People around the world are grateful every day for the delightful, flaky gift of viennoiserie. But it isn’t the French we should thank for inventing these morning treats.
Even the famous croissant didn’t originate in France. Those little beauties came from Austria in the 19th century, courtesy of August Zang, an artillery officer.
The Viennoiserie tradition
French bakers soon embraced the concept and made it their own.
The term viennoiserie has survived. It derives from the French word viennois, meaning Viennese or ‘from Vienna’ – the capital of Austria. It acknowledges the influence of Viennese baking techniques on French bakers.
Authentic viennoiserie has flaky and buttery layers, achieved through a specific folding and rolling technique known as ‘laminating’.
In France, both boulangeries and pâtisseries sell viennoiserie, with the former focusing more on bread and the latter on pastries and cakes.
Strict regulations in France dictate the characteristics of the authentic viennoiserie, including ingredients, proportions and the production process. These delectable pastries have become a morning tradition, enjoyed for breakfast or during a mid-morning break, eaten with coffee or hot chocolate.
Non-traditional viennoiseries: a different flaky gift
Viennoiseries have evolved beyond traditional forms. Modern bakeries offer a variety of filled croissants, such as almond, raspberry and Nutella, showcasing the innovation in French pastry-making.
A perfectly executed plain croissant or pain au chocolat demonstrates the baker’s skill. Crafting these pastries is considered an art, requiring precision and expertise to achieve the perfect balance of softness, crispiness and flakiness.
Different regions in France boast their own unique viennoiserie specialties. There is the kouign-amann from Brittany, a buttery, caramelised pastry that’s a must-try. The international influence of viennoiseries is evident, with creations like the cronut (a cross between a croissant and a doughnut) gaining popularity worldwide.
Savoury dishes such as vol-au-vent and Beef Wellington use the same sort of pastry techniques used in making viennoiserie.
Popular viennoiseries: the favourite flaky gift
The humble (but not so simple) croissant will probably stay at number one, but others deserve a mention, and you certainly deserve a taste.
The Galette des Rois is a flaky puff pastry filled with almond cream and containing a hidden charm called a fève. It was once a lucky fave bean, which is what fève means. These days it is a small porcelain figure. Whoever finds is crowned king or queen for the day. A genuine ‘flaky gift’. The galette is traditionally eaten on the feast of the Epiphany, on 6 January.
A Pain au Chocolat is made with flaky croissant dough and filled with chocolate batons, creating a delightful chocolate-filled pastry.
The Pain aux Raisins – sometimes called an Escargot (snail) because of its form – is a spiral-shaped pastry made from croissant dough. It is usually filled with raisins and almond custard or cream.
A Chausson aux Pommes is a pastry filled with apple compote and sprinkled with powdered sugar; it’s rather like an apple turnover.
A Brioche is made with large amounts of butter and eggs, with added sugar, resulting in a rich, sweet and tender bread-like pastry. It can be enjoyed plain or with a touch of jam (confiture).
A Palmier is made from puff pastry sprinkled with sugar. Folded, sliced and shaped like a palm leaf, it is a buttery and crispy taste treat.
The Puits d’Amour (well of love) is a lesser-known viennoiserie with a puff pastry shell and a caramelised sugar crust; it’s filled with vanilla pastry cream.
TheTarte Tropézienne originates from Saint-Tropez. It’s filled with a creamy mixture of whipped cream and vanilla and sprinkled with pearl sugar.
The Croissant aux Amandes is a variation that features a filling made from almond cream or frangipane. It’s topped with slivered almonds and powdered sugar.
These beautiful pastries show the depth and diversity of French bakers’ craftsmanship. You might find them elsewhere in the world but, like so many other foods, they taste better in France, simply because they are better.
You might also like to read 12 Of The Best French Cheeses.
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