Where can I buy brioches in America?

July 9, 2008 11:19 AM

When in Italy I love to eat brioches, the typical bar breakfast. Where can I find these tasty sweets in America (Massachusetts or California)?

These are shaped like croissants, but I find that instead of being buttery and flakey like the croissants I am used to, these brioches are dense and sweet. In bars and cafes, they come filled with cream or marmalade. Supermarkets also sell them in packs of 8 or so without any filling. I was just in Italy and bought a few packs of Parigine brand "soffici brioches semplici" but they won't last me forever.

Are there any supermarkets, bakeries, or cafes in American (specifically in the Boston/South Shore/Metrowest area of Massachusetts and the Bay Area of California) that sell these? Or anyplace online where I can order Italian pastries?

posted by Nickel to Food & Drink (11 answers total)

You can get these at whole foods, and probably your average high end bakery. Brioche is also fairly painless to make yourself.

Also worth trying and super easy to find at any mass bakery: challah. It's a slightly less sweet, denser egg-based bread.
posted by shownomercy at 11:33 AM on July 9, 2008

I'd check out Mike's Pastry in the North End in Boston. If they don't have them, they probably can lead you in the right direction. Also, the place is just awesome anyway.
posted by General Malaise at 11:36 AM on July 9, 2008

Trader Joe's stocks a French-style brioche we use to make the most delicious bread pudding and french toast.
posted by mdonley at 11:42 AM on July 9, 2008

I'm familiar with "brioche" as an ice-cream-filled sweet roll in Salerno. I guess that usage is specific to the Amalfi coast, but I know the type of roll you mean - it seems to me I've been served them at my in-laws in Salerno because they know Americans like to eat something for breakfast. It seems to me the taste is identical to a Panettone actually, which you can buy all over the place (at least at Christmas time). Anyway, I think what you want is the type of thing that never goes bad (how do they do that?), and I would be willing to bet that Pace's in the North End would have them.
posted by thomas144 at 11:42 AM on July 9, 2008

Brioches are French, not Italian, so you might have more luck at French bakeries. Whole Foods in MA and CA definitely carry them.
posted by equipoise at 11:50 AM on July 9, 2008

Response by poster: Thanks everyone for the tips. I will look around at all those places. And just to clarify, I'm talking about the croissant shaped, marmalade/cream filled pastries. I'm not sure if brioche bread is different, but I'll check that out as well.
posted by Nickel at 12:10 PM on July 9, 2008

There seems to be some terminology confusion here. I suspect the OP went to northern Italy, where they call what's typically known in the rest of Italy as a "cornetto" a "brioche", and are exactly as the OP described them. The OP is definitely not referring to a French brioche.
posted by war wrath of wraith at 12:12 PM on July 9, 2008

Response by poster: I was indeed in Northern Italy. Liguria and Tuscany, to be specific. Thanks for the clarification.
posted by Nickel at 12:19 PM on July 9, 2008

I do not know where you are in California, but you might try an Italian Bakery, or something like that. In souther ca there is claro's. They are on the web. Lots of great pasteries, and imported items.
posted by JAD'E at 12:58 PM on July 9, 2008

The CoHo on Stanford's campus (in Palo Alto) sells them.
posted by rlef98 at 5:33 PM on July 9, 2008

I've never found a good substitute for cornetti in the United States. Your best bet will probably be making your own.
posted by arianell at 12:41 AM on July 14, 2008