Pommes Boulangère: aka Baker's Potatoes Recipe
Pommes Boulangère is one of those magnificent old-fashioned dishes made from the simplest ingredients: potatoes, caramelized onions, fresh thyme, butter and flavorful stock. The potatoes cook slowly until meltingly tender while the onions add deep sweetness and the top develops a beautiful golden finish. The name means “potatoes in the baker’s style,” recalling the French village tradition of bringing prepared dishes to the baker after the bread was finished so they could cook in the oven’s remaining heat. Simple ingredients—but certainly not simple flavor!
Recipe Video
Recipe Ingredients
For the Caramelized Onions
- 6 medium Yellow Onions thinly sliced with the grain and cut into shorter pieces
- 2 tbsp clarified butter or olive oil - 30 ml taken from the 6 tablespoons total
- 1 tsp Kosher salt taken from the 2 teaspoons total
- Ground black pepper or white pepper taken from the ½ teaspoon total
For the Potatoes and Layers
- 4 lbs Yukon Gold potatoes — 1.8 kg
- 4 tbsp Remaining clarified butter or olive oil - 60 ml
- 2 tbsp Fresh thyme leaves, divided — 6 g
- 1 tsp Kosher Salt taken from the 2 teaspoons total
- ground black pepper or white pepper as needed
- 1½ cups homemade beef stock, chicken stock, or vegetable stock, as needed — 350 ml
Recipe Instructions
Prepare the Onions
- Peel the onions and cut them in half from top to root.
- Thinly slice the onions with the grain, from root to stem rather than across the grain. This helps the onions retain some structure as they cook.
- Cut the long onion slices in half. If using especially large onions, cut them into thirds. Keeping the pieces shorter will make the finished Pommes Boulangère easier to portion and eat.
Caramelize the Onions
- Heat 2 tablespoons clarified butter or olive oil in a wide sauté pan over medium-high heat.
- Add the sliced onions and season with some of the salt and pepper.
- Spread the onions across the pan in an even layer. A wide pan is important because it allows moisture to escape rather than collecting and steaming the onions.
- Cook for approximately 20 to 30 minutes, turning or tossing the onions about every 2 minutes.
- Continue cooking until the onions are: * Soft * Sweet * Deeply golden * Reduced considerably in volume
- Watch them carefully toward the end of cooking because they can brown quickly once much of their moisture has evaporated.
- Transfer the onions to a wide tray or pan and spread them out. Allow the heat and steam to escape until the onions are cool enough to handle comfortably.
Prepare the Potatoes
- Peel the potatoes and keep them completely submerged in cold water until you are ready to slice them.
- Remove one potato at a time and dry it thoroughly.
- Using a mandoline or very sharp knife, slice the potatoes approximately:¹⁄₁₆ inch / 2 mm thick
- Do not rinse the potato slices. The natural starch remaining on the potatoes helps the layers hold together during cooking.
Mandoline Safety: Use the hand guard whenever possible, keep your palm and fingers safely away from the blade, and give the mandoline your full attention. Be very careful. The blades are very sharp!
Prepare the Baking Dish
- Preheat the oven to 275°F / 135°C.
- Lightly butter a 10-inch oven-safe pie pan or round baking dish.
- Have a piece of parchment paper ready to make a cartouche that will sit directly on top of the potatoes during the first stage of baking.
Build the First Potato Layer
- Brush the bottom and sides of the baking dish with melted clarified butter.
- Arrange overlapping potato slices across the entire bottom of the dish.
- Make sure there are no empty spaces. This first layer forms the base of the Pommes Boulangère.
- Season lightly with: * Salt * Pepper * A small amount of fresh thyme
- Drizzle in a small amount of stock.
- Spread a thin layer of caramelized onions over the potatoes.
- Keep most of the onions slightly away from the outside edge of the dish for a cleaner finished appearance.
Continue Building the Layers
- Continue layering the ingredients in the following order: 1. Potatoes 2. Light seasoning of salt and pepper 3. Fresh thyme 4. A little clarified butter 5. A little stock 6. Caramelized onionsRepeat until the ingredients are nearly used.
Important Structural Layer
Around the middle of the dish, place two consecutive layers of potatoes before continuing with the onions.This provides additional structure and helps the finished dish hold together when portioned.Finish the Top
- Finish with an attractive overlapping layer of potato slices.
- Press the potatoes down firmly but carefully to compact all of the layers.
- Gradually add the remaining stock.
- Give the stock time to filter down through the potato layers.The potatoes should be thoroughly moistened but not completely submerged.
- Brush the top generously with clarified butter.
- Sprinkle with a small amount of fresh thyme.
Cover the Potatoes
- Place a parchment-paper cartouche directly against the surface of the potatoes.
- Cover the baking dish with a tight-fitting lid.
- If you do not have a suitable lid, cover the baking dish tightly with aluminum foil.
Keeping the dish covered during this first stage traps the moisture and allows the potatoes to become tender in the stock.
First Bake - Covered
- Bake at: 275°F / 135°C for 1 hour
- After 1 hour, remove the baking dish from the oven.Remove: * The lid or foil * The parchment-paper cartoucheThe potatoes may still feel somewhat firm at this stage.
Second Bake - Uncovered
- Return the potatoes to the 275°F / 135°C oven uncovered.Bake for another: 30 to 45 minutes
- During this stage: * The top develops color. * Some of the remaining stock evaporates. * The potatoes finish cooking. * The remaining liquid becomes concentrated and is absorbed by the potatoes.
How to Know They Are Done
Insert a toothpick through the center of the potatoes.It should pass through without resistance.A small amount of stock may still be visible around the potatoes. That is normal.Rest and Absorb the Stock
- Remove the finished Pommes Boulangère from the oven and allow it to rest.
- Do not be concerned if some liquid remains visible immediately after baking.
- As the potatoes cool, they continue absorbing the flavorful stock and onion juices.
- The dish can be served the same day after resting, but it will be softer and more difficult to portion cleanly.
Recommended Make-Ahead Method
For the best flavor and easiest presentation, prepare the Pommes Boulangère one day ahead.Cool and Refrigerate
- Allow the potatoes to cool completely.
- Cover the baking dish.
- Refrigerate overnight.
During this time: * The potatoes absorb the remaining stock. * The layers become more cohesive. * The flavor develops. * The dish becomes considerably easier to portion.
Reheat the following day:
- Preheat the oven to 250°F / 120°C.
- Cover the potatoes.
- Reheat for approximately 45 minutes, or until the center reaches: 150°F / 65°C
- Watch the surface while reheating. If it begins becoming too brown, place another parchment-paper cartouche directly over the top.
Finish and Serve
- Brush the warm potatoes lightly with clarified butter.
- Garnish with fresh thyme leaves.
- Cut into wedges or generous portions.
- Serve warm.
Do not expect Pommes Boulangère to cut like a firm potato terrine or a slice of pie. The traditional texture should be soft, moist, tender, and almost melting.
Pro-Tips
Chef’s Notes
- A mandoline produces the most consistent slices, but it is also one of the most dangerous tools in the kitchen. Use the hand guard, keep your palm flat and concentrate completely while slicing.
- Yukon Gold potatoes provide the best balance of buttery flavor, absorption and structure for American cooks. Agria or Bintje potatoes are excellent European alternatives.
- Homemade beef stock produces the deepest traditional flavor. Chicken or vegetable stock may be substituted, but watch the seasoning carefully when using commercially prepared stock because its salt becomes concentrated during cooking.
- Do not expect the potatoes to cut exactly like a firm potato terrine. Traditional Pommes Boulangère should be soft, moist and meltingly tender.
- The dish can be served shortly after baking, but allowing it to cool overnight gives the potatoes time to absorb the stock and makes it considerably easier to portion.
Serving Suggestions
Serve Pommes Boulangère with roasted lamb, beef, chicken or pork. When prepared with vegetable stock, it also makes an excellent vegetarian main course accompanied by a green salad or roasted vegetables.Equipment - You can find the items below at our online store!
Nutrition
Calories: 313.8kcalCarbohydrates: 48.29gProtein: 6.5gFat: 11.55gSaturated Fat: 7.08gPolyunsaturated Fat: 0.54gMonounsaturated Fat: 3.26gCholesterol: 28.8mgSodium: 1850.5mgPotassium: 1169.53mgFiber: 6.64gSugar: 5.51gVitamin A: 89.33IUVitamin C: 53.59mgCalcium: 57.96mgIron: 2.38mg
Private Notes
