The Dish from France: Viennoiserie

 

Did you know that the croissant isn’t really French?  It’s actually Austrian.  Legend has it that after the failed attack by the Turks during the Siege of Vienna in 1683, Viennese bakers made pastries to celebrate.  They shaped the pastries in the form of the crescent they saw on the flags of the Ottomon Turks.  These “kipfel” (German name for crescent) became popular in Vienna after that celebration. 

In 1770 the croissant came to Paris.  The Austrian Princess Marie Antoinette went to France to marry King Louis XVI.  To honor her, Parisian bakers made these same pastries, calling them the French name, croissant.  Croissants were as popular in Paris as the kipfel in Austria.  The French perfected and popularized the croissant making technique. The little half-moon shaped pastries went on to become one of the most famous food symbols for France.

There is a whole category of French breakfast pastries that fall under the name Viennoiserie (Viennese Specialties).  The technique for making them lies somewhere between the crafts of the boulanger (baker) and and that of the patissier (pastry maker). Viennoiserie are made with a yeast-leavened dough having some similarities to bread making; however, butter, eggs, milk, sugar and sometimes cream are added to the dough making them sweeter and bringing them closer to pastry making.  You will find them in a boulangerie.  Some, not all, patisseries sell them.  The more popular Viennoiserie are croissants, pain au chocolat, pain aux raisins, brioche, baguette viennoise, and chausson aux pommes.

  

They are best eaten right out of the oven.  When in Paris, I like to sneak out super early in the morning and pick up one while they are still warm, preferring other types of Viennoiserie over the croissant.  Whether you are croissant faithful or not, you should have at least one (per day) of these breakfast pastries while in Paris. 

A perfect Paris morning for me: a warm Viennoiserie, a bench in one of the many lush Paris parks, the melody of children laughing, birds chirping and flowing waters from fountains in the backdrop, and flaky crumbs covering my lap once I’m finished eating. 

 

 
Flaky layers inside a Pain au Chocolat from Maison Kayser

 

Pain au Pistache (cousin to the Pain aux Raisins) from Boulanger de Monge

 

Brioche with dark and white chocolate chips from Le Grande Epicerie

 

Chausson aux Pommes from Boulangerie Gregoire at 69 rue Monge

 

Tuilleries Garden

A tip on finding the best boulangeries in Paris:

There are great boulangeries in every arrondissement in Paris.  I wouldn't get on the Metro and go across the city to search out the "best" boulangerie.  Instead I'd stay near your hotel/apartment and look to see where the the Parisians are lining up. Especiailly weekend mornings and around 7:00pm during the week, they'll line up at the best neighborhood boulangeries waiting for baguettes fresh out of the oven.  This also might be the only time you'll ever see a Parisian waiting in line.  One of best pleasures in Paris is buying a freshly baked baguette (or 2) so hot out of the oven, you can barely carry it home, if it makes it home---that's why you get two.  I usually make at least one stop at Mayson Kayser who has boutiques throughout Paris. If I'm in the 14th or 15 arr., there's the Quartier du Pain (the chef, Frederic Lalos is a MOF) and Phillipe Gosselin in the 1st, 7th and 9th arr. But, I happily stand in line to test another boulangerie's goods wherever I am.

Jardin du Luxembourg

 

Join me in Provence in 2013 for a French Pastry Culinary Vacation and learn how to create these and other classic French pastries! Details here: Pastry-Making Vacation in Provence

 

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What is your favorite Breakfast Pastry?  How would you spend a perfect morning in Paris?

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 Square Saint Medard

 

This post is part of WanderFood Wednesdays, wandering foodies that blog.

 

Related Posts:

Paris Pastries and 10 Top Patisseries in Paris

Paris Walks for Food Lovers: Rue de Seine and Rue Bonaparte

Easter Chocolates in Paris Windows

Cooking Classes for the Culinary Traveler in Paris

Favorite Parks in Paris to Picnic

Flaky Apple Tart - Croustade aux Pommes Inspired by Lunch at Pavillon Margaux

Celebrate Epiphany with a Galette des Rois

Four-Spice Palmiers

A Night at L'Atelier Joel Robuchon

Chocolate Eclairs: My Mom and Learning to Make Them

Comments

[Josef]

It seems like every dish/meal that became famous in Italy or France comes from Austria!!!

See: Cappuccino, Cotoletta milanese, croissant, etc.

[Bylandersea]

I can think of nothing better than being in Paris and tasting any of the pastries warm from the oven.

[Nicole]

Reading this post at breakfast time. I may have just moved Paris to the top of my list of places to go next!

[Tanya]

I think I've died and gone to heaven. That pain au pistache has stolen my heart!

[via]

A pain au chocolat fresh from the bakery with coffee is my perfect Paris breakfast. It’s funny how, like Josef mentioned in his comment, so much good stuff has come from Austria. Even the concept of the café is Austrian, n’est-ce pas?

[Food Lover Kathy]

Thank you everyone for the comments!

Yes, Via, as you say Josef has a point. Many great foods/drinks originated in Austria. It reminds me of a trip I made through Europe and during the walking tour in EVERY city the Habsburgs were mentioned. (It became a game for us to see whether/when they'd be mentioned during the course of the tour.) Their influence seems to have extended past political and papal and to more important matters, like cuisine! ;-)

Tanya - Yes! the pain au pistache was really good. Boulanger de Monge is one of those places I found based on the line of people waiting to get their morning bread/pastry.

[Paula]

Actually, I think there are only a few basic "dishes" in the world, which different cultures adapted. E.g., every culture has some sort of stuffed pasta ... think ravioli, pot stickers, pierogi, ... I think of various versions of bread in a similar way. But it's all so wonderful.

[Stephanie (Food Freeway)]

One of my favourite things to do in France is to go out first thing in the morning and have a chocolate croissant and an espresso for breakfast... As I am not in France, I might have to whip up some chocolate croissants for myself!

[Tuula M]

I think you just described my perfect Paris morning as well....really, can anything beat a warm pastry fresh from the oven? Unless it's two warm pastries, which I started out having every morning when I first arrived (had to cut that out, lol!) - ahh, so wonderful!
Thanks also for the boulangerie recommendations, I've only been to a handful in the city, so very helpful for our next trip (in November, yay!).

[wandering educators]

oh. oh! i LOVE these, and you made me homesick to go back to paris. what interesting history - the french always find a way to twist something and make it their own, to our delicious delight. great photos!

[Jozee]

Paris is the place to have a great breakfast of a croissant (or two) and a cup of strong coffee.They must have the best pastries in the world. I just wish that I could have brought some home with me.

[Corinne @ Gourmantic]

I'd love to try Pain au Pistache but I could also easily take up residence at rue du croissant! :D

[Fitzhugh]

Ou la la! Wish I'd seen this post when we were in Paris (flew back yesterday), but thanks for the memories! We didn't devote an inordinate amount of time to patisserie, but did sample a bit. Rue Cler in the 7eme has some nice patissiers, and Poilane in the 15eme (even though they are better known for their breads) does a damn fine pain au chocolat. Off topic: one of the better dinners we had (and definitely the most fun) was at Christian Constant's "Les Cocottes" in the 7eme. Check it out!

[Kathy]

Corrine - I could easily take up residence on rue du pain aux chocolat, but I couldn't find that rue!

Fitzhugh - You didn't devote an inordinate amount of time to pastries??!! You must go back :-D. Yes, I've been to Les Cocottes and liked it very much.