Croissant Nutrition Facts

Croissant is a buttery, viennoiserie and flaky pastry of Austrian origin which is named for its historical crescent shape. Croissants are made up of layered yeast leavened dough. Dough is layered with butter and rolled or folded several times and rolled into a sheet in a technique known as laminating. The process develops a layered, flaky texture which resembles puff pastry. Crescents breads are made since Renaissance. Croissants are a staple of French and Austrian bakeries and patisseries. In late 1970s the formation of factory made, frozen and unbaked dough prepared into fast food which is freshly baked by unskilled labor. In France, croissants are common part of breakfast. Croissants when making by hand requires skill and patience.

Culinary uses

• Uncooked croissant dough is wrapped around almond paste, praline or chocolate before it is baked or slice to include sweet or savory fillings.
• Croissants are flavored with dried fruit such as raisins or sultanas and other fruits such as apples.
• In France and Spain, croissants are not filled.
• In United States, croissants are filled with cheese, ham and spinach.
• Croissants are filled with cheese, chocolate, zaatar and almonds.
• In Germany, croissants are filled with persipan or Nutella.

How to select                                                                                                                                  

• Check expiry date before purchasing the prepacked croissants or croissant dough.
• Buy from bakers shop rather than going for branded croissants.
• If possible, select croissants with organic ingredients.

How to make croissant?

Ingredients:

For the dough:

• 4 cups unbleached all-purpose flour
• 5 oz. cold whole milk
• 5 oz. cold water
• 3 Tbs. soft unsalted butter
• 2 oz. granulated sugar
• 2-1/4 tsp. table salt
• 1 Tbs. (plus 1/2 tsp.) instant yeast

For the butter layer:

• For the egg wash
• 10 oz. cold unsalted butter
• 1 large egg

Make the dough:

Mix all the dough ingredients in the bowl of stand mixer fitted with dough hook. Mix for 3 minutes on low speed and high speed. Transfer dough to lightly floured 10 inch pie pan or dinner plate. Flour lightly top of dough and wrap well with plastic so that it won’t dry out. Refrigerate it overnight.

Make the butter layer:

Cut the cold butter lengthwise into ½ inch thick slabs. Organize the pieces on piece of parchment of waxed paper formed 5 to 6 inch square. Cut the butter crosswise as required to fit. Top with another piece of waxed paper or parchment. With a use of rolling pin, pound the butter with light and even strokes. Pound the butter till it is about 7 to ½ inches square and trim edges of butter. Put trimmings on top of square and pound them lightly with use of rolling pin. Refrigerate while rolling dough.

Laminate the dough

Lay dough on lightly floured work surface and roll it into 10 to ½ inch square. Using brush flour off excess dough. Take the butter out of refrigerator. Unwrapping the butter, place it on dough so that points of butter square centered along sides of dough. Fold one dough over butter stretching slightly so that point reaches to the center of the butter. Do the same with other flaps. Press edges completely to seal butter inside dough. Flour the top and bottom of dough lightly. Use rolling pin, press dough firmly to elongate it slightly and begin to roll instead of pressing. Focus to lengthen rather than widening dough and make the edges straight.

Roll dough till it is 8 by 24 inches. Reshape the corners with hands if ends lose square shape. Brush flour off the dough. Take one short end of dough and fold it back over dough by leaving one third of other end of dough exposed. Fold exposed dough over folded side. On a baking sheet, place the dough, cover it with plastic wrap and freeze for about 20 minutes for relaxing and chill the dough. Repeat rolling and folding; roll in the direction of two ends till the dough is about 8 by 24 inches. Again fold the dough and brush off excess flour and turn under any rounded edges or short ends with smeared layers. Place the dough on baking sheet and cover it with plastic wrap by tucking plastic under four sides. Refrigerate it overnight.

Divide the dough

Next day, unwrap and flour the top and bottom of the dough lightly. Use the rolling pin to wake the dough up by pressing firmly along its length. Roll dough into long and narrow strip 8 inches by about 44 inches. Sprinkle flour if the dough sticks when rolling. When the dough is half to two thirds of its final length, it may resist rolling and even shrink back. Lift dough an inch at its midpoint and allow shrinking from both sides, this prevents dough from shrinking when cut. Make sure that there is enough excess dough on either end to allow trim the ends so they are straight and strip of dough is 40 inches long. Trim it. Pout tape or yardstick lengthwise along the top of dough. With knife, mark top of the dough at five inches intervals along length. Put yardstick on the bottom of the dough. Mark 2- ½ inches in from end of dough and mark at 5 inch intervals from point along bottom of the dough.

Make diagonal cuts by placing yardstick at top corner and first bottom mark. With the use of pizza wheel or knife, cut dough along this line. Change yardstick to next set of marks and cut. Repeat till one has cut dough diagonally along entire length. There will be 8 cuts. Then change angle of yardstick in order to join other top corner and bottom mark and cut dough along this line forming triangles. Repeat this along entire length of dough. It will end up with 15 triangles.

Shape the croissants

With the use of bench knife or paring knife, form ½ – ¾ inch long notch in the center of short side of each triangle. Notch assist rolled croissant curl into a crescent. Grasp dough triangle so that short notched side remains on top and elongate gently to 10 inches without compressing or squeezing the dough. This step causes more layers and loft.

Put croissant on work surface having notched side closest. Having one hand on each side of notch, roll the dough away towards pointed end. Flare hands outward as one roll so legs become longer. Press the dough with force so that layers stick together but avoid excess compression that could spread over the layers. Roll dough all way down its length till pointed end of triangle is directly below the croissant. Then bend two legs towards one forming tight crescent shape and press the tips of legs together gently.

The remaining croissants are shaped in the same manner. Arrange it on two large parchment lined rimmed baking sheets. Put as much space as possible between them as they rises when baked.

Proof the croissants

Whisk egg with 1 tsp. water till smooth for making egg wash. Brush lightly on each croissant. Refrigerate remaining egg wash. It requires 1 to ½ to 2 hours to fully proof. It is ready when seen layers of dough viewed from side and croissants wiggle if one shake the sheets. Eventually, croissants are larger than they were first shaped.

Bake the croissants

Before croissants are proofed fully, position racks in top and lower thirds of oven and heat it to 425°F conventional or 400°F convection. For second time, brush croissants with egg wash. Put sheets in an oven. After 10 minutes, rotate sheets and swap positions. Continue to bake till the bottoms are even brown, tops are richly browned and edges show signs of coloring. Lower temperature by 10°F if it darkens too quickly during burning. Let it cool on baking sheets on racks.

References:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Croissant

  https://www.finecooking.com/recipe/classic-croissants

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