Running head: WHERES THE BUTTER 1

Artisan Bread and Viennoiserie Project: Wheres the Butter?

Kimberly Vasquez

Culinary Institute of Virginia

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Artisan Bread and Viennoiserie Project: Wheres the Butter?

This term my eyes have truly been opened. When walking through the farmers market or

the grocery store I would see these wonderful breads, wondering how it was done and how I

could do it at home. Ive finally witnessed, and learned, these secrets, and baguettes and brioche

are just the tip of the iceberg.

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Baguette Description and History

When we envision visiting France, we see ourselves strolling a picturesque street

complete with flowers in bloom, the gentle trickle of fountains, and the scent of freshly-baked

bread. The baguette is as French as the Eiffel Tower, and seeing as bread has been a main staple

of the French diet for centuries, its no surprise that they did with simple bread what they do with

nearly all food: they perfected it.

Crispy crust on the outside, chewy on the inside, the baguette is as versatile as it is

delicious. Sandwiches, dipping, crustinis with pizza toppings, or simply picking it off a piece at

a time while sitting by the canal on a park bench. Truth be told, you can eat it any old way and it

would be perfect.

French Baguettes (or the stick) are long, crusty loaves of bread that the French see as an

everyday staple. (JONES 2016) Thought to be the result of a lack of bread during the French

revolution, the baguette has become a French symbol by any standard. (KEMP 2017) For

centuries bread was their main food source, and at one time it was estimated that the average

Frenchman ate three pounds of it a day. (KEMP 2015) (BREAD 2017). Its no wonder things

became violent when grain became scarce during times of war or famine. Grain and bread riots

were commonplace until the late 18th century, and these riots were responsible for the fall of

Bastille in July 1789. (HISTORY 2015)

The baguette has been known to be up to six feet in length, and was even rumored to be

designed in its current shape by Napoleon Bonaparte to ensure his soldiers could carry them in

their pockets. (KEMP 2015) The current size we see today emerged in the 1920s around the

same time laws began to be regulated for bakery workers. (KEMP 2015) Long, thin sticks cook
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much faster in the oven ensuring the bakery workers could go home on time, and we the eaters

can still get our fix. (KEMP 2015)

Baguette Formula Yield: 10 14oz loaves

Poolish Ingredients

Ingredient Amount

Bread Flour 2# 6oz

Water 2# 6oz

Instant Yeast 1/8 oz

Preparation for Poolish: Mix all ingredients with

spatula or wooden spoon until smooth. Allow to ferment

for 12-16 hours at room temperature covered in plastic

wrap.

Bread Ingredients

Bread Flour 3# 4oz

Water 1# 2oz

Instant Yeast oz

Salt 1 oz
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Poolish 4# 12oz

Preparation for Bread: Mix using straight dough method, on 1st

speed, until shaggy then 2nd until windowpane.

Ferment 45/45, portion into 14oz pieces, preshape, and allow to rest for 10-15 minutes.
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Shape into a 24-inch log. These should all the same length (though that is easier said than done),

so this stage of the process is important. Proof another 40 minutes inside a couche while resting

on a proofing board or wooden surface.

Lay the dough gently onto a proofing board that has

been generously dusted with semolina.

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Slice the tops with a lame, ensuring they are even and deep marks (again, easier said than done).

Bake at 475F for 15-25 minutes, or until a dark golden color. Ensure that steam is injected into

the oven during baking, either by manual means or automatic steam oven.

The baguette, though simple in appearance, is truly a work of art. A properly made

product should be identical to all others made in the batch in every respect. Size, color, shape,

and consistency should all be mirror images of each other. This is no easy task! It takes years of

practice, and even then, perfection may not be attained. I struggled with this immensely and I

will have to work hard to master these methods.

Each baguette should be roughly 24 inches in length, 3-4 inches wide, and be a dark

amber color. If baked properly, with the addition of steam, the crust should be crispy and hard,

while the inside soft and chewy. It may even sing when removed from the oven, meaning a

crackling noise can be heard as the cold air hits the crispy, hard crust.

My personal observation of this product was this: tricky but tasty. They may look easy to

produce, but truthfully, they will take much more practice on my part to get it right. Specifically,
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the length and the color were difficult for me to obtain correctly. They are delicious, make no

mistake, but they take practice and tedious attention to ensure they are made correctly. Hopefully

someday I will!

A delicious masterpiece when they are made to the proper specifications, its easy to see

why they are a favorite around the world. Whether as an accompaniment to a meal, a side to the

meal itself, or even as decoration, baguettes can be used anywhere in the meal, for almost

anything.

Menu Description

On a menu, I envision it being described as:

French Baguette: A soft, chewy bread encased in a perfectly crisp amber crust. Served

with accompanying compound butter of your choice. Perfect with a cup of afternoon iced tea or

lemonade.

Bakers Math for New Yield of 100 14oz portions (1400oz)

Poolish Original Same Unit Decimal Percentage New Weight Usable

Bread Flour 2# 6oz 38oz 1.0000 100% 698.88oz 43#11oz

Water 2# 6oz 38oz 1.0000 100% 698.88oz 43#11oz

Instant 1/8oz .125oz .0032 .32% 2.24oz 2.24oz

Yeast

Total 2.0032 200.32% 1400oz 87# 8oz

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Bread

Bread Flour 3# 4oz 52oz 1.0000 100% 443.31 27#11oz

Water 1# 2oz 18oz .3461 34.61% 153.43oz 9#9oz

Instant 3/4oz .75oz .0144 1.44% 6.38oz 6.38oz

Yeast

Salt 1 3/4oz 1.75oz .0336 3.36% 150oz 15oz

Poolish 4# 12oz 76oz 1.4615 146.15% 647.89oz 40#8oz

Total 3.158 315.8% 1401.01oz 87# 9oz

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Brioche History

When I think of brioche I see cinnamon buns. Round, oozing with molten butter and

sugar, and just crispy enough on the outside to ensure the chewy inside is holding together. But I

learned this term that it can be so much more.

A French bread that is made with copious amounts of butter (20-80%), this bread has an

unmistakable pastry-like texture. History is a bit murky on who first created it, but the earliest

dates to the Norman Vikings who made the first brioche. (SHRADER 2015) They brought

Normandy cows to northern France, which make much more cream than regular cows, thus

making much more butter. (SHRADER 2015) The name brioche comes from the French

cheese, brie, due in part to the type of butter they used: Normady cows make a very thick

cream and the butter was almost a cheese-like texture. (SHRADER 2015) The brioche that we

make today probably pales in comparison with the brioche that was originally made.

The original Brioche was eaten almost exclusively by the peasants that worked with the

cows, since they had a large amount of butter at their disposal. However, this changed in the 16th

century when the Archdiocese levied a heavy tax on butter, turning it from a peasant ingredient

to something only the wealthy could afford. (SHRADER 2015) Brioche was eaten around

holidays, mainly Easter, due to the high butter and egg content. (SHRADER 2015) Eggs, a

symbol for the resurrection of Christ as well as for fertility, are used in high amounts in Brioche,

which then also became used in blessed bread or Pain Benit. (SHRADER 2015)

As with many indulgent French foods, Marie Antoinette is linked with brioche. She is

said to have remarked let them eat brioche, when informed the people were starving for lack of

bread. (SHRADER 2015) As with almost all wealthy at the time, she was completely
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disconnected with the plight of the poor, and ended up losing more than just her brioche because

of it.

Brioche Formula

Brioche Formula Yields 11 pounds

AP Flour 5#

Salt 1.5oz

Sugar 9oz

Instant Yeast 1.5oz

Eggs 2#

Milk 12oz

Butter, softened 2# 8oz

Method of Production

Accurately measure out all ingredients. Add flour, salt, sugar,

into bowl of mixer and slowly add eggs while the mixer is

running on 1st speed. Add the milk and dry ingredients (with the

yeast on top). Continue to mix on 1st speed until the dough is

uniform.
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Add the butter slowly to emulsify.

Mix on 2nd speed until windowpane.

Ferment overnight in the fridge, then portion out as desired. Here we have portioned out 2, 1.5#

portions that were rolled out, brushed with melted butter, and sprinkled with cinnamon sugar,

and cinnamon raisin. They were then proofed in the sprayed loaf pans for 45-90 minutes.
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Egg wash and bake at 350F until the

internal temperature is at least 200F

(ours was roughly 30-35 minutes).

Observations

A properly made brioche, depending on the product, will

have various attributes. For example, cinnamon rolls will be a bit

crusty on the outside and chewy soft on the inside, with melted

butter and cinnamon sugar oozing from the

middle. Our pumpkin brioche (which was

amazing) was filled with cinnamon pastry cream

and sprinkled over the top with granulated

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sugar. This turned a rather plain-looking roll of dough into a sinful, delectable ball of goodness

that can only likened to a doughnut.

Brioche a tete, a classic form of brioche, is a roll of dough topped with a smaller roll of

dough which is egg washed and baked in small tins. The affect is a tight, firm but soft, outer

crust, and a soft and chewy inside. Perfect for a pat of butter (or three).

Brioche can take on many, many forms and it has proven itself to be an extremely

versatile dough. My imagination is running wild wondering what else it can do!

Menu Description

Pumpkin Brioche Roll: Soft and chewy throughout, this

beautifully sweet roll tastes like pumpkin pie and looks like a

doughnut. Filled with cinnamon pastry cream and topped with sugar,

this is perfect with after-dinner coffee and will change the way you see brioche. Dont just order

oneorder three.

Bakers Math for New Portion of 100 1.5# loaves (2400 oz)

Original Same Unit Decimal Percentage New Weight Usable

AP Flour 5# 80oz 1.0000 100% 1090.96oz 68# 3oz

Salt 1.5oz 1.5oz .0187 1.87% 20.40oz 1# 4oz

Sugar 9oz 9oz .1125 11.25% 122.73oz 7#11oz

Yeast 1.5oz 1.5oz .0187 1.875% 20.40oz 1#4oz

Eggs 2# 32oz .4 40% 436.38oz 27# 4oz

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Milk 12oz 12oz .15 15% 163.64oz 10#3.5oz

Butter 2# 8oz 40oz .5 50% 545.48oz 2#2oz

Total 2.1999 219.99% 2400oz 150#

Conclusion

While I cant say I had perfect outcomes on everything during this class, I can say I

learned a lot. And thats the point, right? I think I learn far more when I make mistakes than I do

when I get it correct on the first try. Brioche is a delicious medium to work with, and while the

dough must be made a certain way (modified straight dough method), the skys the limit once the

baker gets that part down. Baguettes may appear easy from the standpoint of the consumer, but

thats not the case at all. They are a work of art that takes skill, copious amounts of attention to

detail, and time. Im not giving up on getting these right, not by a long shot. Ive tasted them

when theyre correctly produced, and that alone gives me the drive to keep going until I reach

perfection.
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References

Bread History - French. (n.d.). Retrieved August 29, 2017, from http://www.abigailsbakery.com/

History of the Baguette. (2015, March 29). Retrieved August 29, 2017, from

https://www.thegoodlifefrance.com/history-baguette/

Jones, G. S. (2016, November 02). Difference Between French Bread and Italian Bread.

Retrieved August 29, 2017, from https://www.reluctantgourmet.com/difference-french-

italian-bread/

Kemp, M., Gittens, T., Editors, B. P., Florence Harang | French La Carte, Stewart, N. L.,

Content, S., . . . Buerkin-Salgado, A. (2015, October 07). History of the Baguette:

Legends, Laws, and Lengthy Loaves. Retrieved August 29, 2017, from

https://bonjourparis.com/food-and-drink/history-baguette-legends-laws-and-lengthy-

loaves/

Schrader, I. (2015, May 26). Brioche: The Powerful History of a Buttery Pastry. Retrieved

September 20, 2017, from https://breadthroughhistory.com/2015/05/25/brioche-the-

powerful-history-of-a-buttery-pastry/