Continue to Brioche Your Way Until 2022. The delicious scones and party quiches that Dorie Greenspan enjoys preparing at home inspired her to create Baking with Dorie. But it was a slippery slope.
The choux pastry used for gouda gougères may easily be turned into long, twiggy Pocky sticks coated in matcha glaze. And brioche sandwich loaf dough might readily twist into cinnamon sticky buns. What Dorie Greenspan book is complete without chocolate-studded shortbreads and jam-filled thumbprint cookies?
I questioned Greenspan about the riffable nature of baking and the blurred distinctions between sweet and savoury a few years after talking cookies and Julia Child on the TASTE Podcast. She also argued for always having frozen puff pastry on hand.
In the book, you describe brioche as your favourite bread. What more can individuals do with brioche dough if they know how to bake a basic loaf?
A rich, delicious, and somewhat sweet flavour, the bread’s texture expands when gently tugged. It’s my favourite bread. Fun to make too. The dough produces great babka (sweet or savoury) and sticky buns (sweet or savoury).
They’re like small meringue icebox cakes, so I was pleased to find them in the book. A few months back, I enjoyed a “merveilleux” at Joe Beef in Montreal. Is merveilleux en vogue? Maybe Paris-Brest territory?
“Miniature meringue icebox cakes”—yes! I like how flexible they are. You may create them tiny or large for a party. You may also flavour the meringue layers (my fave is Biscoff speculoos Spread) (cookie butter). Is it a moment? If they aren’t, they will be soon—good things have a way of spreading. And are they invading Paris-Brest? Hmmm. They aren’t as well-known. There’s room at the table for all of this deliciousness.
Delicious savoury pies and pastries are also included (the clam chowder pie definitely caught my eye). Was it pleasant, as someone known for her sweets, to think about the savoury side of baking in this book?
Funny thing is, I started this book expecting it to be all delicious. My computer still shows “SAVORY BAKING BOOK” even after I keep adding sweets to the book. I used to offer savoury galettes, cheesy pies, quiches, and veggies in a crust during gatherings. It was great to finally put down my favourite recipes and have them published in a book.
Several recipes in the book use frozen puff pastry. Do you ever make your own puff pastry, or is it something you get better from the freezer aisle? And has having frozen puff pastry on hand led to any fun cooking experiments?
Oh, I used to manufacture my own. Watching the Great British Bake Off participants whip up “rough puff” on a whim has inspired me consider making my own dough, but I doubt I’ll ever stop purchasing it at the store and freezing it. It’s a joy to have beautiful dough around. It allows for tarte Tatin and pot pies on Tuesdays. Favorite recipe: Vegetable Ribbon Tart. “Fridge fancy” since most ingredients are pre-made. I doubt I would have cooked that dish if I hadn’t had a lot of oddments in the veggie bin and a puff pastry box in the freezer.
