{"id":22680,"date":"2020-05-03T16:06:34","date_gmt":"2020-05-03T14:06:34","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/bake-street.com\/?p=22680"},"modified":"2026-04-08T12:26:42","modified_gmt":"2026-04-08T10:26:42","slug":"pain-brie-norman-bread","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/bake-street.com\/en\/pain-brie-norman-bread\/","title":{"rendered":"Pain Bri\u00e9, Norman bread"},"content":{"rendered":"

If there is a bread that is aromatic, soft, with a texture and flavor that will pleasantly surprise you (without adding sourdough) that is, without a doubt, Pain Bri\u00e9<\/strong>. I can assure you that it is a bread worth the effort to make and try. Don’t be fooled by appearances… It is possible that when you see its crumb, of dense and tight consistency, you think that it is a hard bread and not very pleasant to eat.<\/p>\n

Nothing beyond reality, it is a bread that will make you fall in love. The first thing you will notice will be its fascinating aroma, sweet and with notes of butter. Yes, there’s butter on it. But also the texture, soft, tender… Even the crust. And as if that weren’t enough, it keeps in perfect condition for two or three days.<\/p>\n

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\"Pain <\/picture><\/div>\n
Pain Bri\u00e9 origin.<\/h5>\n

It is a bread of French origin, concretelly from Normandy<\/strong><\/a>. Its name comes from the beating that the dough receives during its kneading\/refining process, “brie<\/strong><\/em>“. It is derived from the old Norman French, the verb “brie<\/em>r” which means “to beat<\/strong>“. According to Richard Bertinet<\/strong>, the term Bri\u00e9<\/em> is believed to come from an ancient tool that was used to beat the dough.<\/p>\n

The preparation of this bread is carried out with a long kneading process that develops the gluten. The result is a bread with a tight crumb, but with a soft and spongy texture. It is said that this bread used to be given to fishermen and sailors.<\/p>\n

It may remind us a lot of Candeal bread<\/strong><\/a>, but they have nothing to do with it. Both are low hydration breads with a dense and soft crumb, but when it comes to making them, their procedures are completely different.<\/p>\n

Pain Bri\u00e9 is made with a high percentage of p\u00e2te ferment\u00e9e.<\/h5>\n

P\u00e2te Ferment\u00e9<\/strong>e<\/strong><\/em> is a preferment, based on a French bread recipe, which is left to rise and then rest overnight in the fridge or at room temperature, depending on the outside temperature.<\/p>\n

Once made, this preferment can be kept in the refrigerator for 3 days to be used in doughs.<\/p>\n

The function of the p\u00e2te ferment\u00e9e<\/em> is to ferment the freshly made dough more quickly. This will bring fantastic flavours and aromas to our bread, unlike if we do it with a direct method. That is, by adding the yeast directly to the dough. This preferment can be used not only for this bread, but we can also use it to make a wide range of breads or doughs such as pizzas, focaccias… By using a preferment we will always prolong the useful life of what we make.<\/p>\n

This preferment is the same formula that is used to make the baguette, only it is left to ferment overnight to mature the aromas and flavors. Remember that when the hot weather comes, we must refrigerate it to avoid it becoming over fermented. As a curiosity, know that this is the only preferment that uses salt in its formula.<\/p>\n

\"Pain <\/picture><\/div>\n
Making Pain Bri\u00e9.<\/h5>\n

In my case, as you will see in the video, I do not beat the dough to carry it out. On the contrary, what I do is knead a lot and combine it with rest. That way I can develop the gluten into a smooth dough.<\/p>\n

It’s true that its hydration is not as low as candeal bread, even if it’s very low, and it allows us to work the dough in this way. The recipe I leave with you is based on the Pain Bri\u00e9 from the book “Le Grand Livre de la Boulangerie<\/strong><\/a>“. In my case I have modified the type of flour, since this bread is made with a T65 and some small variation in the final hydration.<\/p>\n

To shape the bread we will make a batard. In the video I show you two ways to do it so that you can make the one you prefer or it is easier for you. It is a type of bread that must have a short fermentation before going to the oven, for two reasons:<\/p>\n

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  1. That way we can score the bread more easily without it losing strength and\/or becoming deformed.<\/li>\n
  2. The result will be more voluminous and the cuts will open much more during the baking.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n
    Baking.<\/h5>\n

    To bake the pieces we will do it with steam during the first minutes. In this way we favour the expansion of the steam without sealing it, obtaining a bread with less volume. And we will finish with a baking without steam that will leave us a golden bread.<\/p>\n

    The result is a very spongy and soft bread, accompanied by a firm crust, but not crunchy like sourdough breads that we are used to making. Its texture is more similar to candeal bread. The taste… is a thing of another world, as is the aroma. You’ll fall in love.<\/p>\n