About Brioche

Egg Bread

Appears in
The Fundamental Techniques of Classic Cuisine

By French Culinary Institute

Published 2021

  • About

One of France’s oldest breads, dating back to the Middle Ages, brioche has found its place in history through the oft-quoted “Qu’ils mangent de la brioche!” (usually translated as “Let them eat cake!”) purportedly uttered by Marie Antoinette during the Paris bread riots of 1789. It is the first bread to which sugar was added, making a cakelike loaf. It is a versatile dough, used for a whole range of breads. The classic loaf, called a brioche à tête, is baked in a fluted pan made especially for it. It can be either large or small and it always has a little round topknot as a finish.