Brioche

Origin

The brioche would have been born in Normandy at the 16th century. The paste with brioche goes back to the Moyen-âge, where one would have manufactured Pâtisserie S resembling the current brioches.

The etymology of the term “brioche” remained discussed a long time.

Among the whimsical assumptions which were advanced:

brioche derived from the words “ breaking ” and “ to shake ” (to stir up)
brioche came from “Briochins” (inhabitants of Saint-Brieuc)
the most picturesque conjecture is that advanced by Alexandre Dumas for which the word brioche came from Brie because, according to him, the paste would have initially been containing cheese of Brie.

Today, one estimates that the term “brioche” derives from the verb “ brier ”, old form “to crush” in Normand, then employed within the meaning of “kneading the paste with a roller out of wooden” and who is found besides in “ bread Brie ”, speciality Norman. The suffix - oche was grafted with the verb “ brier ” to indicate the product of the clothes industry. It is also the origin which Cotgrave in its Dictionarie assigns to him off the French and English Tongues : “rowle has, but bunne, off spiced bread: ¶Norm. ”.

Among the very famous cities formerly for the quality of their brioches, Gisors and Gournay, probably because of the excellence of the Butter in this area.

History

“ That they eat brioche! ” is a Citation apocryphal book of the queen Marie-Antoinette. One finds already mention of this joke in the air of time in Confessions of Jean-Jacques Rousseau, published in 1778: “ I remembered the makeshift of a large princess to whom one said that the peasants did not have bread, and who answered: That they eat brioche. I bought brioche. ” ( Book sixth: 1736 )

Phrases

“Brioche” means, figuratively and familiarly, Gaucherie, blunder. What a brioche! To make brioches . Dictionary of the French Academy , 8th edition (1932-5)
“To have a brioche with the furnace”: to be pregnant
“To take brioche”: to take belly

The Vendean brioche

With the the Middle Ages, each Vendean family manufactured her “Gâche” (brioche with tightened crumb also called “wafer pacaude”, “bread of Easter”, “trade wind Vendean”) for Easter.

At the 19th century, the craftsman-bakers modified the receipt and the presentation of it by braiding it. It is the appearance of the braided brioche , containing Farine, egg S and Beurre scented with the Fleur of orange tree or the Brandy with or without fresh Cream.

Enormous brioches are prepared for traditional “the Dance of the Brioche” at the time of the Vendean wedding banquets.

See too

Trowel of Normandy
Trowel of the Vendée
Pogne of the South East of France
Panettone: large brioche filled Italy of dry grapes, and bark S of Candied fruits.
Chrik : small brioches with sesame
Pastis landais
Croûtes Normans: receipt containing sections of brioches
Cramique: Belgian raisin bun
Craquelin: Belgian brioche with the sugar nuggets
Bread of Jesus: brioche, traditionally eaten pastry making with Christmas in Belgium and in the North of France (southernmost Netherlands).
Bassilopita and Christopsomo and Tsourekia: Greek brioches respectively, brioche of December 31st, bread of Easter and the brioche in general.
Brioche Pasquier: a mark of industrial viennoiseries, brioches in particular

Random links: