Name: Gallion's Gallion's Butter Candle Recipe
Cook time: 1 h 30 min
Total time: 1 h 30 min
Yield: 6 servings
Cuisine: French
Ingredients: 1 cups unsalted butter; 4 cloves fresh garlic (about 4–5 medium cloves); 2 tbs fresh flat-leaf parsley, finely chopped; 1 tbs fresh thyme leaves, finely chopped; 1 tsp fresh rosemary, finely chopped; 1 tsp lemon zest; 1 tsp sea salt; 1 tsp freshly ground black pepper; 1 tsp olive oil (optional, to loosen); 1 each small French boule (about 10–12 oz / 280–340 g); 1 tsp coarse sea salt (for finishing); 1 tbs extra chopped parsley (for garnish)

Method

Compound Garlic-Herb Butter

Soften and prepare butter

Remove 1 cup unsalted butter from the refrigerator and let it sit at room temperature until soft but still spreadable, about 30–45 minutes. If short on time, cut the butter into 1/2-inch cubes to soften more quickly (10–15 minutes).

Mince garlic

Peel and finely mince 4 medium garlic cloves until nearly paste-like. Sprinkle a pinch of coarse salt on the garlic and use the side of a chef's knife to press and smear it into a paste — this releases more flavor and prevents raw garlic chunks in the butter.

Chop herbs and zest

Finely chop 2 tablespoons flat-leaf parsley, 1 tablespoon thyme leaves, and 1 teaspoon rosemary. Zest 1 teaspoon lemon zest using a microplane or fine grater.

Combine ingredients

In a medium bowl, add the softened butter, garlic paste, chopped parsley, thyme, rosemary, lemon zest, 1 teaspoon sea salt, and 1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper. Using a rubber spatula, fold and mix until evenly combined. Taste and adjust seasoning — add up to 1/4 teaspoon more salt if desired. If the mixture seems too stiff to spread, stir in 1 teaspoon olive oil to loosen the butter.

Shape the butter 'candle'

Turn the compound butter onto a sheet of plastic wrap or parchment. Using the wrap, shape the butter into a tall cylinder roughly 2–2.5 inches in diameter and 5–6 inches long to mimic a candle. Twist the ends of the wrap to compress and smooth the surface. Refrigerate the wrapped butter cylinder for at least 1 hour to firm up (30 minutes in the freezer if short on time).

French Boule and Assembly

Prepare the boule

Preheat the oven to 350°F (175°C). Using a serrated knife, slice off the top 1–1.5 inches of the French boule to create a flat opening. Hollow out the center of the boule by removing some of the interior crumb to form a cavity about 2–3 inches deep and wide enough to accept the butter cylinder. Keep some of the removed bread for serving if you like.

Insert the butter candle

Unwrap the chilled butter cylinder. If needed, trim the butter base so it sits evenly in the cavity. Place the butter cylinder upright into the hollowed center of the boule so the top of the butter is flush with or slightly above the rim of the bread.

Bake to meld and brown

Set the assembled boule on a baking sheet. Bake in the preheated 350°F oven for 12–18 minutes until the butter is softened and starting to melt into the bread but not completely liquefied — the top edges of the bread should be lightly toasted and aromatic. Watch closely after 10 minutes to prevent overbrowning.

Finish and serve

Remove the boule from the oven. Sprinkle 1 teaspoon coarse sea salt and 1 tablespoon extra chopped parsley over the exposed butter and surrounding bread. Using a long knife or bread paddle, slice the boule into wedges and serve immediately so guests can pull soft, garlic-herb–soaked bread from around the butter 'candle.' Provide extra bread crumb pieces for dipping into melted butter.