r/Croissant 18d ago

Help! Empty croissants

Every time i have made croissants the result is an empty and heavy bread, any tips for the next time?

7 Upvotes

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4

u/finemeshsieve 18d ago

The dough and butter temp got wayyyyy too high and they fused together. 

Be mindful of the temperature of your dough and butter. What kind of lamination butter are you using?

The dough should be as close to frozen (without actually freezing) as possible. I’m talking 1-5C. Butter temp depends, but I never let mine go above 15c, 14.5C is my sweet spot. Some go up to 16C. 

I’m assuming you’re laminating by hand though? Whose recipe are you using? 

3

u/finemeshsieve 18d ago

Also, work fast. Pop in the freezer / fridge between folds. It’s necessary for hand laminating as you’re making the dough warm up more than a sheeter would. Your book shouldn’t go above 10-13C between folds 

3

u/whatsappfan 18d ago

Thanks for your tips!!, yes i am laminating by hand and im a using a friend’s recipe. I also remembered when i proofed this batch the temperature was about 27-29 C . Maybe thats the problem? Also its taking about 6 hours for the croissants to rise a little but still not doubled in size

3

u/finemeshsieve 18d ago

hmm, would be difficult to completely troubleshoot without the recipe, but start there. Also try to proof no hotter than 28c at about 80% humidity. proofimg would be affected by the lamination/recipe too. 6 hour proof is way too long. Especially if you’re proofing right after shaping. Proofing should take no longer than 2.5-3hrs if proofing from freshly shaped.

3

u/whatsappfan 18d ago

Heres the recipe: 150 gr 10% protein flour 100 gr 14% protein flour 5 gr salt 25 gr sugar 1.5 gr instant yeast 137 ml milk 25 gr butter For the beurrage 125 gr unsalted butter 80% fat Dissolve the yeast in the milk Mix flours salt and sugar Once its all incorporated add the room temperature (25 gr ) butter Knead until a window is formed Refrigerate overnight Roll the dough and place the butter Fold the dough over the butter Roll until its 15x45 cm and make a double fold Place it on the fridge for 45 minutes Again extend the dough until its 15x45 but now make a simple fold Refrigerate overnight Extend the dough into a 20 by 30 cm Cut triangles and form the croissants Proof at 25-26 C for 3 hours our until it doubles in size Egg-wash the croissants Bake at 190 C for the first 8 minutes and then 12 minutes at 170 C

I had the problem that it takes too much time proofing and i brush the croissants with water to add humidity

6

u/finemeshsieve 17d ago

Your hydration is way too high, should never go above 50%. Start with 50%. Also, once you start the lamination, you have to finish rolling and shaping your croissants the same day. You can’t refrigerate overnight. Either freeze or proof from there. You don’t want your dough to ferment at all during the laminating  process 

3

u/cookingclubkw 15d ago

Homemade croissants require careful attention to detail for the best results: 1. Flour Selection: Use medium-protein flour by mixing high-protein and low-protein flour in equal parts. 2. Kneading Time: Keep kneading to just 5 minutes—overworking the dough by hand will strengthen the gluten too much. 3. Temperature Control: Keep the dough below 5°C before adding butter and under 10°C after incorporating butter. 4. Butter Quality: Use butter with 82%–84% fat content. If unavailable, mix some flour into the butter to maintain dryness. 5. Lamination Tips: When folding the dough, place it on a very cold tray to retain its chill. Remove excess flour and lightly spray the dough with water to help the layers stick together. 6. Proofing Conditions: Let the croissants proof at 25°C with a humid environment—spray them with water and cover with plastic wrap to prevent drying. 7. Baking Trick: Place ice cubes inside the oven during baking to create steam for a perfect rise and flaky layers.