Crispy Breton Buckwheat Crepes with Ham, Cheese and Egg

Put the 160 g of flour and 3 g of salt in a bowl. Gradually pour in 200 ml of the measured water, whisking vigorously, then whisk the thick mixture for about 2–3 minutes until smooth with small bubbles. Add another 120 ml of water and mix thoroughly; the batter now contains a total of 320 ml of water.

Cover the bowl and refrigerate for about 2 hours. The flour will absorb the water and the batter will thicken; do not skip this rest, as freshly mixed batter is harder to spread and more likely to crack when folded.

After the batter has rested, finely grate all the cheese and cut the ham into strips about 1 cm wide. Divide the cheese and ham into 4 portions, each with 30 g of cheese and 40 g of ham, and divide the butter into 4 portions of 10 g. Take the eggs out of the refrigerator; divide the remaining 1 g of salt and all 0.5 g of pepper for seasoning the 4 eggs. Have ready a flat nonstick crepe pan about 30 cm in diameter with a flat base about 28 cm across, a fitting lid and a wide, thin spatula.

Stir the rested batter and add 20 ml of the remaining water. It should flow from a ladle in a thin, continuous stream and spread quickly when you tilt the bowl; if it is still too thick, add water in 10 ml increments, up to another 40 ml, without exceeding 380 ml of water in total. Do not add extra flour. Divide all the batter into 4 equal portions; stir each briefly before pouring it into the pan, as the flour settles.

Heat the pan over medium heat for about 2 minutes, then melt 5 g of butter from the first portion in it; the butter should foam but not darken. Pour in the entire first portion of batter and immediately tilt the pan in all directions to coat the base thinly, right to the edges. Cook for about 2 minutes until the top loses its wet sheen, the edges start to lift and the underside develops browned patches; do not pull the crepe away before it starts to release on its own. Loosen it with the wide spatula and carefully flip it.

Reduce the heat to low and slide the remaining 5 g of butter from the first portion under the edge of the crepe. Crack 1 egg into the center and gently spread just the white around the yolk with the back of a spoon, without breaking the yolk; arrange 40 g of ham and 30 g of cheese around it, leaving the yolk uncovered. Season with the salt and pepper set aside for this egg, cover and cook for about 2–3 minutes until the cheese has melted and the white is fully opaque and set, with no clear, runny spots; the yolk should stay soft. If the white is still runny, cook with the lid on for about 1 more minute and check again; reduce the heat if the base darkens too quickly.

Remove the lid and use the spatula to fold the 4 edges of the crepe inward, forming a square with the egg visible. Do not press hard on the folds or the yolk, so the crepe does not tear. Cook for about 1 more minute without a lid until the base is crisp and the edges are lightly browned; slide the crepe onto a plate and serve immediately.

Make the remaining 3 crepes one at a time in the same pan, repeating the cooking, filling and folding. For each one, use the entire portion of batter, 10 g of butter divided into 5 g and 5 g, 1 egg, 40 g of ham, 30 g of cheese and its share of salt and pepper. Return to medium heat before pouring in the next portion of batter, then reduce it again after flipping the crepe; use all the prepared ingredients. Serve each portion without waiting for the others to cook, to keep the edges crisp and the yolk soft.