Tortillon

01 / ABOUT THE DISH

About the dish

Tortillon is a ring-shaped pastry from Bon-Encontre. Its origins date back to the early 19th century when the Auricane-Lapeyre family in Bon-Encontre began making it during the month of May at times of pilgrimage and festivity, and the recipe remained confined to that locality for many decades. The preparation starts with flour, sugar, eggs and water mixed into a dough which is divided into pieces, each piece shaped into a ring of about 30 × 20 cm (12 × 8 inches), then briefly poached in boiling water until the ring floats, drained, painted with egg then baked in a hot oven, and finally served warm. A unique feature of the tortillon is that the dough is first scalded (poached) before baking, which is a rare technique among French biscuits and gives it a distinct texture and structure. It is eaten best when hot, often accompanied by slices of saucisson and a white wine during the month of May, but it may also be served at breakfast with jam or in dessert with strawberries and cream.