Share
Are you craving a snack this monsoon? Croissants, which originated in Austria and are believed to have been introduced to France by two Austrian bakers in the 19th century, are the perfect, delicious treat option for you this monsoon season. Croissants are flaxy puff pastries that are named for their historical crescent shape. They are a staple in most French bakeries and are prepared with yeast-risen buttery dough.
Video Credits: Sanjeev Kapoor Khazana/ YouTube
The dough contains a mixture of flour, yeast, sugar, salt, butter, and milk and is taken to a laminating process, which gives a flaky texture and airy shape to croissants. They are prepared in different varieties with different ingredients, like Pain Aux Raisins, which is prepared with raisins or a custard or almond cream filling, and Pain au Chocolat, which, in preparation, combines the flavours of two delectable ingredients: one is butter and the other is chocolate. Below are some tips to prepare simple and crunchy croissants easily at home for a monsoon snack:
Tips To Prepare Perfect Croissants
Use Quality Ingredients
The first main step to getting the best croissants is to use high-quality ingredients. Select unsalted butter with high fat content, as it will play a significant role in creating the croissants flaky layers. While preparing the dough, consider choosing fresh and high-protein flour, sugar, salt, milk, and good-quality yeast to give your dough the right texture and richness.
Image Credits: Freepik
Keep Everything Cool
Make sure to keep the ingredients and dough cool, as it is essential in making croissants. The butter you are using needs to stay cold and firm to create the flaky layers; if not done, butter melts into the dough, so you won’t get those distinct layers, and yeast may produce gases during lamination.
Also Read: Bread Pizza Pockets; Perfect Monsoon Snacks
Lamination Process
The process of making croissant layers is called laminating. In this process, the butter is folded into the dough multiple times to create alternating layers of butter and dough. This step is crucial in the process to ensure the steam effectively lifts the layers apart during baking. To enhance the flaky, weightless, and buttery layers, it is essential that extra care and attention are paid during the process.
Image Credits: Freepik
Shaping The Croissants
Shape the dough by rolling it into a large rectangle almost about ½ inch thick. Then cut the dough into triangles and start rolling each triangle tightly towards the point and forming the shape of a croissant.
Baking
Before baking, place the croissants on the parchment paper and cover them with a damp cloth to let them rest and rise till they have doubled in size. For baking, preheat the oven to 190 degrees Celsius. Bake till it gets heated, uncover the risen croissants, and brush them with a beaten egg to give them a shiny appearance and golden crust after baking.
Image Credits: Freepik
Bake the croissants in the preheated oven for 18–25 minutes until the croissants are flaky and golden brown.
Finally, as you know, most baked goods need to rest after baking to improve their texture, so allow the croissants to cool down before serving.
