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+-- Thread: Croissants--Issue 80, pg 44 (/showthread.php?tid=99803)
Croissants--Issue 80, pg 44 - Old Bay - 05-01-2010
Has anyone else tried these? Jane made them and found them very time consuming (a large part of two days) and a lot of work--not worth the effort. Hers finished "sad" and tough. We left them out overnite and they did lose a little "sadness" and tasted good, but still tough. There is a lot of good butter in these dudes (Europian Style)!!! She is going to try and salvage them by putting in a strata or something similar.
Re: Croissants--Issue 80, pg 44 - labradors - 05-01-2010
Haven't tried them, but if they turned out tough, they were probably handled too much, leading to overdeveloped gluten.
Re: Croissants--Issue 80, pg 44 - cjs - 05-01-2010
Oh what a shame! All that work. That one I do know, over handling can lead to tough dough.
Re: Croissants--Issue 80, pg 44 - Old Bay - 05-01-2010
Quote:
Oh what a shame! All that work. That one I do know, over handling can lead to tough dough.
Jane followed the instructions exactly--they were not over handled. She has baked all her life--look at the instructions--there is a lot of folding--you start with 3 sticks of butter--and fold it in!! Over and over.
Re: Croissants--Issue 80, pg 44 - Cubangirl - 05-01-2010
Croissants by definition are made with laminated doughs which require the butter be folded into the sheets of dough. That is what gives them the wonderful flakiness. They are always a PITA to make, time consuming because the dough chills in between usually. I am a decent bread baker and only attempt croissants every 20 years. It is about time I guess. The best ones I've made at home where from a recipe that came with my first 14 cup Cuisinart (1977). They were not perfectly shaped like the store purchased, but the taste was worth the effort. Certainly better than those purchased in a bag. The dough was made in the FP. I think croissants fall into the category of "I should make them once" and thereafter purchase them when they've just come out from the oven in a good bakery. I feel the same for things like puff pastry, beef wellington, homemade oreos, etc.
Re: Croissants--Issue 80, pg 44 - Harborwitch - 05-02-2010
The best ones I ever made came from a recipe in a Sunset food processor cookbook. As I recall the food processor was a "La Machine" circa the 70's. Man they were good. I still have the cookbook and have been threatening to make them again.
Re: Croissants--Issue 80, pg 44 - cjs - 05-02-2010
Sorry Bill, this is a problem I should have probably stayed away from. But, in my defense I was only referring the the kneading process at the beginning, not the laminating steps. But, given Jane's experience this probably didn't happen. I'll go to my room now.
Re: Croissants--Issue 80, pg 44 - Old Bay - 05-02-2010
Quote:
Sorry Bill, this is a problem I should have probably stayed away from. But, in my defense I was only referring the the kneading process at the beginning, not the laminating steps. But, given Jane's experience this probably didn't happen. I'll go to my room now.
Not a problem. Jane is just frustrated because she has had so much success in baking. She learned to cook biscuits in a wood stove. This recipe did not call for kneading, except for mixing flour components with the liquid with the dough hook. Everything, including the butter had to be cold in every step, so intense rolling was required. She also has had so much success with CAH recipes--maybe there was a problem with the yeast or the weather--the dough was very stiff when worked--anyway, Cuban girl has good advice--try this every 20 years and in between go to the bakery---my explaination---I don't bake, baking is----"magic".
Re: Croissants--Issue 80, pg 44 - labradors - 05-02-2010
Bill,
Sorry it didn't work out. Would you mind posting the recipe? I'd like to see what it says and maybe even give it a try. Wonder how much of a difference different flours would make? Does it say to use anything specific?
Re: Croissants--Issue 80, pg 44 - Gourmet_Mom - 05-02-2010
I looked at this and dreamed...then I got real and turned the page! Tell Jane I feel her pain! How frustrating.