Pain brié is a traditional Normandy

Normandy

Normandy is a geographical region corresponding to the former Duchy of Normandy. It is in France.The continental territory covers 30,627 km² and forms the preponderant part of Normandy and roughly 5% of the territory of France. It is divided for administrative purposes into two régions:...

 bread

Bread

Bread is a staple food prepared by cooking a dough of flour and water and often additional ingredients. Doughs are usually baked, but in some cuisines breads are steamed , fried , or baked on an unoiled frying pan . It may be leavened or unleavened...

. Its name comes from the pounding of the dough, as "brie" is derived from the Old Norman

Old Norman

Old Norman, also called Old Northern French or Old Norman French, was one of many langues d'oïl dialects. It was spoken throughout the region of what is now called Normandy and spread into England, Southern Italy, Sicily, and the Levant. It is the ancestor of modern Norman, including the insular...

 verb brier, meaning "to pound". The preparation includes a long kneading period and a beating of the dough, which tightens it, producing a heavy, yeasted bread with a tight crumb.

The name "brie" was once believed to have come about because the bread was thought to have been kneaded with Brie (cheese)

Brie (cheese)

Brie is a soft cow's cheese named after Brie, the French region from which it originated . It is pale in color with a slight grayish tinge under a rind of white mold; very soft and savory with a hint of ammonia...

.