#thepastryadventure February 2017 : The Brioche
Country of orgin : France
Who needs croissants, waffles or pancakes, when you can have the decadence of the Brioche! You can use this bread in bread and butter puddings, ice cream, French toasts etc. I was always intrigued by this bread and I can honestly say, to me, this is one of the royal doughs in the bread family. You need to taste this to believe it!
"Qu'ils manget de la brioche" “ Let them eat brioche!” Believe it or not, was said by Maria Theresa, wife of Louis XIV, and not Marie Antoinette.
“Viennoiserie” – is leavened dough, enriched with eggs, butter etc. A cross between a cake and bread, this versatile bread can be eaten sweet or savoury – what more can we ask for? J
So, where did this delightful dough come from?
The word brioche, derived from “brier”, which is derived from northern French word “broyer” which means” to knead”. Etymologists believe that the word broyer was loaned from German word “brehhan” which meant “break”. Etymologists claim that the first mention of the word “brioche” was in 1404.
1. Did you come from the Vikings? The first brioche was likely created by the Norman Vikings, who brought their own breed of cows to Northern France. The cows, still renowned for their butter, produced a large amount of cream, as well. Butter was later used in the pastries because it was convenient and easy to preserve. From using butter in these pastries, cheese was then developed and used. Some writers claim that, however, the word comes from Brie, the name of a district of France famous for its manufacture of an excellent cheese and this is where brioche was invented. According to these authors, the brioche was initially made with Brie cheese. Brioche was most likely eaten by peasants because butter was considered a by-product of the dairy farm, and was consumed by the people who produced it.
2. This changed in the 16th century. The seat of the Archdiocese in Normandy, Rounen Cathedral, needed a new tower in 1509. The archbishop came up with a plan: the prohibition on consumption of the local Normandy butter during Lent would be lifted for a fee of six deniers. Eating butter became a symbol of wealth and power, and butter was consumed in large amounts by the rich during Lent (the tower later became known as the Tour de Buerre).
3. It became a popular bread eaten at Eastertide, and soon throughout the year. Brioche, with its religious overtones, was the precursor to the Pain Benit (blessed bread), which was the term for an enriched bread blessed in a Catholic Church.
This bread is rich in history and once again, like the croissant, this bread escapes the true history of its origin.
Thanks for tuning in!
@t.spn
Resources :
---, John Ayto [Oxford University Press:Oxford] 2002 (p. 43)
---, Prosper Montagne [Crown Publishers:New York] 1961 (p. 178)
---, Raymond Oliver, translatd by Claude Durrell [World Publishing Company:Cleveland OH] 1967 (p. 160)
https://breadthroughhistory.com/2015/05/25/brioche-the-powerful-history-of-a-buttery-pastry/
