Who are these options for?

Hosts who want cubes that are easy to dip

If keeping each bite on your fondue fork is your top priority, choose bread for the fondue pot based on its crust and the density of its crumb. These are the qualities Pains Jacquet highlights for fondue.

Guests who’d like to share some brioche

A plaited or all-butter brioche can sit alongside the fondue, sliced for sharing rather than used in place of all the bread cubes. Carrefour, for example, lists an 800 g La Boulangère plaited brioche.

Guests who pay attention to ingredients

If ingredients or allergens matter to your guests, check the details of each specific product before serving. The DGCCRF reminds shoppers that allergens are highlighted in the ingredients list on prepacked foods.

What should you look for?

Bread for the fondue pot

Choose this: if your main priority is cubes that stay on your fork while you dip them.

Bear in mind: it won’t bring the flavour or presentation of brioche served on the side.

Brioche on the side

Choose this: if you’d like to offer something different to share or toast.

Bear in mind: its soft crumb and sweet flavour aren’t suited to the same purpose as bread for dipping.

What to consider What to check Who is it for?
Stays together when dipped A good crust, a fairly dense crumb and cubes cut in advance and left to go slightly stale, as recommended by Pains Jacquet and Cuisine Actuelle. I want my bites to stay on the fork rather than fall apart in the cheese. Around 50% of consumers rank this as their top priority.
Brioche to share The size, whether it needs slicing and how to serve it: on the side or toasted. To round out the table, I’d rather serve slices of brioche without making it the main bread for the fondue. This is the top priority for around 30% of consumers.
Ingredients The ingredients list, allergens and nutritional values per 100 g for the product you choose. If I need to consider the ingredients I serve to my guests, I want to check the specific packet before choosing. This is the top priority for around 20% of consumers.

Mistakes to avoid

  • Using brioche as your only dipping bread

    Soft brioche can round out the meal, but it may not hold together as well as you’d want when repeatedly dipping cubes into cheese.

    Choose bread with a good crust and a dense crumb for the fondue pot, then serve brioche separately if you’d like to include it.

  • Relying on the brand name for allergen information

    Recipes vary from one product to another. The product details from Brioche Pasquier and La Boulangère, for example, list ingredients derived from wheat, eggs and milk.

    Check the ingredients list and highlighted allergens on the packet of the brioche you buy.

  • Comparing nutritional values by portion alone

    Different portion sizes make it harder to compare sugar, fat and salt directly.

    Compare nutritional information per 100 g, the basis specified by the DGCCRF, then take into account how much you plan to serve.

  • Assuming that “no additives” tells you everything

    Harrys uses this claim for a specific sliced brioche. On its own, it tells you nothing about its allergens, nutritional values or how well it holds up in fondue.

    Check the ingredients and nutritional information for the product you choose, too.

Brioche brands to consider

Brioche Pasquier

Brioche Pasquier describes its Brioche Tranchée Nature as pre-sliced, which could make it easier to serve separately.

  • The product details list ingredients including wheat flour, eggs and butter.
  • Being pre-sliced doesn’t mean it will hold together in the cheese like bread cubes.

Harrys

Harrys describes its Brioche Tranchée Nature as “no additives” and says it is suitable for toasting, among other uses.

  • The sliced format could work well if you’re planning to serve the brioche on the side.
  • The brand’s claim doesn’t replace checking the allergens and nutritional values on the packet.

La Boulangère

Carrefour describes its 800 g Brioche Tressée Pur Beurre as a family-sized option that could be served for everyone to share.

  • Auchan’s product details list eggs, butter and cream.
  • The large size and recipe don’t tell you how well it will hold together when dipped.

Reflets de France

Carrefour lists a Brioche Nanterre Pur Beurre and a brioche vendéenne among the products in this range.

  • These products give you a choice of brioche styles to serve separately from the fondue bread.
  • Check the ingredients for each one: a product’s characteristics don’t apply to the whole range.

Brioche to serve on the side

This Joybuy selection features an all-butter brioche to serve on the side during your fondue night. Choose separate, suitable bread for dipping into the cheese.

ERHARD Pure Butter Brioche 280 g

ERHARD Pure Butter Brioche 280 g

Round out your fondue without replacing the dipping bread: serve this 280 g all-butter brioche on the side. If you’d like to toast it, check whether it needs slicing before serving. Refer to the packaging for ingredients and allergen information.

View on Joybuy

Frequently asked questions

Can you replace all the bread with brioche for cheese fondue?

If you’re planning to dip cubes into the cheese, stick with bread that has a good crust and a dense crumb. Pains Jacquet recommends it for fondue, and Cuisine Actuelle suggests leaving the cubes to go slightly stale. Serve brioche on the side if you’d like to offer some.

Which allergens should you check in brioche?

Check the packaging of the product you buy: the recipes mentioned from Brioche Pasquier and La Boulangère include ingredients derived from wheat, eggs and milk. The DGCCRF says allergens must be highlighted in the ingredients list on prepacked foods.

How do you compare two all-butter brioches?

Compare their ingredients lists, net quantities and nutritional information per 100 g, particularly for sugars, fat and salt. Using the same basis avoids comparing different portion sizes. The DGCCRF specifies that nutritional information is given per 100 g or 100 ml.