Mastering croissants at home
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Melbourne-based croissant-making master Kate Reid of Lune Croissanterie shares her tips for perfecting the tricky culinary art of pastry at home:
Use the best butter you can find
Your croissant will only be as delicious as the quality of the butter you choose. I prefer cultured French butter, for a deliciously complex, nutty flavour.
Prepare your butter with respect
When you’re preparing your laminating butter, try to get it to a thickness that’s as even as possible, and work it in the most solid state you can – the softer it is, the greasier it becomes, and the harder it is to work with.
Refrigerate and rest
Take your time to refrigerate and rest your pastry between each turn and fold. It allows the butter and dough to reach the same temperature, which allows you to evenly roll out the laminated pastry. It also allows the gluten in the dough to relax, so that it’s not so elastic (and won’t spring back when you try to roll it out again.).
Keep it cool
A cool working environment and cool hands are very helpful when you’re shaping croissants – the layers of butter and dough are so fine and delicate, that any heat you impart on the pastry will melt and compromise your final layers.
Be patient in your proving
For the best end result, allow your croissants to prove for the time that they need (often longer than a recipe will tell you).
Heat your oven to a high temperature
Start your baking at a high temperature. One of the ways to achieve a lovely, open honeycomb crumb is to ensure that when your croissants go in the oven, the butter doesn’t just melt – the water in the butter becomes so hot that it turns into steam which pushes the layers apart.
Be kind to yourself
It’s not easy to make croissants at home, so go easy on yourself and keeping practising.
Have you tried mastering croissants at home? Tell us in the comments below about your experience…
Melbourne-based croissant-making master Kate Reid of Lune Croissanterie shares her tips for perfecting the tricky culinary art of pastry at home:
Use the best butter you can find
Your croissant will only be as delicious as the quality of the butter you choose. I prefer cultured French butter, for a deliciously complex, nutty flavour.
Prepare your butter with respect
When you’re preparing your laminating butter, try to get it to a thickness that’s as even as possible, and work it in the most solid state you can – the softer it is, the greasier it becomes, and the harder it is to work with.
Refrigerate and rest
Take your time to refrigerate and rest your pastry between each turn and fold. It allows the butter and dough to reach the same temperature, which allows you to evenly roll out the laminated pastry. It also allows the gluten in the dough to relax, so that it’s not so elastic (and won’t spring back when you try to roll it out again.).
Keep it cool
A cool working environment and cool hands are very helpful when you’re shaping croissants – the layers of butter and dough are so fine and delicate, that any heat you impart on the pastry will melt and compromise your final layers.
Be patient in your proving
For the best end result, allow your croissants to prove for the time that they need (often longer than a recipe will tell you).
Heat your oven to a high temperature
Start your baking at a high temperature. One of the ways to achieve a lovely, open honeycomb crumb is to ensure that when your croissants go in the oven, the butter doesn’t just melt – the water in the butter becomes so hot that it turns into steam which pushes the layers apart.
Be kind to yourself
It’s not easy to make croissants at home, so go easy on yourself and keeping practising.
Have you tried mastering croissants at home? Tell us in the comments below about your experience…
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