How to make madeleines with a pretty bump?
Do not completely fill your madeleine molds
Overfilled molds are a guarantee of dough overflowing during cooking. As a result, your madeleines are misshapen. Although this has no impact on the taste, it would be a shame if their appearance spoils the tasting.
To avoid this, fill your madeleine molds ¾ full, the equivalent of a good tablespoon of batter. This way, you will have well-formed madeleines.
Prefer metal molds to silicone molds
To “grip” your madeleines and obtain a golden crust, it is better to abandon silicone molds in favor of metal ones. In fact, the latter conduct heat much better than silicone impressions. As a result, you will have a better contrast between the inside and outside of your cakes.
If you don’t have one, it is still possible to make madeleines with a silicone mold. You will only have to continue cooking for a few minutes to obtain a nice color.
Use the natural convection function of the oven
If cooking with fan heat is quick and even, you will see that natural convection will give much better results for madeleines. In fact, this cooking method allows heat to be distributed vertically, thanks to the resistances located at the top and bottom of the oven. It thus promotes the “growth” of the dough, or in the case of madeleines, of their bumps.
In addition, the air blown by the rotating heat function could deform your cakes. Do the test with muffins and madeleines, you will see that they will grow crooked.
Bake your madeleines on the oven rack rather than on the baking sheet
This little tip, which may seem optional, nevertheless plays an essential role in heat distribution. Remember, we are looking for vertical cooking to make our madeleines rise. However, if we use a plate, the heat will not be able to rise correctly. Conversely, with a grid, it will have plenty of time to spread to help the madeleines grow.
Cause thermal shock
There it is, the secret of this famous bump! To form it, you have to create a thermal shock between the temperature of the raw dough and the heat of the oven. It is therefore advisable to prepare the madeleine dough in advance, or even the day before, to let it rest for 12 hours in the refrigerator. The next day, first bake your cakes at 210°C, then when the bump has formed, lower the temperature to 180°C. Leave to cook for around ten minutes until the cooking is complete. You will thus obtain soft madeleines, perfectly rounded.
Do some testing
In baking, the result can differ depending on the people, ovens, and equipment, even if the instructions are scrupulously followed. This is why we advise you to carry out several tests to find the perfect recipe.
Regarding madeleines, keep in mind that thermal shock is essential. Then, you are free to choose the temperature and cooking time that suits you. Christophe Michalak recommends, for example, baking cakes at 200°C, then immediately turning off the oven. Once the bump has formed, you must then turn the oven back on at the same temperature. The madeleines are cooked when they are nicely browned. Pierre Hermé prefers pre-cooking at 240°C, before lowering the temperature to 220°C.
Conclusion: it’s up to you to find what works for you.
The recipe for madeleines
Preparation: 10 mins
Cooking time: 15 mins
For 4 people
- 150 g butter + a little butter for the molds
- 5 cl of milk
- 25 g of all-flower honey
- 2 large eggs
- 100g caster sugar
- 150 g of flour
- 1 sachet of baking powder
- 2 tbsp. tablespoon of orange blossom water
Melt the butter.
Heat the milk and honey over low heat, without boiling.
Whisk the eggs with the sugar until the mixture turns white.
Pour the milk-honey mixture over the blanched eggs, then add the flour and yeast.
Finally, add the melted butter, then the orange blossom water. Mix to smooth the dough.
Reserve it for 12 hours in the refrigerator.
Preheat your oven to 210°C in natural convection mode.
Butter madeleine molds. Fill each cell ¾ full with dough.
Bake for 5 min. Once the bump is formed, lower your oven to 180°C. Continue cooking for 10 min. Your madeleines should be well puffed, with a pretty golden color.
Take them out of the oven, but wait a few minutes before unmolding them. Let them cool on a rack, or serve them while still hot.
Our advice: like Marcel Proust who loved to enjoy his madeleines dipped in tea, accompany your cakes with a delicious hot winter drink.
Everyone has their own Proust madeleine
The advantage of madeleines is that the recipe can be personalized according to taste. With orange blossom, lemon, or filled with jam like in our childhood, they will delight young and old. Others will still prefer to flavor the dough with cocoa, pistachio paste, or even matcha tea for amateurs.
In addition, the madeleine is not only reserved for a snack, it can also appear as an aperitif. All you need to do is not sweeten the dough, then add cheese, olives or bacon…
Homemade, sweet or savory madeleines are always a treat.
How to store madeleines to make the pleasure last longer?
If you managed not to devour the whole batch at once (congratulations), you can keep your madeleines for up to 8 days in the fridge. To do this, wait until your cakes have completely cooled, then seal them in an airtight glass or metal box. All you have to do is store it in the refrigerator, and that’s it.
