Crêpe bretonne facts for kids
The Crêpe bretonne is a special pancake from Lower Brittany, a region in France. You can eat it plain, or with yummy sweet or savory fillings. These crepes are made from two main types of flour. Sweet crepes use wheat flour. Savory crepes use buckwheat flour. The buckwheat version is sometimes called a galette. But be careful, there's another type of buckwheat pancake in Upper Brittany that's different!
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A Look Back: The History of Crepes
Crepes have been around for thousands of years. People all over the world have enjoyed them as a basic meal. Historians think crepes might have existed as far back as 7000 BC! These early crepes were thick. They were made from crushed grains mixed with water. People would spread this batter on hot stones or metal plates. In Brittany, these cooking plates were called bilig.
Buckwheat's Journey
Buckwheat originally comes from Asia. It was brought to Europe during the Crusades in the 12th century. Soon after, signs of buckwheat were found in Brittany. This plant grows quickly. It needs wet, acidic soil and a mild climate. Brittany's weather and soil are perfect for growing buckwheat.
Crepes Become Popular
In the early 16th century, Duchess Anne of Brittany helped make the Crêpe bretonne more popular. This was a tough time for people living in the countryside. The Dutch also helped bring buckwheat to Brittany.
Families would make crepes at least once a week. They used a billig (a special cooking plate). People would eat crepes with local foods. These included sorrel leaves, sausages, or salted butter.
In the 20th century, growing buckwheat in Brittany became difficult. It almost disappeared. But the tradition of making crepes kept going strong. In some areas, like Finistère, families would go to the village crepe maker on Fridays. They would bring their own butter, eggs, and jams to enjoy with their buckwheat crepes. This continued until the 1960s.
Where Crepes Come From
France uses about 15,000 tons of buckwheat every year. But Brittany doesn't grow enough buckwheat to meet this need. So, about half of the buckwheat used for crepes comes from other countries. These include China, Poland, and Canada.
There's a special label for buckwheat flour from Brittany. It's called Blé noir tradition Bretagne. This group has over 800 farmers and 10 millers. They work to promote using Breton flour. They produce about 4,000 tons each year.
In the mid-1900s, many people from Brittany moved to other places. They opened Breton creperies (crepe restaurants) in other parts of France. Many opened in Paris, especially in the Montparnasse area. They also opened in other countries around the world.
How Crêpes Bretonnes Are Made
Traditionally, the crepe batter is cooked on a special round, cast-iron plate. This plate is called a billig in Breton. In French, it's sometimes called a galetiere.
The batter is spread thinly onto the billig using a small wooden tool. This tool is called a rozell in Breton. In French, it's called a rouable or raclette. For crepes made with Breton recipes, you can also use a simple crêpière or frying pan.
Making crepes needs skill and practice. You need to mix the batter well to make it light. Spreading it on the billig takes precise movements. You need to hold the rozell with flexibility. The spatula used to flip the crepe must let you turn it easily without breaking it.
Unlike its cousin, the galette, the Crêpe bretonne should be quite thin and a little crispy!
Wheat and Buckwheat Crepes
In Brittany, the word krampouezhenn (plural: krampouezh) can mean both types of traditional crepes.
- Wheat Flour Crepes: These are made with wheat flour (bleud gwinizh in Breton). The usual batter has eggs, flour, sugar, and milk. These crepes are almost always eaten sweet.
- Buckwheat Flour Crepes: These are made with buckwheat flour (bleud ed-du). The batter is mostly buckwheat flour, with a little wheat flour (up to 30%). It also has water and salt. Some people add eggs or milk. These crepes are usually eaten savory.
Crêpe bretonne or Galette: What's the Difference?
Important: Don't mix up Galettes and Crêpe bretonne!
The word galette is mostly used in Upper Brittany. This includes areas like Ille-et-Vilaine, Loire-Atlantique, and parts of Morbihan and Côtes-d'Armor.
The word Crêpe bretonne is mostly used in Lower Brittany. This includes Finistère and other parts of Morbihan and Côtes-d'Armor.
A geographer from Brittany, Mikael Bodlore-Penlaez, even made a map to show this border. On his map, "crêpes" are in pink and "galettes" are in light green.
Recipe: Crêpe bretonne (Buckwheat)
Ingredients:
- 300 grams buckwheat flour
- 2 tablespoons wheat flour
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 egg
- 1 level tablespoon honey (buckwheat honey if possible) OR 2 level tablespoons sugar
- 200 ml milk
- 400 ml water (300 ml + 100 ml)
Preparation: 4 to 6 hours before cooking:
- In a bowl, mix the 300 grams of buckwheat flour, 2 tablespoons of wheat flour, and 1 teaspoon of salt.
- Add 300 ml of water.
- Beat the mixture strongly for several minutes with a wooden spoon or spatula.
- Cover the bowl with a clean cloth. Let it rest in a warm room.
30 minutes before cooking:
- Add 1 level tablespoon of honey (or 2 level tablespoons of sugar) and 1 egg to the mixture. Beat it well.
- Add 200 ml of milk and the remaining 100 ml of water.
- Mix everything together.
Tips for Making Great Crepes
- Buckwheat flour doesn't last as long as wheat flour. Try to use fresh flour to avoid a sour taste. Organic buckwheat flour is a good choice.
- It's important to mix the two flours very well. Make sure there are no lumps of wheat flour in your batter.
- Remember that buckwheat flour doesn't have gluten. This means the dough won't rise like wheat dough.
- If you want a more fermented batter (which contains wheat), you can add the honey or sugar at the very first step.
- Adding an egg can make your crepe crispier and more golden. It also helps the batter not stick to the pan.
- Using only milk can make your crepe fluffier and give it more color. Milk is optional, but it adds to the texture and look.
- Make sure your pan or billig is very hot before you cook the first crepe!
- A buckwheat pancake usually doesn't need to be flipped over.
- Adding butter after folding the crepe is optional, but it makes it taste even better.
