We tested for you the traditional recipe of the pastis landais

Would you like to make a Landes pastis worthy of the best pastry chefs? Lou Pignada campsite has tested the recipe for you, and believe us, it's a delight! Follow our step-by-step instructions and make your own pastis landais at home!

A pastis or nothing!

First of all, it is important to remember that pastis landais has nothing to do with the popular aniseed drink of the same name! In Gascon, the term "pastis" means "cake" or "paste". It is a typical Landes brioche, light and soft, flavoured with orange blossom, vanilla or rum. In the past, this Gascon cake was served on special occasions (village festivals, weddings, baptisms, communions, etc.). Now you know why all the people of the Landes start the day with a pastis! Now let's get down to business: the recipe!

Here is the list of ingredients for 8 people:

- 300 g flour
- 10 g fresh baker's yeast
- 100 g caster sugar
- 100 ml milk
- 3 eggs
- 80 g melted butter
- 1 pinch of salt
- 1 teaspoon liquid vanilla or vanilla sugar
- 1 tablespoon rum
- 1 tablespoon orange blossom water (optional)
- Icing sugar or coarse sugar for decoration

And here are the steps for the preparation:

First, prepare the leaven: mix the yeast in a bowl with a little milk, 70 g of flour, a pinch of salt and 1 egg. Beat vigorously and leave to rise for about 1 hour, covered with a cloth in a warm place.

- When the leaven is ready, preheat the oven to 180°.
- In a bowl, mix the sourdough with the milk and melted butter, sugar, rum, orange blossom and vanilla. Add the eggs one by one without stopping to mix until you obtain a homogeneous paste. Add a pinch of salt.
- Leave the dough to rest for 1 hour at room temperature.
- Butter and flour a cake tin and pour in the dough.
- Bake for about 45 minutes, or until the cake is golden brown.
- Leave to cool, then sprinkle the cake with icing sugar or coarse sugar.

Now you know how to make this delicious Landes cake! All that's left to do is get your hands dirty. Don't hesitate to share this recipe with your friends and family!

Where to find the best Landes pastis?

In the Landes, each bakery has its own best pastis and ITS own recipe (handed down by its grandmother!). The best pastry shops in the Landes and our favourite addresses? The legendary Pastis Maison Laborde in Ozourt, the unmissable Pastis Landais Mitchut in Capbreton made by Chef Patrice Lubet or the pastis of the Desbieys pastry shop in Linxe. It is also possible to eat a delicious Landes pastis cooked over a wood fire at the Marquèze eco-museum. Every year, a competition for the best Landes pastis is organised there.

Photo credit: Maison Laborde in Ozourt, Landes.