French Salted Butter Cookies (Sablé Breton)
If there’s one type of cookie that defined my childhood in Brittany, it’s the Sablé Breton! These traditional French salted butter cookies are crispy, buttery, and perfectly balanced with a hint of salt. Whether you’re a seasoned baker or just starting out, this easy recipe will transport you straight to a Brittany kitchen. 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…
- Prep time
- 20 min
- Cook time
- 25 min
- Yield
- 18 servings
- Difficulty
- EASY
Ingredients
Quantities are shown as originally provided.
- 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.