Croissants and Pain au Chocolat
Oct 5th, 2008 by SteveB
If I had to choose a single pastry that is the embodiment of all that is French viennoiserie, it would have to be the croissant. In the U.S., croissants have been steadily increasing in popularity, particularly as the basis for a wide variety of breakfast sandwiches. When properly baked, the croissant has a crisp, flakey exterior with a light, open and wonderfully buttery interior. If formed in a rectangular shape wrapped around a stick or two of chocolate, the pastry takes on the name, pain au chocolat. A croissant with a favorite spread, or a pain au chocolat, and a hot cup of coffee is a great way to start the day.
The croissant formula used here is derived from the one described in Advanced Bread and Pastry by Michel Suas. Not having the osmotolerant yeast specified, I used just a bit more instant yeast. I also used an imported Irish butter (unsalted Kerrygold), with a slightly higher fat content than typical American butters (82% vs. 80%). I find that the higher fat content makes the butter a bit more pliable, making it easier to fold into the dough. The Kerrygold is also made from cultured cream, giving the croissants a wonderful, more complex flavor. For the pain au chocolat, I cut up a bar of high quality semi-sweet baking chocolate to form the bâtons.
Poolish
- 145 g Heartland Mill Organic All-Purpose Flour
- 145 g Water
- 1/8 tsp. Instant Yeast
Final Dough
- 335 g Heartland Mill Organic All-Purpose Flour
- 115 g Water
- 65 g Milk
- 65 g Sugar
- 10 g Salt
- 1½ Tsp. Instant Yeast
- 20 g Butter
- 290 g Poolish (all of the above)
Roll-In
- 225 g Butter
Chocolate
- Semi-sweet Baking Chocolate Bâtons (as needed)
The night before baking, prepare the poolish by mixing the flour, yeast and water until combined. Cover the mixing bowl with plastic wrap and allow to ferment at room temperature overnight, until the level of the poolish just begins to recede, about 12 hours.
The next morning, mix the flour, sugar and salt until evenly distributed. To the mixture add the 20 g of butter in small pieces and rub into the flour with your fingertips. Mix in the yeast, then add the milk, water and poolish. Mix with a dough whisk until all the ingredients are hydrated, then empty the bowl onto the countertop and mix by hand until moderate dough development is achieved. Immediately place the dough on a floured sheet pan, cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for 2 hours.
After the 2 hour rest, the dough is transferred to a floured work surface and the dough is rolled out to a 7″ x 14″ rectangle. The butter is then incorporated into the dough and the dough is given its first turn as follows: After the first turn, the dough is returned to the refrigerator for another 1 hour rest. After the 1 hour, the dough is turned two more times, each time followed by a one hour rest in the refrigerator. After the final turn and refrigerated rest, the dough is once again placed on a floured surface and rolled and trimmed into a 16″ x 16″ square. The dough is divided in half and one of the halves is cut and shaped into croissants as follows: The other half of the dough is cut and shaped into pain au chocolat as follows: After the croissants and pain au chocolat have been panned, each piece is given an egg wash, and the pieces are allowed to proof by placing the sheet pans in an enclosed, temperature-controlled environment (I use a homemade proofbox) for 1½ hours at 76ºF. The pieces are then given a second egg wash and the sheet pans are placed in a 375ºF oven and baked for 20 minutes, the first 5 minutes being under steam. I dare you to wait for the croissants to cool before your first bite!
Steve, I’ve missed you. You are one of my main bread “porn” sites. The pastries look scrumptious! Do you think they could have their final rise, after shaping, in the refrigerator overnight? Patsy
Send some over!!! You are so funny, what a perfectionist… but it sure pays off. You should see me do it
Your dough and techniques are wonderful. Thanks for talking in the video, it makes a big difference explaining what and why you’re doing. And thanks for taking the time to make those wonderful videos (and thanks to the camera woman).
Jane
Patsy, what a nice thing to say! I’ve missed you too!
I see no reason why the shaped pieces couldn’t be retarded in the refrigerator overnight. According to Suas, once shaped and egg washed, the pastries can be refrigerated for up to 24 hours. The pastries should go into the refrigerator immediately after shaping and egg washing and, after coming out of refrigeration, should be allowed to complete their final proof at room temperature.
Jane, I thought the audio would surprise you. With the age of silent films all but gone, I figured it was time to break into “talkies”. I’ll pass your thanks on to my cinematographer.
Steve,
What a well done post! Your final presentation photo looks as good as it could be and reminiscent of a fine Parisian restaurant.
I liked your method of incorporating the butter and the first turn. You have a very nice touch with the dough shaping. Well done Steve, as usual!
Eric
Eric, your kind words are always greatly appreciated.
SteveB,
Nice job on the croissants and great explanations!
-Mark
Waow, those viennoiseries are beautiful! You’re so talented!
I just can’t bring myself to work a dough with so much butter, so we’ll never eat homemade croissants at home (until one of my daughters bakes them for us, who knows).
But I love eating a croissant, once in a while, with a little strawberry jam and a nice cup of tea.
Thanks for your comment on Makanai. May I ask you where you first heard about that kneading technique?
Hi Mark, I’m glad you’re finding the explanations to be of some value. I’ve always debated with myself whether I should talk during the videos. I guess I finally found a time when I actually had something to say!
Hi Flo, thanks for your compliments. They are greatly appreciated, even more so because of the kinship I feel towards French bakers such as yourself.
I understand what you mean about the richness of croissants. I have a hard time passing the basket without taking and eating one and my waistline is beginning to show it!
I first learned the kneading technique I use at a baking demonstration about 5 years ago. See my detailed response to your comment in the “Comments” section of Musings on Mixing…
Hi Steve!
I want to thank you for your videos and explications because it helps us with reciepes that aren’t easy in some books.
The Croissants seems to be very dificult to do, but I’ll follow your steps. I hope I’ll be lucky
Regards.
Mònica.
Hi Mònica,
The steps in making a croissant aren’t really that much harder than the steps used to make any other bread… there are just more of them!
The trick is to remember to keep the dough and butter cool but pliable. Good luck and have fun!
Steve,
Your post about the croissant are wonderful. Thanks!
Regard
Carmen, I’m glad you enjoyed the post. Thanks for your comments.
I’m just crying……bouhouhouhouuu ! It is the french tear of a pooooooor mum who has not the patience to do this job. Though, I know it worth it
Cécile, unfortunately here in the U.S. we don’t have as many fine boulangeries and pâtisseries as you have in France so we have no choice but to bake our own!
Excellent video and instructions. I’ve been “practicing” with croissants and pain au chocolat for several months (family and friend always willing to test the results) and have found your information extremely helpful. I am using a convection oven, use a lower temperature, and still find the cooking time shorter. Moving from a regular gas to convection just means keeping watch on the items. I am envious of your beautifully shaped rectangles of dough – I have made more of an effort to do the same in today’s batch, et voila, better looking finished product! I am glad to have stumbled upon your site via The Fresh Loaf. Your cinnamon raisin swirl bread is next on the list to try.
Laura, I’m glad you’re finding the video and instructions of value. You are quite right that convection ovens have different baking characteristics than standard gas ovens. Baking times and temperatures should always be adjusted to suit one’s own circumstances. It’s also gratifying to learn that you have come to the same conclusion as I, that neatness and precision in baking lead to a better quality product!
Wonderful video!
Your croissants are beautiful!
Like your site.
Steve, this is exactly what I’ve been looking for! I’ve struggled with croissants and similar viennoiseries for a long time, so watching your helpful (and very educational) videos will probably put me on the right track
Your blog and posts on TFL are great resources for any serious baker. Thanks again, for the great post and for the inspiration it has given me!
Best wishes from cold Norway,
Hans Joakim
MyKitchenInHalfCups, thank you so much for the kind words.
Hans, it’s very gratifying to hear that you are enjoying the posts and that they have been of some value to you. Thank you. And now, whenever I start to complain about the cold New England winters, I will think of you in Norway and my complaints will vanish!
Homemade proofbox, eh? I think that merits some details.
Antonin, I hope to post the details of my proofbox in the near future. Basically, I’ve been using a simple, temperature-controlled proofbox constructed from an inverted plastic storage bin, a light bulb (for warmth), a thermometer mounted on suction cups (to monitor the temperature) and an inexpensive reptile cage thermostat with temperature probe (to dial in a constant temperature) available in any pet store. It’s large enough to hold multiple, stacked half-sheet pans.
Steve, your videos are wonderful and you make it look so easy! I work so hard to keep my dough square. I was in France in June and had a pain au chocolat every morning (and gained a few pounds:)) You have inspired me to make some!
Penny, it sounds like you had a wonderful trip to France. I’m envious! I’m glad you enjoy the videos and I feel honored to have inspired you. The beignets on your blog look great and remind me of the times I visited New Orleans, sipping coffee and munching on a beignet at the Café du Monde.
I really enjoyed your recipe and the videos, Steve. Thanks so much for sharing. Can the croissant dough be frozen for later use, either in the square before shaping, or after individual rolls are made and/or filled? (This question obviously coming from a novice.)
Sybil, I’m glad you’re enjoying the recipes and videos. I don’t see why there should be a problem freezing the dough for later use at either the third fold stage or after shaping. Just make sure to allow for sufficient time after taking out of the freezer for the dough to unfreeze and become pliable enough to go on to your next step.
Back when I baked (professionally) in Spokane, WA (basement of the Glover Mansion), we froze the dough after the 3rd fold, and then again after cutting and rolling the croisants. Prior to baking (or cutting/folding) we would allow them to thaw in the (walk-in) fridge, so they didn’t attempt to proof on the bench.
But we were a (small, craft) production bakery, so it was always important to be somewhat “ahead” of the game.
Now that I live in Hawaii, I’ve not baked (other than a single birthday) cake in nearly five years. I guess my wife missed the ‘treats’, because she bought me a 6qt mixer for Christmas. Unfortunately, the 1/2 sheet pans, tart pans, etc are all in Las Vegas (where I moved the majority of my stuff post-Spokane.)
Great site.
Jim, thanks for your comments. You make a good point, one I failed to mention in my response to Sybil. When it’s time to start working with the frozen dough once again, it should be allowed to unfreeze in the refrigerator to prevent premature proofing.
je vous le redis STEVEvous etes un VRAIchef plein de talent et vos videos sont super même si je ne comprends pas l’anglais ,les images parlentd’elles même.christiane
Christiane, je suis heureux que vous trouverez les vidéos de la valeur.
Steve, love your website and quest!
I made these last night and they were fantastic!! As a fellow obsessive/engineer, I need to master this recipe. Some questions for you:
1. How do I know when “moderate dough development” is achieved? Windowpane? I used the slap and fold method but the dough remained sticky and shaggy, never got truly smooth. What do you think of using autolyse and folding for this dough?
2. When rolling the dough for cutting, even after giving the dough extra rest time, the gluten was still so strong that I could barely make it to 16″x16″. In your video, it looked like you had no problem rolling out the dough. I used KA AP flour, which probably has more protein than Heartland Mill AP flour. Should I suspect over development of the dough, or too high protein flour?
3. Any hints on how to roll out the butter or dough and retain the square shape? Did you trim the edges of your dough in the video to get the edges so straight?
4. Should I just buy Suas’ book so you don’t have to answer so many questions?
-Alison
Hi Alison, welcome to Bread cetera!
1) Moderate dough development can be determined through the windowpane test. You are looking for the formation of a mixture of coarse and fine gluten strands (not just the very fine strands of a highly developed dough, as shown in the post on Brioche Nanterre), with the dough just beginning to break upon moderate tugging. It’s difficult to describe in words but, with practice, I think you’ll see what I mean. The dough can be sticky but definitely should not be shaggy. Don’t forget that there will be some substantial dough development when performing the 3 turns, so when mixing the dough, it is better to err on the underdeveloped side.
2) There are times when I find it a bit difficult to roll the dough out to the desired dimensions. In those cases, I place the dough back in the refrigerator to rest until it relaxes. KA AP flour should work fine for this recipe.
3) I roll out the butter between 2 sheets of parchment paper. To get a nice square shape, I roll the butter out to a larger-than-desired square, then use my bench knife to trim the square to the desired dimensions, replacing the trimmings back on top of the newly cut square. The thickness of the square is then evened out with a quick, gentle rolling. Thank you for bringing this up; I probably should have mentioned this within the procedure.
4) You should buy Suas’ book AND you should always feel free to ask questions!
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hi steveB
You said (335 g Heartland Mill Organic All-Purpose Flour )
If i use the” bread strong flour” or my ordinary “all-Purpose Flour”
is it good for this recipe ???
thanx
Yaman, all-purpose flour should work fine. Be sure to adjust the hydration level of the dough, if necessary.
thanx
i will do it to day
love your site
Hi Steve,
Great recipe instruction, I made beautiful croissant at my first attempt!
Thanks for sharing.
I feel like I’ve struck the motherload with your website.
Thank you.
shuttervector, I’m glad you’re enjoying the site. I hope to provide more veins for you to mine in the future!
Wow – amazing site. I live in Paris but I am Irish and so I was thrilled to see Kerrygold being used in your croissant recipe!!!
Such a good butter:)
In the hopes of becoming some kind of decent bread maker I am so happy to have found this site!
Hi Louise, welcome to Bread cetera! I’m glad you’re enjoying your visits to the site. I’ve visited Ireland a number of times and have always been impressed by the warm hospitality of its people and its beautiful countryside. And I like Kerrygold butter so much that it has become my everyday table butter!
Hi Steve,
Just want to thank you for your excellent Croissant recipe and directions! Wow, it’s just incredible – I finally made it after viewing the videos for countless number of times – I’ve been eating them this whole week for breakfast and even lunch. Thanks so much for all the detail instructions.
Really enjoying your website. My next plan is to make a steamer like yours for bread.
Hi Sandy, I’m glad the croissant recipe worked out well for you. I think you’ve probably discovered the hardest thing about baking croissants… knowing how many of the flaky pastries constitute a portion size!
Hi Steve,
Just got back from a baking class at the Cordon Bleu in Paris and had an absolutely fabulous time. My classmates and I have exchanged email addresses and we are now trying to clean up our notes that we took in class. And finding your website, has helped tremendously in filling the gaps. So, THANK YOU, for taking the time to have this blog. But, I have a couple of questions regarding making croissants and hope you can help me.
1.) If I don’t use the poolish, will it alter the taste of my croissant?
2.) Is it necessary for the croissants to go through a 5 minute steaming in the oven? What would happen if I didn’t give the croissants the steam.
3.) Regarding proofing, at the Cordon Bleu, we put our rolled and 1st egg washed croissants to proof in a proofing oven, which really assisted in our rise. I obviously don’t have this proofing oven nor do I have a homemade proofbox. So, what’s the next best thing I can do to take care of this issue?
Thanks in advance Steve!
Marie
Hi Marie,
1) Since the use of a poolish does contribute to the taste of the croissant, a croissant made without a poolish will have a different flavor profile.
2) Steaming delays the setting of the croissant crust, allowing for greater expansion. A lack of steaming may result in a croissant with less volume.
3) I would recommend constructing a simple homemade proof box, the details of which are discussed here. In lieu of a proof box, simply cover your tray of shaped croissants with an inverted plastic storage box and place in a warm area (~74-76ºF).
Thanks much Steve! One more question:
1.) Can I keep the dough in the fridge overnight after it’s last turn (before cutting and shaping)? I want to cut and shape 1st thing in am.
Thanks,
Marie
Marie, refrigeration of the dough overnight after the final turn shouldn’t present any problems. Just makes sure to let the dough reach the proper temperature (i.e., the temperature at which the dough and butter layers reach the same degree of malleability without the butter melting) the next morning before rolling, cutting and shaping.
Hi Steve,
1st batch of croissants turned out great. But, the second batch not so great. The 2nd batch came out greasy and heavy. I used same ingredients. And it did not “poof” out as nicely the 2nd time around. It as a little flat on top. What would have caused this to occur? Any insight would be most appreciated.
Thanks,
Marie
Hi Marie,
Without seeing exactly what you are doing, it’s hard for me to definitively say what is causing your problem. Things to pay close attention to include: 1) keeping the croissant dough cool while performing your turns so that the butter layers stay firm yet pliable and 2) controlling your proofing temperature so that the butter layers don’t melt during the proof. If you aren’t already using a higher fat content European-style butter, I would also highly recommend you try that as well.
Hi Steve,
The only thing I did differently with this batch was I forgot to put the tray while proofing in a controlled environment. The tray was on top of my fridge for 3 hours or so. I am using a higher fat european butter. As I mentioned in my earlier post, my 1st batch excellent. The 2nd batch, the one i had out in open air while proofing was greasy and heavy.
Thanks,
Marie