Gingerbread

History

As of the Antiquity, in Egypt, Greece and with Rome, breads are prepared with Miel.

The gingerbread currently known is of Chinese origin: the semi-kong (“honey bread”) was a bread of wheat to the honey and cooked with the furnace. It is known as from the 10th century. In XIIIe century, the sources show that it belongs to the food of the troops of Gengis Khan.

Europeans of Occident discover it with the Moyen-âge during the Croisade S near the Arab populations. In Europe, it becomes a Pâtisserie which supplemented the gastronomical reputation several cities like Dijon and Rheims in France, the current capital of the gingerbread is Gertwiller, a small village of Alsace where the tradition is perpetuated.

In the countries celebrating Saint Nicolas, the gingerbread is the cake of festival, and the pastrycooks give him various forms. Such pastry makings, known in English under the name of gingerbread , are harder and compact that what one usually knows in France under the name of gingerbread.

In France, in second half of the XXe century, a bear of publicity, Prosper , ensured the promotion of a gingerbread mark, some still remember the song: “Prosper, youp it boom! It is the king of the gingerbread…”.

Traditional preparation

Traditionally, one starts by preparing the gingerbread by kneading together the Farine and the Miel in order to train a paste-mother.

This paste-mother is then left rest more or less a long time according to the finished product (paved, Nonnette, filled gingerbread…).

Formerly, the paste could be left with maturer for 3 months (there exists a craftsman with Gertwiller which work always in this way, it uses a paste old mother from three to six months (Lips)) : honey contains compounds slowing down the development of the Moisissures and the low water content and strong sugar content give to the product a Activité of weak water, limiting the development of the Microorganismes.

It should be noted that formerly, one did not know the powder with raising (or Brewers' yeast) which one uses today. It is supposed that the gingerbread raised thanks to a spontaneous Fermentation which took place during this phase of maturation.

Today, the paste-mother is left with maturer during maximum 2 weeks, ormis of very rare craftsmen such Lips which continues to work in a traditional way.

The paste-mother is then again kneaded at the time of an operation called Braquage, which consists to soften and air the paste. One then adds egg yolks and the powder to raising as well as spices or aromatics.

Traditionally, one uses neither milk nor fat contents to make the gingerbread, which in fact a product low in fat contents.

The paste is then cooked with the furnace.

Code uses

In France, the gingerbread east governs by a code of the uses of the National union of the French Cookie factory. It is defined there like a cake more or less marrowy and aired, very sweetened and spiced, of color brown and good conservation, low in fat contents. It must include/understand the following ingredients: flour of wheat or Rye or only mixes of the two, sweetening matters or mixes some (Miel, reversed sugar, Sirop of glucose…) as well as spices and/or aromatics and/or flavors. Other ingredients can be added, such as egg yolks, milk, fruit dry and crystallized, etc The gingerbread is manufactured in three stages: manufacture of the paste-mother, maturation then steering, and finally cooking.

Names

Name “gingerbread of Dijon” or “standard gingerbread Dijon” is reserved for the gingerbread whose flour is mainly of the flour of corn. Name “gingerbread to honey” is reserved for the gingerbread in the composition of which no sweetening matter enters other but honey.

Museum

There exists with Gertwiller, the current capital of the gingerbread, the “Museum of the Bread of Spice and of the Alsatian Popular Art” which recalls the history of this food product, one finds there also moulds old, punches, images as of the material which was used for its manufacture. It is with the top of a workshop of gingerbread which one can also visit.

Receipt

Preparation: 15 minutes
Cooking: 30-35 minutes
6-8 people

Ingredients

250 G of Honey (of a rather strong taste, of heather for example)
10 Cl of hot Milk
100 G of molten Butter
200 G of Flour of wheat or Rye
1/2 sachet of Yeast
50 G of Brown sugar
1 egg
Salt
Cinnamon, Ginger, Clove, Nutmeg…
Nut, Hazel nut S, Almond S, Apple S cut out of die, Coconut, barks of orange S at will

Preparation

To water honey in hot milk.
To add the melted butter, then flour while mixing vigorously in the event of grumeaux.
To then incorporate yeast, brown sugar, egg and a pinch of salt.
To add spices and nuts to your taste.
To make cook in a mould with cake (or bread) 30 to 35 min with hot furnace (180 - 200°C) Termostat 6 to 7.

External bonds

Historical
Code of the uses

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