Instructions

• Heat your oven to 400°F (200°C). First, dissolve that tiny pinch of baking soda in the water and let it chill out a bit.
• Mix your flour and salt in a big bowl. Cut in the cold butter until it looks like coarse crumbs.
• Beat your egg and add it plus the baking soda water mix to that flour and butter mess. Knead gently to form your dough. Don’t overwork it, just combined.
• Split dough into 12 equal pieces. Roll each one super thin and round. Place on baking sheets and pop in your oven 3 to 5 minutes till each layer’s golden brown. Let those cool before the next step.
• For your custard cream, warm up milk and flour in a saucepan, stirring constantly until it thickens. Meanwhile, cream your sugar and butter until fluffy. Mix the cooled custard into it slowly.
• Layer baked dough and cream alternating, coat the top with cream, and crumble any leftover layers over.
• Refrigerate for 4 hours or overnight to let it all meld wonderfully before serving.
• Use pre-sifted flour to save the one mixing step.
• Roll multiple layers at once on parchment to speed baking.
• Make custard cream ahead and chill so it’s ready when your layers cool down.
• Assemble cake in a springform pan for easier handling and neat edges.
• Wrap leftovers tightly and refrigerate or freeze in slices to maintain freshness.
• Thaw frozen slices slowly in the fridge before eating to preserve texture.