Breads with all sorts of garnishes are a star of the French apéro and this Préfou, a specialty from Vendée in west-central France, is undeniably one of my favorites. It is a succulent ode to simplicity, a humble bread garnished with a flavor-packed garlic and parsley compound butter.
It’s said Vendée bakers used to test the heat of their ovens by throwing a handful of dough inside and watching it bake. The barely baked buns would then be eaten with a slab of parsley butter, giving birth to this local specialty. You can now find premade préfous in most grocery stores and bakeries in Vendée, and it is amazingly simple to make at home as well.
When buying the baguette for this recipe, I choose one that is slightly under-baked as it will crisp up and brown in the oven for an additional fifteen minutes.
SERVES 6 TO 8
1 cup (225 g) unsalted butter, at room temperature
1 bunch of flat-leaf parsley, stemmed and finely chopped
4 cloves garlic, peeled, desprouted and minced
½ tsp salt
½ tsp fresh ground black pepper
1 baguette
Preheat your oven to 350°F (180°C, or gas mark 4), with a rack in the middle.
In a bowl, using a fork or a rubber spatula, cream together the butter, parsley, garlic, salt and ground pepper.
Lay the baguette on a parchment-lined baking sheet.
With a serrated bread knife, cut 1-inch (2.5-cm)-thick slices all along the baguette, making sure not to cut through the bread all the way. Generously spread parsley butter in between each cut.
Bake for 15 minutes. Serve immediately, tearing each slice to separate.