes before rolling it out. This makes it easier to cut into shapes.

4. Don’t over-mix.

Mix until the ingredients are just incorporated and hold into a rough ball. Overmixing results in tough cookies.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can the dough be made in advance?

Absolutely. The dough can be made and wrapped well in cling wrap. The unbaked dough can be refrigerated for 3 days or frozen for up to 3 months. Thaw it overnight in the refrigerator. Before rolling it, leave it at room temperature for ten minutes to soften. Follow instructions as per the recipe.

Can I add flavors like chocolate or spices?

Absolutely! You can experiment by adding a touch of cinnamon, lemon zest, or even dipping the cookies in melted chocolate for a fun twist. Although if it is your first time making these Breton sables, I recommend simply sticking to the basic recipe to experience their iconic buttery taste.

How long do they keep?

You can keep the sables in a sealed Tupperware for up to 10 days. After that time mark, they tend to harden, but still taste good in my opinion.

Can I freeze them?

Yes, these cookies freeze very well. Keep them in an airtight container in the freezer for up to 3 months.

Serving Suggestions

Sablé Breton cookies are incredibly versatile! Serve them with a cup of coffee, hot chocolate, or your favorite tea. In France, we also use them to crumble over ice cream or yogurts for an added crunch. I also love to crush them for a cheesecake crust, in lieu of graham crackers.

They are also perfect for Holiday gifting! Pack them in a beautiful tin and gift them to friends and family for the holidays.

I hope you’ll love this French Salted Butter Cookies (Sablé Breton) recipe as much as I do! If you have any questions or tips to share, please feel free to leave a comment. 

More French Cookie recipes to try:

• Lemon Poppy Seed Sablé Cookies
• Classic French Madeleines
• Almond Cinnamon Shortbread Cookies (Alsatian Schwowebredele)
• Classic French Madeleines
• Buckwheat Sablés with Chocolate
• Thin Spiced Almond Cookies (Pains d’Amandes)
• Cocoa and Almond Thumbprint Cookies from Alsace (Linzele)
• Chocolate Almond Twice-Baked Cookies from Provence (“Croquants”)
• Spiced Cookies with Candied Citrus Peels and Almonds (Leckerli)

French Salted Butter Cookies (Sablé Breton)

Print Recipe

Serves: 18 sablés Prep Time: 20 Minutes Cooking Time: 25 Minutes 25 Minutes

Nutrition facts: 200 calories 20 grams fat

Rating: 4.0/5

( 35 voted )

Ingredients

1 cup (250g) unsalted butter or "demi-sel", diced and at room temperature
1 tsp to 1 ½ tsp (8g) flaky sea salt, such as Fleur de sel.* 
1 ¼ cup (250g) sugar
3 whole eggs + 1 egg yolk, at room temperature
4 cups (500g) all-purpose flour
1 tbsp (15ml) milk, (2% m.f. or whole) at room temperature

*Use 1 tsp salt if you are using demi-sel butter or 1 1/2 tsp salt if you are using unsalted butter. 

Instructions

1. In a large mixing bowl, combine the butter, salt and sugar together until light and fluffy. Stir in the 3 whole eggs (not the extra yolk), until just incorporated. Sift together the flour over the butter/sugar/egg mixture. Combine with a spatula until it all comes together into a soft ball. It is essential to stop mixing as soon as the ingredients are all combined; over-mixing will make the sablés too tough. Wrap the dough in plastic film and chill for 1 hour.
2. Pre-heat your oven to 350°F (180°C) with a rack in the middle.
3. Transfer the dough onto a sheet of parchment paper. Lay another sheet of parchment paper on top and roll the dough out until it is ½-inch thick (1.27cm). Peel off the top sheet of parchment paper and cut out circles of dough with a 2-inch (5cm) round cookie cutter (scalloped, if you want to stick to the authentic look).
4. Transfer the dough circles onto a parchment paper-lined baking sheet. The dough is still quite sticky, you may need a spatula to delicately unpeel the circles.
5. In a small bowl, beat the egg yolk with the milk and brush the top of the dough circles with this egg wash. Using a fork, create a crosshatch pattern over the dough circles.
6. Bake for 20-25 minutes, rotating the baking sheet mid-way, until they are golden. The centers will still be slightly soft, but they’ll firm up as they cool.
7. Transfer the sablés immediately to a cooling rack.

The post French Salted Butter Cookies (Sablé Breton) appeared first on Pardon Your French.