Breads & Brioches

With its elegant braided look and subtle hints of cardamom, this Braided Cardamom Pain au Lait is the Finnish version of the milk buns French kids love to devour for breakfast. I am a huge fan of brioches! (What French isn’t?) And I feel it is safe to say that the French do own the craft of brioche-making, with as many delicious variations as there are French regions. But today’s recipe is not French. What I call a “Braided Cardamom Pain Au Lait” is also known as a Finnish Pulla …

Now that you’ve managed to make and maintain your own liquid sourdough starter, you’re ready to make this Classic French Boule Bread in your Dutch-Oven. A French staple!  The “Boule” ( French word for  “ball”) is a traditional shape of  French bread, resembling a squashed ball. This loaf shape is so traditional that it is the reason why a bread baker is referred to as a “boulanger” in French, and a bread bakery a “boulangerie”. So, when it comes to bread, we can’t really get more authentic than this, can we?

If you’re getting your hands wet in the art of bread-making, you will soon find that owning a jar of sourdough starter is a game changer. Because behind every great loaf, there is likely a great starter. So what is a sourdough starter and why would you need it? A starter is what we call a preferment – a mix of water and flour, meant to cultivate and maintain wild yeast and bacteria. When baking breads, this “living” mixture is used as a “head start” for your dough, making it …

Known in French as a “Fallue”, this old-fashion brioche from Normandy is a staple of regional French baking. Traditionally made with “crème fraîche”, it is known for its thorny top and scrumptiously creamy crumb.   Brioche comes is so many variations in France, and this one is the most treasured ones of Normandy. And I just couldn’t share any other recipe than the one from French baker Philippe Gouley – awarded several gold medals for his “fallue” recipe, by the official “fallue and teurgoule brotherhood”. Needless to say, this recipe …

The Sugar Pie from Hauts-de-France is an iconic dessert that can be found in any Northern brasserie and bakery. The authentic recipes call for the use of real vergeoise (beet brown sugar), though regular brown sugar will work well too. The Great Lille Braderie is just a few days away! This centuries-old street market is the largest one in Europe, and a time of festivities for locals and visitors. Over 2 days, the city center fills with thousands of vendors and millions of curious gawkers hoping to find antique gems …

From our last recipe – Crepes From Brittany – to today’s recipe, a Corsican Caccavellu sweet bread. Yes, it’s quite a far stretch, with as many kilometers as there are cultural specificities that separate these two regions – which sit literally opposite on the French map. But on many levels, they are not so different, if you ask me. Both the Brittany and Corsican people are known to be proud, tremendously proud, of their origins, dialect and people. Both deeply attached to their roots and unique cultural heritage, these regions …