Croissants - The best recipe for the first time?

alexia · #1 09-15-2002, 10:52 PM

What's the best recipe you've used to make croissants for the first time?

I've looked at a few recipes so far. Though the basic process is similar in that they all make a dough, encase the butter, and roll a half dozen turns, there is really a lot of variation in the details of the technique. There are even 2 slightly different versions by Silverton (one in her book, one on Martha's website). My personal experience with pastry for pies tells me these "details" can make the difference between failure, success, and great success.

Also, when I make tarts, I find that starting it on the stone that lives on the bottom of my oven really helps in creating flakiness. Can I assume this will be a safe place to start the croissants, too?

I have some time to research this as I'll be living without an oven for a couple weeks. When I do something that takes this much effort I want to be sure it turns out, even the first time. And I'm not an instinctive baker.

Added note: Thought I'd mention that without guidance to another source, I'm inclined to use Biranbaum's recipe as she has SUCH detail. While I'd made pie crusts long before reading her book, I did find details that helped refine it and eliminated my pie-anxiety.

Kimmie · #2 09-16-2002, 10:45 AM

For a first timer, I would go with Esther McManus. Do you have Baking with Julia? If not, check out the PBS's Julia Child's Lessons with Masterchefs

Jock · #3 09-16-2002, 11:24 AM

I have used Ester McManus' recipe in Baking with Julia with great success. It is a protracted exercise and fitting the wait times into your domestic schedule can be tricky. My advice would be to take a deep breath, count to 3 and go for it.

Jock

W.DeBord · #4 09-16-2002, 04:01 PM

I third it, go with the recipe from Baking With Julia.

alexia · #5 09-16-2002, 04:09 PM

Thanks, I'll order the book while I'm away. It's nice when the decision is unanimous.

nancya · #6 09-16-2002, 08:11 PM

You know...I have the book and trying that recipe is on my list. But I'm afraid. The last time I tried to make croissants, I made doorstops. I'm really good at breads and not bad at cakes...but pastries....oh my.

Any really helpful tips to add to the recipe?

Nancy

Isa · #7 09-16-2002, 09:50 PM

I used Nancy Silverton's recipe from Pastries From La Brea Bakery. I can't recall why I decided to go with her recipe but the croissants were wonderful.

All this talk about croissants is giving me craving...

alexia · #8 09-16-2002, 10:19 PM

Nancy, I've been reading a number of recipes on croissants. (Yes, I get obsessive about such things.) This way I get a sense of the issues that every one agrees on, disagrees on. I plan to follow all the advice about using McManus' recipe, but I'm going to keep Biranbaum at my side, too. She gives such a wealth of detail, even suggesting the specific kind of flour and butter to use. The common complaint I see about her is that she is too detailed and her recipes are too annoying to follow, but as a reference or a source of tips in refining technique I've found her right on.

From my own working efforts on flaky pie dough, I'm bringing four principles: visible butter, "wet" pliant dough, refrigerate often, and bake high. (Once the croissant dough is made I'll bake it in small, separate batches to experiment with temperature and using/not using the pizza stone, etc.)

We also have the wonderful backup of our CT bakers.

If all fails, we can bat our hockey pucks at each other cross-continent.

alexia · #9 09-16-2002, 10:27 PM

Isa, I've only used her recipe for the orange poppy seed cake. Magnificent.

I have read her croissant recipe. Did you use the starter? or just the yeast? I have visions of spending a week making the starter and then the croissants themselves.

Kimmie · #10 09-17-2002, 10:02 AM

Alexia,

Quote:

I'm bringing four principles: visible butter, "wet" pliant dough, refrigerate often, and bake high.

I would add a fifth one: on a warm day, WORK QUICKLY!

I like Silverton but she can be overwhelming at times.

Stick to the McManus recipe.

alexia · #11 09-17-2002, 10:52 AM

Thanks Kimmie, I'll add it to the list.

I do intend to use the McManus for my working recipe. But for me it's important, to check several others when making something technically challenging for the first time. It gives me a firmer sense of the process instead of a list of instructions, and I feel more in control.

Lucky for me, it's almost always a cool day in my house.

It takes a string of 90/90+ days to really warm it up and in the winter I keep the thermostat 55-60 most of the time.

W.DeBord · #12 09-17-2002, 10:59 AM

Barb, I do the same thing...check all my books for a similar recipes and compare, learn etc... I think it's a great way to learn.

Isa · #13 09-28-2002, 07:10 PM

I used the recipe found in Pastries From The La Brea Bakery, it's not made from a starter but from active dry yeast or fresh yeast.

alexia · #14 09-29-2002, 12:08 AM

I've mislaid my copy of "Pastries"

so I was looking at the one in "Breads." (I think I may have left pastries at my son's house. I was so engrossed with it, I took it along when I travelled there.)

For anyone who doesn't have her books, Silverton has a croissant recipe on Martha Stewart's recipe file.

BenRias · #15 09-07-2006, 12:34 PM

I hope no one forgot about this thread because it is a good one. So I just watched the Julia video online. I wrote down everything except one problem, they never mentioned the amount of yeast that was used. Anyone have any ideas?