Every attempt a run at "Croissant Bread"?

[Shimus]

From the flaky buttery goodness that is most pastries, comes the French Croissant bread. Literally able to fall apart in your mouth if done right, it's nothing like the fast food chains make them out to be - fattening and sloppy. They're actually quite elegant and add class to a meal, and they taste delicious to boot! I have to admit, I never thought I could attempt to make these - they looked like something out a culinary school. But how wrong was I!

First let’s take a moment and talk about the secrets of making croissants. Not many people realize it, but KEEP the butter cold! At one point you’ll have to work the butter but put it back in the fridge as soon as you’re done. If possible keep the work area cold. I follow a tip I found online and placed ice-cubes on the table to keep it cold while the dough was resting. Make sure once you add the butter the dough doesn’t get warm allowing the butter to soften.

You guys have any Croissant related stories you wish to share?

 

[Trellum]

Man, Shimus, all this talk about croissants got my mouth so watery! To be honest I don't have a lot experience baking croissants, but I really want to give this a go next year... when I get my new oven. I'll remember your tips! Will surely let you know how it goes! There is a nutella filled croissants recipe I really wanna try!

 

[Shimus]

Oh god, I have bad experiences with nutella. Always ends horribly. (Stomach hates it!) but I love it

But yeah, croissants are not as hard as people make them up to be, you just have to spend time and preparation. They also go fantastically well with just about any meal - dairy based, meat based, even pasta based - you can generally insert them on any mealplan.

 

[PrideKidd]

I agree with Shimus, Nutella is good but rips the poor tummy apart. I cannot make croissants with out epic fails. It always seem to go badly for me.


You can put just about anything on a croissant for breakfast, lunch or dinner!
Breakfast ~ Sausage, Egg & Cheese. Lunch ~ Tuna Salad ( yummy with lettuce and tomato! ) and Dinner as the bread. Yummy!

 

[Shimus]

Or just eat them by themselves as a light snack, for healthier means. They're also very tasty as a side for eggs (scrambled or not).

 

[PrideKidd]

Any tips how to make my croissants turn out flakier? I never seem to get it quite right. Thats one recipe that still troubles me. I can make breads just fine but when it comes it pastries I am not the best.

 

[ally79]

I love to eat them, but I have never tried to make them at home. My husband made them at school in his baking class and they are a lot and I mean a lot of trouble. Delicious though!

 

[ACSAPA]

Heck no. They look too difficult and they're not that expensive to buy.
I'd rather spend the time making something easy that my daughter can enjoy right away.

 

[Zyni]

Any tips how to make my croissants turn out flakier? I never seem to get it quite right. Thats one recipe that still troubles me. I can make breads just fine but when it comes it pastries I am not the best.

Making pastry is definitely not one of my strong suits, but I would like to learn. They are so good, but I'd rather grab some that I know are good than end up with a mess. I like to experiment with lots of other types of baking, but pastries scare me. lol. I've just never been that good at making them. Now it feels like a challenge. One of these days I'll try again... maybe.

 

[kmorrison2000]

I attempted making croissants last week, and they completely flopped! I never realized how hard they were to make until I tried making them. I will now appreciate the ones that i buy, now that I know how much goes into making them.

 

[Shimus]

I respect those who at least try it out. It's hard to master but when you manage to do it and you can frost/glaze/butter them and eat the results, it's near on heavenly!

 

[PrideKidd]

Thought I would post again here because last night I attempted croissants again. I thought it would make a great chicken or ham salad sandwich, at least that was what i was aiming for.

I got them all ready, turned the electric oven in between low & medium, put them in. Went and took a 10 minute shower and somewhere in that time frame they went from dough to rock hard hockey pucks. I really do think my temp. gauge needs some checking before I try again.

 

[PattyCakes]

Making pastry is not something I'm particularly good at, and I confess to buying it more often than making it!! On the other hand, I particularly love the challenge of getting something 'right', and croissants seem the ideal choice to give yourself that challenge. My neighbour has made them in the past, and believe me, the homemade ones are far superior to anything I've eaten from a shop or bakery.

I love the sound of that croissant bread though - I'm always on the lookout for sweet bread recipes.

 

[Shimus]

I love flaky pastries. Almost more so then my homemade bread which is a close close second. Something about something that is buttery and crisp and falls apart easily, but could be made to hold a sandwich or a snack with coffee or tea. Perfect ways to go about it.

Making it? Completely different ballgame. I'm still adjusting my cooking for it after all this thread time has elapsed too.