Galette des Rois

1. For the pastry start by making the détrempe: Sift the flour with the salt into a large bowl. Add the cubes of butter and rub in with your fingertips. Add just over half of the water and mix with a knife to a form soft, but not sticky, dough, adding more water if required. Bring together to form a ball of dough and chill, wrapped in cling film, for 20 – 30 minutes.
2. Sprinkle a little flour on the work surface and roll the dough into a long rectangle measuring about three times as long as is it is wide. In the middle third of the dough roll out two or flaps on each side.
3. Wrap the 140g butter in greaseproof paper and, using a rolling pin, tap the butter into a flattened block about the size of a third of the pastry. The butter should be pliable and about the same texture as the détrempe. Put the butter in the middle of the pastry and fold the ears over it. Bring the top half of the pastry over to cover the butter and bring the bottom third up to cover the pastry. Turn 90 degrees so that the pastry is like a book with the spine on the left.
4. Start to carefully roll out the pastry until it is three times as long as it is wide. Ensure that the corners are always kept square. Fold it very evenly in three, first folding the top third to the middle and then the bottom third over the top of that and turn 90 degrees.
5. This is the first fold. This process of rolling, folding and turning must be done four more times, to have five in total, chilling between folds if the butter begins to get soft. Cut the block of pastry in half.
6. Roll out half the puff pastry to a rough circle and using a pan lid or dinner plate as a guide, cut out a 25cm/10 inch circle from this with a sharp knife. Roll out the remaining pastry and cut out another 25cm/10 inch circle. Place the two discs on parchment paper and on a baking tray and chill in the fridge.
7. Make the almond filling: cream the butter in a bowl, add the sugar and beat thoroughly. Beat in the egg and the egg yolk; then stir in the orange zest, ground almonds, rum and flour.
8. Remove the pastry from the fridge. Set one circle onto a lined baking sheet, mound the almond filling in the centre leaving a 2.5cm/1 inch border (see note) and brush the border with beaten egg. Set the second circle on top and press the edges together firmly.
9. Scallop the edge of the galette by pulling it in at intervals with the back of a knife. Brush the gateau with beaten egg and working from the centre, score the top in curves like the petals of a flower with a sharp knife. Do not cut through to the filling.
10. Refrigerate the galette for 20 minutes. Preheat the oven to 220˚C/200˚C Fan.
11. Bake in the oven for 30 minutes or until firm, puffed and brown. Remove from the oven and leave on the baking sheet.
12. Preheat the grill to its highest setting.
13. Dust the galette with icing sugar and place under the grill until lightly glazed. Allow to cool to room temperature before serving.

Note: it is tradition to bake a fève (bean) into the tart and whoever gets the bean gets to be the roi (king) for the day. Simply place the bean into the frangipane before adding the top circle of pastry.