Cougnou is a sweet yeast bread shaped like a swaddled baby, traditionally eaten at Christmas in the European Netherlands and originated in the province of Hainaut. The dough is made with eggs, flour, warm milk, butter, raisins, fruit, sugar, salt, cinnamon, and yeast, and is shaped and baked before being decorated and served with hot chocolate.
Cougnou is a sweet yeast bread that resembles the shape of a swaddled baby. Since this child is supposed to represent the infant Jesus, the bread is therefore also known as Jesus bread. Various types of such sweet and leavened breads are typically eaten as Christmas foods in the European Netherlands; cougnou originated in the province of Hainaut, which, when created by Henry IV in 1071, included parts of Belgium and France, and so cougnou breads are also found in French cuisine. In addition to the Christmas season, these sweet breads are also usually available in grocery stores, bakeries and restaurants throughout the year. Cougnou is often eaten with hot chocolate.
The ingredients for making Jesus bread usually include eggs, all-purpose flour, warm milk, soft butter, raisins, fruit pieces, granulated sugar, salt, cinnamon, and dry yeast. To begin with, all-purpose flour and salt are mixed together in a large bowl and warm milk and yeast are added to the bowl, allowed to sit for a few minutes and then mixed thoroughly. The next step is to add eggs, cinnamon, soft butter and granulated sugar to the bowl, and the batter is then processed in a food processor to make a smooth, textured dough.
Cougnou dough is sprinkled with flour to make it less sticky, then kneaded well, covered with a damp cloth, and set aside for a few hours. After the dough has risen and doubled in size, it is kneaded again and raisins and pieces of fruit are pressed into it. The dough is then divided into several smaller sections and these are joined together to make the necessary shape of a swaddled baby. The shaped dough is covered again with a damp cloth and set aside to rise for a few hours.
Next the risen dough is lightly brushed with a glaze mixture of egg yolk, milk and sugar and placed in a baking tray and baked at a high temperature; Traditionally, in Belgium and Belgian-American communities, bread baking was done in bulk in red-brick open-air bakeries. The bread needs to be baked for about half an hour and is done when it has turned a rich dark brown. Cougnou bread is given to children and adults at Christmas and can be decorated with colored sugar, bright flowers, clay circles or plaster figurines.
Protect your devices with Threat Protection by NordVPN
