CROQUE MADAME KRINGLE

For the Croque Madame Kringle:

Combine the flour and salt in the base of a food processor. Pulse until well combined.

Add the butter to the base and pulse until the butter pieces are the size of an average pea.

Add the sour cream and pulse until a mostly homogeneous dough forms.

Remove the dough from the food processor and shape/flatten the dough into a ½ inch thick disk, then wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerator for at least 2 hours up or to 12 hours.

Towards the end of the resting time, preheat the oven to 350 °F with convection.

Generously flour your work surface and roll out the dough to a 10-inch by 12-inch rectangle about ⅙ inch thick. Cut away excess dough as necessary.

Arrange the dough such that the short side of the dough is parallel to the edge of your work surface. Score, but do not cut, the dough into three 4-inch vertical sections.

Cut the two side sections into ½ inch diagonal strips angling downward. Remove the triangles at the top and bottom of each of the side sections, this should leave a rectangular panel at the top and bottom of the center panel.

Add an even layer of the chilled Bechamel to the center panel, then shingle the ham slices on top. Sprinkle the cheese over the ham, then fold the rectangle panels at the top and bottom of the center panel inwards over the filling. Then, alternate folding the strips of dough over the filling from each side section starting at the top.

Transfer the shaped kringle onto the large rimmed baking sheet lined with parchment paper and brush the pastry with Egg Wash.

Bake in the preheated oven for 38-42 minutes or until golden brown and the pastry is cooked through. Allow the kringle to cool for 5-10 minutes before serving with a side salad and two fried eggs.

For the Bechamel:

In a medium pot, melt the butter over medium heat. Add the flour and whisk until combined. Cook the mixture for 1-2 minutes or until golden brown.

Slowly add the milk to the flour/butter (roux) mixture by adding about 1-2 tablespoons of milk at a time to the pot, whisking thoroughly between each addition. In the beginning the mixture will thicken to a paste, then as more milk is added, it will thin out to a smooth sauce-like consistency. Adding the milk slowly will ensure that no lumps form.

Once all of the milk has been incorporated, add the thyme sprigs to the pot and bring the bechamel to a simmer. Continue cooking over medium-low heat until the sauce is thick enough to coat the back of a spoon, about 4-6 minutes.

Once thickened, turn off the heat and season with nutmeg, white pepper, and salt to taste.

Allow the sauce to cool to room temperature, then refrigerate until ready to use, up to 3 days. *If a skin forms while cooling/refrigerating, don’t worry, it will melt out during the baking process.

For the Egg Wash:

Combine all of the ingredients in a small bowl.

Whisk to combine and reserve in the refrigerator until ready to use.