Brioche vendéenne

Appearance & taste

Brioche vendéenne is a braid plaited by hand from three strands of dough (“façon 3 brins”). It is usually sold in a loaf shape, and for certain occasions also long or round. Its crust is puffed up and delicately golden yellow and is not sprinkled with any ingredient; the crumb is soft. A brioche weighs at least 300 g and is sold fresh, whole or sliced, on food-grade paper or card in closed clear bags.

Its recipe contains a great deal of butter, sugar and fresh eggs, plus a spirit as a flavouring and sometimes vanilla or orange blossom flavouring.

Production

The flour comes from bread wheat from Centre-Val de Loire, Pays de la Loire, Brittany and Normandy, the departments of Charente, Charente-Maritime, Deux-Sèvres and Vienne, and from Beauce and Brie; it must reach at least a baking strength of W 200 and 10.5 % protein. Eggs, water and milk come from the area, the butter from Pays de la Loire, Brittany, Normandy and the four departments mentioned, and the sea salt from the coasts of Brittany, Pays de la Loire and Nouvelle-Aquitaine.

The dough goes through a long fermentation in two stages: a resting period followed by a final proof that gives the brioche its strongly puffed-up shape. The pieces of dough are shaped and braided by hand and baked at a moderate temperature. Everything from kneading to baking happens in the area. Immediately after baking, the brioche is packed in bags, also in the area; this protects the sugary pastry from insects and germs and preserves its softness and aroma.

Origin & history

The area lies on the Atlantic coast between Nantes and La Rochelle. It covers the whole of the Vendée and neighbouring communes in the departments of Loire-Atlantique, Maine-et-Loire, Deux-Sèvres and Charente-Maritime. The maritime climate favours cattle farming with plenty of butter and milk, and significant poultry farming; cereals have been grown on the Plaine vendéenne and in the drained marshes since the Middle Ages. According to the specification, the nearness of Cognac explains the use of brandy in the pastry, and the large ports explain the use of rum, vanilla, orange blossom and cane sugar.

In this strongly religious region, cakes with plenty of sugar, eggs and butter were baked at Easter, at the end of Lent; they were called “Pain de Pâques”, “Galette pacaude”, “Alize” or “Gâche”, and Holy Saturday was devoted to making them. In the 19th century bakers took over the baking, and the braided brioche with brandy, sometimes with vanilla or orange blossom, emerged as a festive cake for first communions and weddings. Godfathers and godmothers gave the bride a huge brioche that was held up on a stretcher while the guests danced around it; according to the specification, this custom has survived to this day.

In the 20th century businesses began to sell the brioche outside the Vendée as well. The name “Brioche vendéenne” was introduced by the association of Vendéens in Paris in April 1949 for a charity bazaar. According to the specification, in 2001 the product accounted for more than 10 % of the French market for fine pastries.