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You may not have heard the term “viennoiserie,” but chances are you’ve enjoyed some of its most-loved offerings: croissants, brioche, or pain au raisins.
Viennoiserie, which translates from French as “things from Vienna,” is a category of baked goods that are made using techniques similar to bread but that are enriched with ingredients like butter, eggs, milk, and sugar, giving them a texture between bread and pastry. These items are often laminated—layered with butter—or leavened with yeast, resulting in a rich, flaky, and slightly sweet product.
Let’s explore what makes viennoiseries so special, along with the delicious treats that fall under this category.
History of the Viennoiserie
Viennoiserie is perhaps the most recognized category of French pastry around the world, thanks to its flagship baked good, the croissant.
When visiting a boulangerie, there are distinct shapes for croissants. The crescent-shaped “croissant ordinaire” (ordinary croissant) is made with margarine or cheaper fats. The more expensive croissant, “croissant au beurre” (butter croissant), is baked using butter and has straight edges giving the pastry a triangular look.
Many debate that this crescent-shaped roll is actually not very French at all, but rather a product of the former Austrian Empire. The story goes that Austrian artillery officer August Zang actually brought the croissant and its cousin pastries to France. In 1839, after heading to Paris, he opened Boulangerie Viennoise. His pastries caught on in a big way, and voila! An entire category of baked goods became a hallmark of French culture.
The notion that viennoiserie is inherently Austrian is still disputed! Nevertheless, the term “viennoiserie” has stuck for this family of pastries.
Boulangerie, Pâtisserie, or Viennoiserie?
In France, often you can find boulangeries that sell a variety of products in the same shop, but here are the proper terms for specialty bakeries.
- A boulangerie refers to a bakery that specializes in French bread.
- A pâtisserie is more of a confectionery than a bakery, selling éclairs, macarons, and petit fours.
- A viennoiserie is considered the bridge between boulangerie and pâtisserie, selling sweeter breads like croissant or brioche.
The Art and Technique Behind Viennoiseries
Baking viennoiseries requires skill and precision. Most viennoiseries require laminated dough, leading to their rich flavor and flaky texture. Lamination is the process of creating hundreds of alternating layers of butter and dough. These layers puff up during baking, resulting in the flaky texture viennoiseries are known for. Croissants take the process a step further, and yeast is added to the dough before lamination. This makes the croissant richer and gives a wonderful rise.
While baking viennoiseries, it’s important to understand how to work with laminated dough, yeast fermentation, and the finishing touches that make these pastries irresistible. Developing these techniques can take time, but the following tips can help you along the way.
- Keep the dough and butter cool during the laminating process—but not too cold. While temperature is important, consistency is key. The dough should be cold and mailable, and the butter block should be flexible before locking it in. If the butter block is too cold, it will break or shatter under the pressure of the rolling pin. A broken butter block will result in poor lamination and an inferior internal honeycomb.
- Build your proofing skills. The ideal temperature for proofing the dough is around 75–80°F. You want to maintain a steady temperature to try to achieve a consistent rise. It’s also important to avoid over-proofing. You want the dough to roughly double in size.
- Focus on precision at every step in the lamination process. Pay attention to the size and shape of your butter block to the size and shape of your dough while completing your turns. The shaping stage is where viennoiseries take on their iconic forms, from croissants to pains aux raisins. You must use a ruler to achieve uniformity in the size and shape. This allows for a consistent product that bakes and rises evenly.
- Avoid overworking the dough. The lamination process will continue to develop the gluten in the dough. Therefore, it is important not to overwork the dough in its initial stages, or it can become tight and difficult to roll. Between turns, it is essential to rest the dough so the gluten can relax. Putting too much pressure on the dough while rolling can cause the butter to break. This can cause the carefully developed layers to flatten that you build during the laminating process.
The Most Popular Types of Viennoiseries
While croissants are the viennoiseries that may come to mind first, there are many different types to enjoy. Each one has its own unique flavor profile, texture, and preparation technique, offering a wide range of delicious options for pastry lovers to explore.
Here are a few of the most notable viennoiseries you’ll find sprinkled throughout the streets of Paris, Nice, or Bordeaux… and in many cities across the globe.
1. Croissant
The croissant is a staple of French cuisine and its light, fluffy dough is the foundation for many other viennoiseries. It’s known for its buttery flavor and flaky texture, and can be sold as-is, or with a host of different meats, cheeses, and spreads.
It’s often included as a breakfast food, though a scrumptious croissant sandwich can be devoured any time of day.
Key Technique: Lamination is performed over several “turns.” The dough is chilled between each to prevent the butter from melting. This helps ensure the layers remain intact, creating the signature puffiness as it bakes.
Pro Tip: Be patient because the final proof before baking is critical to allow the dough to fully rise and achieve the airy texture.
Flaky and buttery, croissants are a French classic, perfect for breakfast or sandwiches.
2. Pain Au Chocolat
This delightful, pillowy French pastry can be eaten with breakfast, as a snack, or for dessert. It uses the same type of flaky, layered dough as the croissant, but the dough is rolled around two sticks of chocolate before being cut into a rectangle shape.
A cousin of the pain au chocolat is the chocolate croissant – which is technically the exact same pastry, only baked in the traditional croissant crescent shape.
Key Technique: It’s important to properly seal the edges to help ensure the chocolate is evenly distributed and fully encased in the dough to prevent leaking during baking.
Pro Tip: Brush the dough with an egg wash before baking for a glossy, golden finish.
3. Pain Aux Raisins
A variation on both the croissant and the pain au chocolat, the pain aux raisins is made with puff pastry and includes a custard filling such as pastry cream and raisins. It’s then rolled into a log and cut into slices, or otherwise individually hand-rolled into snail-shaped pastries.
Key Technique: Roll the dough tightly and evenly to ensure uniform spirals that bake consistently without unrolling.
Pro Tip: You can keep the raisins plump as they bake by soaking them in warm water, juice, or a flavored liquid like rum before use.
Pain aux raisins is a spiral pastry made with puff pastry, crème pâtissière, and raisins, often glazed for a glossy finish.
4. Chausson Aux Pommes
Translated “apple turnover,” this treat tucks sweet chunks of apple or fruit compote into a triangular or semi-circle puff pastry. According to lore, the turnover originated in 1630 in St. Calais, France, where the Chatelaine of the town doled out flour and apples to all households during an epidemic… resulting in the citizens’ creation of these mini pies.
Turnovers, of course, need not be limited to apples on their insides, but can work just as well with meats, cheeses, or other fruits.
Key Technique: Avoid overfilling the turnovers to prevent the filling from leaking during baking. You can also vent the top with small slits to allow steam to escape, helping the pastry cook evenly.
Pro Tip: You can create a caramelized, golden finish by brushing on a sugar glaze during the last few minutes of baking.
Chausson aux pommes, or apple turnover, is a flaky puff pastry filled with apple compote, baked to golden perfection.
5. Brioche
Even if you’ve never had brioche, you’ve probably seen this golden, flaky loaf at a bakery or grocery store. Brioche is an enriched dough with a soft, rich internal crumb. Typical shapes are the Nanterre and a tête.
It’s a versatile bread often stuffed with sweet or savory fillings – anything from raisins to chocolate chips to fruit to foie gras – and might be found in braided form, as a fluffy roll, or in a circular loaf.
Key Technique: Extended kneading is required to develop the gluten structure due to the addition of large quantities of butter that shortens the gluten strands. To achieve optimal texture, multiple proofs are often needed.
Pro Tip: Use a gentle hand when shaping to preserve the airy structure of the dough. It is best to shape this dough when cold to reduce the risk of the butter melting.
A loaf of golden brioche on a wooden table, showing its soft, fluffy texture and rich color.
6. Oranais
In keeping with the very characteristic trend of using fluffy, flaky dough in viennoiserie, the oranais uses puff pastry as well. The puff pastry is stuffed with apricots and a crème patisserie made of milk, eggs, vanilla sugar, and corn flour.
It’s often served with a dusting of powdered sugar or crystal sugar.
Key Technique: The balance between the tangy apricot and the creamy filling is key. You want to create even spacing of the filling to help create an attractive and uniform bake.
Pro Tip: A light dusting of powdered sugar or coarse sugar crystals adds visual appeal and a touch of sweetness.
Oranais is a flaky puff pastry filled with tangy apricots and creamy crème pâtissière, often dusted with sugar.
7. Kanelbulle
From Sweden, the kanelbulle, or cinnamon bun, has found a home in viennoiserie. This pastry uses a dough similar to brioche. It’s rolled out and spread with a cinnamon-sugar filling. The dough is then rolled into a log, sliced into rounds, and twisted or shaped.
Key Technique: The enriched dough ensures a tender crumb, while the cinnamon-sugar filling caramelizes during baking. Precision in rolling and slicing creates the characteristic spiral.
Pro Tip: Brush the buns with a simple syrup or glaze immediately after baking to help lock in moisture and enhance the flavor.
The kanelbulle, or cinnamon bun, has found a home in viennoiserie.
Try Your Hand at the Pastry Arts
Viennoiseries are just a small part of what you can explore in the world of baking. At Escoffier, our degrees and diplomas in baking and pastry arts can explore the rich histories behind many beloved baked goods. Through experienced Chef Instructors, students can learn to hone their baking skills and develop their own takes on classic recipes including a variety of viennoiserie, pâtisserie, and boulangerie items.
If you’re interested in finding out more about our pastry arts programs, contact an Admissions Representative today!
READ MORE ABOUT THE BAKING AND PASTRY ARTS:
- What Are the Career Opportunities in Baking & Pastry?
- How to Become a Pastry Chef
- 7 Cake Decorating Techniques Every Pastry Chef Needs to Know
*Information may not reflect every student’s experience. Results and outcomes may be based on several factors, such as geographical region or previous experience.
This article was originally published on August 16, 2014, and has since been updated.
