Recette du Bescoin
Some history
To ensure the pastry rises correctly, heat the oven to 50°C and leave the door half-open.
Ingredients
- 3 eggs
- 1 teaspoon of powdered saffron
- 2 tablespoon of aniseeds
- 1 pinch of salt
- 20cl milk
- 300g flour
- 100g butter
- 40g sugar
- 10g baking powder
- 1 teaspoon of honey
Preparation
Add warm milk and a teaspoon of honey to the baking powder.
Let it rise for 15min.
Soften the butter and add in the flour, sugar, aniseeds, saffron and the eggs, then at the end the baking powder mix.
Thoroughly knead the pastry. If necessary, add more flour to make it smooth and easy to work by hand.
Cover and let the pastry rise for an hour in a warm and draft free place.
On a floured tray, shape 15cm long rolls and set aside for 30min.
Preheat the oven to 200°C.
Brush the rolls with an egg yolks, milk and sugar mix.
Bake in the oven at 200°C for 45min.
A bescoin must be beutifully golden !
Put aluminium foil on top if the rolls brown too fast.
Thanks :
Recipe made by Mickey Bourdillat, master chef of Le Matafan from Chamonix.
The chef's trick
A closely-kept secret for many years, bescoins are part of the Savoie heritage. This sort of golden brioche bread comes from the Arve valley, a river between Chamonix and Geneva. It was traditionally made by bakers for the 'vogue' - the local village fair. Originally shaped like a baguette it can also be shaped like a crown, a croissant and even a heart.