Canelés (Cannelés) de Bordeaux Recipe (2024)

I'm typing this post from the floor of my kitchen, where I've been sitting for the past 30 minutes with my forehead pressed against the glass of my oven door. As I write, it's 7 a.m. on a Saturday, and this post was due days ago. It's been three weeks since I began working on canelé, and this is what they've reduced me to: crazed, unable to pull myself away, and struggling to put down words that might help you, gentle reader, avoid the madness to which this pastry has driven me.

Up until a few months ago, canelés were just the stuff of pastry legend, known only by their reputation for being fussy and difficult to make in that just-so way. A trip to New York City's Dominique Ansel Bakery sparked my obsession with the pastry. Holding a perfect one in my hand for the first time, I could only make guesses as to how the baker had achieved such a glassy, caramelized exterior contrasted with an impossibly custardy center. Such a delicious mystery to unravel, I began daydreaming in canelé. I couldn't wait to do it myself.

It turned out, I was not alone. A Google search revealed that this was well-worn territory, and my friend MaryKate, a veteran of the pastry department ofSullivan Street Baking Co., had been at it for some time, too. Since she already had the necessary equipment (a set of aluminum molds) and the knowledge she'd gained from many attempts under her belt, she volunteered to help me get started. We had major issues with the canelés rising out of their molds, slumping over the sides, then charring bulbously on top. They were delicious, but they didn't score any points in the beauty department. I was disappointed and determined to get it right.

Weeks wore on, and I attempted canelés again and again, obsessed with perfection. I tried new batters, at all different temperatures in different parts of the oven. I tried water baths. I broke down and bought six of the damn copper molds becauseI had to know. I obsessed over advice generously dispensed from my pastry chef idols via Twitter, and swapped secret emails with friends at the best bakeries in New York City. The advice only made things more dizzying. For every chef who swears by beeswax, there is another who prefers a spritz of non-stick spray. Some tout silicone (I was out of money for a high-quality silicone mold—that will have to be a project for another pay period) while others said, "copper or nothing." At the end of the day, the lesson was clear: Each baker has a method that works for them, and that's the way to canelé perfection. This is my method; it may not work for everyone, but it works for me, and I've found peace with that idea.

Tips for Baking Perfect Canelés

If you attempt canelés at home, it's important to keep these principles in mind:

• A coating of beeswax and butter, frozen to the molds before baking, helps create a protective outer skin that will help protect the shape of the canelés as they bake. Beeswax can be purchased on the Internet or at the honey stand at a farmers' market.
• High heat at the outset encourages skin formation, especially on the bottom of the mold. To facilitate this, bake on a preheated baking sheet.
• Many people on the internet advise baking until they are nearly black on the tops. I advise against this: There's a big difference between caramelized and carbonized, in flavor, texture, and appearance. I'm happy to put up with some blond patches to avoid a charred, burned bottom part.
• Copper really is the best if your goal is the perfect canelé. However, aluminum is pretty good too, and if you're okay with canelés that are a little less than perfect, the ones baked in aluminum are still plenty delicious and cost a fraction of the price of those baked in copper.
• Practice makes perfect, and mistakes are still delicious.

See below for some more tricks and what to expect during the baking process, then try it yourself, if you dare.

Mixing and Straining the Batter

It's critical that you avoid aerating the batter each step of the way when mixing. Start off by breaking up the eggs (which should ideally be at room temperature) with a fork, but avoid beating them.

Instead of beating the ingredients into the batter, which risks incorporating too much air, pass all of the wet ingredients through a strainer into the dry. Use a rubber spatula to push them through.

Then, once all of the wet ingredients have been added through the strainer, gently stir the mixture with a rubber spatula, and allow the batter to sit for a few minutes to hydrate as you clean the strainer. There should be lots and lots of lumps.

After the batter has sat for a few minutes, pass it through a clean strainer. Push all of the lumps through with a rubber spatula, which will help mix the batter without adding extra air. Then, rest the batter at least 24 hours, or preferably 48 hours, covered in the fridge. This resting time helps hydrate the flour, dissolve the sugar, and gives the proteins in the eggs time to change so the texture of the canelé is just right.

Preparing Canelé Molds

After brushing the preheated molds with the butter-beeswax mixture, place them upside down on a cooling rack placed over a sheet of plastic wrap to allow the excess wax to drip off. You don't want to get too much wax in the molds, or you'll end up with a waxy film on your tongue. Once the wax has cooled to a solid state, place the molds in the freezer for at least 2 hours. This is an important step that helps the wax stay solid long enough to properly coat the outside of the canelé while they bake.

Preparing to Bake Canelés

Place a baking sheet on the center rack in the oven. You'll need to start out baking in a blazing hot oven (500°F/260°C) to develop the outer crust. When the oven is ready, remove the rested batter from the fridge. It will have separated, so you will need to gently stir it before portioning it into the molds. Remember, avoid incorporating air into the batter, which will cause puffing in the oven.

Once the oven is preheated, remove the baking sheet from the oven and pull the molds out of the freezer. Pour batter into each, stopping just a centimeter from the tops of the molds. Place the cold molds on the hot tray, then place the tray directly on top of the hot stone.

Turning Down the Heat

Lower the temperature of the oven to 400°F, and bake for approximately 45 minutes more. Since you've had the oven open and the canelés have gone in and out, you'll need to rely on what you see to know how much more time they require.

Testing for Doneness

After a while, the canelés will settle into their molds and the tops will turn more and more golden as they bake.

When the canelés shrink back into their molds almost to the point where they started, AND the tops are getting very dark, but not burnt, it's time to test one for doneness.

Use the tongs to pull a test canelé out of the oven. Allow it to sit in the mold for a couple of minutes before turning it out onto the rack. The canelé in the photo above is still too light on top for my liking, so I return it to the mold, and the mold to the oven.

I continue to test the tester canelé until it is the right color, then I remove the rest and allow them to sit for a few minutes before unmolding. There is a broad range of colors for canelé. This is an example of one made in a copper mold that is still a bit on the light side.

Aluminum vs. Copper

Pictured above: The difference between a canelé baked in an aluminum mold and one baked in a copper mold (same exact baking time and oven rotation). The size difference of the mold puts the aluminum at a disadvantage.

The photo shows three canelés all baked in aluminum molds for the exact same amount of time and rotations in the oven. The biggest shortcoming with aluminum molds is that the coloring is wildly inconsistent because aluminum is not as good at conducting heat.

These canelés were made in copper molds. The results are very satisfying, but you must ask yourself: Are these worth 20 dollars per piece? For me, the satisfaction of getting it right in the end was worth it.