“The hardest part is the scratching. That is to say the design on the cake. This is done at the tip of the knife, at the end of the day. You have to practice a lot.” Désiré Kellens33, won the prize for best galette des rois de l’Oise 2025. The baker of the Fournil de Saint-Sauveur convinced the jury of this competition organized by the Federation of Bakers and Pastry Chefs of Oise.
Gilles Forêt, president of the Federation, announced the results with Thierry Deshayes, union president of the Boucherie Charcuterie de l'Oise, Thursday, December 12, at the Clermotel d'Agnetz.
“The season is fast approaching,” says Désiré Kellens. From December 26, my customers order the galette des rois.” As for the recipe, it's simple. “Good raw materials, love of the job and lots of training.” The baker says he sources butter from Normandy and uses special flour, also made from Normandy wheat.
“Last year, my cake was too oval”
He had already participated in the competition last year, but his cake, slightly oval, did not meet the size criteria. With a required diameter of 28 to 30 centimeters. The almond cream or frangipane must be at least two centimeters thick. “Then there is the visual aspect, the aesthetic…7,” continues the baker.
Désiré Kellens has been self-employed for three years. Originally from Granville in Manche, he arrived in Oise as a child. His father works as a piano tuner. Désiré Kellens attended Brenouille college, before moving towards a professional sector. “I was hesitating between cabinetmaker, landscaper and baker,” he recalls. I chose the profession that people needed the most.”
During his apprenticeship and his career as an employee, Désiré Kellens notably worked at Huche à Pain de Senlis, Le Plaisir Gourmand in Verneuil-en-Halatte, in Saint-Martin-Longueau…
Related News :