Sablé Breton

Sablé Breton, (sob-lee breh-tone) is a classic, very buttery cookie coming from the Bretagne region (Britanny) in the North-West of France.  The region is famous for its indulgent use of butter, in particular salted butter.

The word Sablé is French for sand and refers to the butter being incorporated into the flour. It actually feels sandy after mixing.  The cross hatch design on top is the traditional finish.

Don't mistake the simplicity of this cookie as just another butter cookie. The French make the best butter cookies, including Petit Beurre. Sablé Breton are another of their superb cookies that are in a class by themselves. There is another famous French dessert, Gateau Breton which uses a variation of this pastry.

Four ingredients make up the cookie with salted butter being the most important one and Brittany has the best sea salt as well as butter. "The history of salt works on the peninsula stretches back 2,700 years; Brittany’s “white gold” was a sought-after luxury product as early as Roman times" according to the Taste of France magazine.

These make a perfect holiday gift, especially since they can be made ahead and baked when needed.

For more information on baking great cookies, see my post Cookie Tips for the Best Cookies.

Jump to:

• Why you want to make this cookie
• Variations
• Recipe Ingredients
• Step by Step Instructions
• Alternative Directions with a Mixer
• Recipe FAQ's
• Expert Tips
• Sablé Breton

Why you want to make this cookie

• They are really easy to make with just 4 ingredients. How can you go wrong?
• These cookies can be made well in advance. Simply cut out the cookies, freeze, wrap and store in the freezer for up to 3 months.
• Sablé Breton are like no other butter cookie you'll ever eat. They are absolutely addictive. I can say that from personal experience.
• They're perfect with coffee or tea, as a snack or just because they are so good.
• They make an exquisite gift for someone special.

Variations

• Add a lemon or orange rind to the dough.
• A chocolate version can be made by removing ¼ cup of flour and substituting ¼ cup Dutch cocoa.
• Add ½ cup of any nut and process it along with the flour. Increase the egg yolks to 3.
• While these are usually served as single cookies, they can be sandwiched with jam, nutella, or buttercream.
• Any size cutter can be used.

Recipe Ingredients

Sablé Breton Dough

FRONT ROW: European Salted Butter, egg yolks

BACK ROW: All-purpose flour, granulated sugar

Egg Wash

Egg Yolk, Milk

The butter I used is Kerrygold Salted Butter. It is a European butter that has a higher fat content (82%) which gives a richer taste and color to the cookie. However, it softens faster when rolling out but a quick trip to the refrigerator or freezer firms it up.

Granulated sugar is used for the sandy texture that is indicative of this cookie. I have seen recipes with powdered sugar but that defeats the sandiness of the cookies.

The egg yolks enrich the cookie and add color. They are essential to the texture.

The egg yolk and milk glaze adds shine and a pleasant glow to the cookie as well as being traditional.

Be sure to see the recipe card below for the exact ingredients & instructions.

Step by Step Instructions

Step 1. Kerrygold is just one of many European butters either imported or made in America. The bold package holds salted butter while the silver package is for unsalted.Step 2. Cut the butter into small pieces. The easiest way is to cut is legthnwise and crosswise into about 8 cuts. The butter has to be very cold before continuing. Step 3. Add the dry ingredients to the processor and place the cold butter over them. Step 4. Process until the butter is indistinguishable.

Step 5. Add the sugar to the processor. Step 6. Process to incorporate. Step 7. Add the egg yolks. Step 8. Process until the dough comes together. It does not have to form a ball. Pour the dough onto your work surface.

Step 9. Gather the dough together and form into a flat round. Step 10. Divide the dough in half to make it easier to roll out. Step 11. If the dough is really soft, chill until firmed up somewhat. Do not let it get hard. Roll one piece between wax paper. There is a great tutorial regarding rolling dough between wax paper and why I prefer this medium over others. You will find it in my post Cut Out Cookies Using the Wax PaperTechnique. Step 12. After chilling or freezing, cut the cookie out in the desired size. Leave them on the bottom sheet of wax paper and freeze them.

Step 13. Make vertical lines from the top to bottom of the cookie with the tines of a fork. Step 14. Draw diagonal lines across the vertical ones. Step 15. After the first set of lines is drawn, line the fork up leaving the appropriate amount of space and continue across the cookie. Step 16. The cookie should be chilled at this point. When ready to bake, combine the egg yolk and milk and brush each cookie.

Alternative Directions with a Mixer

The dough may be made in a mixer with a few changes. All the ingredients remain the same. However, the butter should be softened instead of refrigerated. Beat the sugar and butter until combined. Add the egg yolks, mixing in well. Add the flour, mixing on low. Shape into a flat round and chill if too soft to roll out. Continue as above, rolling between wax paper.

Recipe FAQ's

Expert Tips

• The butter should be refrigerator cold when adding it to the dry ingredients.
• To cut out the cookies, chill the dough until firm. Do not freeze. Roll between wax paper. Cut the cookies into the desired size.
• Without removing the cookies from the surrounding dough, freeze the whole thing keeping it on the bottom paper.
• Simply pop the cookies out. Bring the scraps together when thawed, re-roll and continue to make more cookies.
• The cross hatch design and brushing the cookies with the egg wash gives them the traditional Sablé Breton finish.

If you love these Sablé Breton or any other recipe on my website, please leave a 🌟 star rating in the recipe card and let me know how it went the in 📝 comments below. Thank you, I appreciate you being here.