I finally made a decent croissant after 6 attempts

Was at my cousin's bakery in Portland last weekend watching her work and she showed me how to properly fold the butter in, which is way easier than the videos make it look. Has anyone else had that moment where one tiny trick just fixes everything?

3 comments

3 Comments

kimr914d ago

But wouldn't you say that watching a pro do it kind of takes the challenge out of it... like, part of the whole point is figuring it out yourself through trial and error? Those first 5 fails probably taught you more about dough feel and temperature than any shortcut ever could. I actually think the struggle with the butter breaking or leaking is what makes you really understand how cold everything needs to be. The final product might look prettier with the trick, but the lesson gets watered down if you skip the hard part.

sandragrant4d ago

Exactly. The messy fails are what teach you the real physics of croissant dough. My third batch was a sad butter puddle in the oven, and that stuck with me way more than any video tutorial ever could. Knowing exactly how that cold butter feels when it starts to squish out is the kind of memory that makes you pay attention to your fridge temperature and rolling speed for life. Getting a perfect result without that pain just means you have a pretty pastry, not a skill you actually own.

juliaa654d ago

Read somewhere that the best bakers in France actually chill their butter block twice before even starting the fold. Tried it on my last batch and it made a huge difference.