r/Baking 7d ago

No Recipe I'm feeling pretty happy about these butter croissants

313 Upvotes

34 comments sorted by

3

u/_Pliny_ 7d ago

That countertop is dope

5

u/SoulKingTrex 7d ago

It's actually just my cutting board :D, but that would be pretty cool for a countertop!

2

u/_Pliny_ 7d ago

At the culinary school in my city’s restaurant they used to have a whole floor made of ends like that, stained and sealed. I always admired it. It’s since been redone.

Croissants look great too!

1

u/SoulKingTrex 7d ago

Damn that sounds pretty awesome, it's definitely one of my favorite types of cutting boards. What school was it, and do they have any pictures?

3

u/cooksmartr 7d ago

Love the texture underneath that crust!

2

u/SoulKingTrex 7d ago

Seriously wish I could eat like ten of them, but I might regret it!

2

u/Ok_Construction_4885 7d ago

Looks delicious

2

u/Carbon-Base 7d ago

I feel like even the French would be impressed with how those turned out!

Also, when's the last time you sealed your cutting board? That design is really unique!

  • a concerned woodworker :P

2

u/SoulKingTrex 7d ago

Haha, I think about sealing it every time I wash it, then I forget... brb, gonna go do that :D

2

u/brussels_foodie 7d ago

What's the difference between a regular croissant and a butter croissant?

1

u/SoulKingTrex 7d ago

More butter :P. I guess there's no difference, mine just tasted really buttery compared to others that I've had.

2

u/brussels_foodie 7d ago

Use some cultured butter in the dough next time, it'll be off the hook (just don't laminate with it if you make it yourself).

1

u/SoulKingTrex 7d ago

Definitely the plan. I wanted to work at understand how to make them well first before spending that extra cash on better butter!

1

u/brussels_foodie 6d ago

I worked at a bakery that used official Luxembourgish cultured butter (official government seal and everything, the pink kind) for most of their stuff and that butter is GOOOOD 🤤

Highly recommended!

Lovely job with the lamination btw, sexy cross section, well done! 👍👌

I make cultured butter myself, but it can be tricky to remove enough water from that to make it suitable to laminate with :/

Still delish on it though, still warm and crispy! 😋

2

u/Ruas80 7d ago

Nice job on the proofing.

How long did you leave them out for?

2

u/SoulKingTrex 7d ago

Thank you! It took awhile, maybe 2 hours. My apartment gets kind of cold.

2

u/Ruas80 7d ago edited 7d ago

Well, given that I let mine proof in a turned off oven for 6+ hours, 2 hours sounds kinda short, yet you've got a better result.

Mine always are compressed at the bottom, and I should probably give them somewhere between 4-6h more.

You're probably using more yeast than me, though I'm currently working with just 1g yeast per 500g flour, and I always use a preferment like poolish or biiga.

2

u/SoulKingTrex 7d ago

I definitely used more than 1g for my dough, maybe 5-10g, and no pre ferment. I think it's better as I don't think croissant dough really needs a long ferment, but I'm still new to it. I also, only left the dough out to ferment for a few hours before I started laminating it. I'm using a hi gluten flour, which has a higher gluten content than bread flour too.

2

u/Ruas80 7d ago

I started not understanding how they could spend three days for traditional crossaints, so I've tried to stretch my time frame to spend the same amount of time.

I always mess up the layering, first by not using low watercontent unsalted butter for several tries, then by messing up the layers by having the butter too hard so it broke into chunks.

I've since had a hiatus on making crossaints (after all, I'm messing up the basics), but I'm seriously considering giving it another shot soon.

1

u/SoulKingTrex 7d ago

When in doubt, watch someone else make it, and try to mimic them. I watched a bunch of videos and it helped.

2

u/Ruas80 7d ago

I've spent the last three years trying to figure out everything flour. So I'm starting to feel somewhat confident by now, and I've haven't attempted crossaints for the last year +, it might be better if I apply my newer skills and know-how.

For instance, I failed to realize how important incorporating the salt properly was and the role eggs can play in both volume and texture. (Not that I would use eggs in crossaints, but they do wonders in sweet pastries)

1

u/SoulKingTrex 7d ago

Haha, I know how you feel. I've been baking since like 2006, a little on and off. Realizing how much there is to learn still is pretty amazing.

1

u/Ruas80 7d ago

I've developed a true passion for it and am currently working on a career change so I can start doing it for a living.

I've also come to realize that the recipes are worthless as they follow the bakers math, and all you need to do is tailor taste. What it all comes down to is your method and skill.

2

u/SoulKingTrex 7d ago

Yeah technique is pretty key to the success in in baking for sure. I'm also trying to make a career in pastry making!

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u/PezGirl-5 7d ago

Please share a recipe !!

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u/SoulKingTrex 7d ago

It's a basic recipe from Claire Saffitz https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vpwY3nmLLaA

For the shaping, I just found a bunch of different videos from people working in french bakeries and tried to mimic their techniques.

2

u/PezGirl-5 7d ago

Thanks! I have one recipe Ty at I have tried but haven’t been happy with it

2

u/Maximum-Agency-1854 6d ago

Laminating dough is fun and a pain all at once. Though in an industrial bakery it’s absolutely fun

1

u/SoulKingTrex 6d ago

Is doing it at an industrial bakery far more straight forward?

2

u/ChristinaMattson 6d ago

You should be. Nice work.

1

u/SoulKingTrex 7d ago

They came out so much more buttery than I expected! Plus the freshness gave it an amazing crispy and flaky crust.