Purple Croissants - a hint of color
Sending this to Yeastspotting.
I have made brown croissants (coffee), green croissants (matcha), black croissants (dark chocolate), yellow croissants (pumpkin). With some purple yam on hand, it's only natural that I want to make purple croissants.
Well, it turns out complicated. Yam puree, just like potato puree, softens the crumb and weakens dough strength. As the result, if I add too much, croissants don't open up enough (i.e. no big honeycomb holes) and the texture is tender rather than crispy. However, if I add too little, there isn't enough color. After a few tries, the following recipe is what I arrived at. Still not the vivid purple I wanted, but at least that hint of color is noticable.
Purple yam croissant with Sourdough Starter
Note: for details and tips on making croissants, please see this post & this post.
Note: this recipe makes about 12 large danishes.
-levain
starter (100%), 35g
water, 59g
bread flour, 105g
1. mix and leave at room temp for 12 hours.
-final dough
bread flour, 422g
sugar, 68g
salt, 10g
instant yeast, 7g
butter, 21g, softened
purple yam puree, 200g
water, 180g
levain, all
roll-in butter, 287g
1. Mix everything but the rolling butter, knead until medium gluten developement. Then follow the steps here.
I filled them with more purple yam filling
It's obvious that the cross section has less hight comparing to my other croissants, that's due to the weaker dough
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Also want to post some chocolate puff pastery I made a while ago. Recipe is from Pierre Hermes’ “Chocolate Desserts”(recipe can be found here), like all PH recipes, it's horribly time consuming and fussy. Yes, it's also terribly delicious. Sigh.
This dough is on the drier side, then it needs to be folded six times!!! Let's just say between all the resting and rolling out and folding, it was a 24 hour process. 
The first time I made it, I was so sick of the dough that I directly shoved it into the freezer after the final rolling, couldn't bear to use it until a month later. I of course didn't learn my lesson, made it again. Used some of it for this mille-feuille.
All that layers...
Used the rest for some very fancy apple hand pie. 
Comments
Work of art ...
any perfection in the world, it would have to take a back seat to these masterpieces. Empress Ying knows her laminated dough!
<Blushing...> Thanks!
Txfarmer,
Your croissants are beautiful. Makes me think of lavender flowers and lilacs!
What a wonderful bake and so very creative.
Linda
You are right, this is more lavender color than full on purple.
Beautiful bakes for all you posted. I am surprised the dough stayed 'good' after being in the freezer. I would think it would have broken down some what but it sure looks good to me!
I love the purple in the croissants. I have never seen a purple yam around here...Purple potatoes yes....just not yams but maybe I haven't been looking in the right places. (Funny story: One Thanksgiving years ago I decided to use purple potatoes for our annual pot of mashed potatoes....Wanted to try something new. Well, everyone was agast at the color and my husband even thought I had added food coloring to regular potatoes....Couldn't believe they actually come purple and stay purple when baked! Since then I have never served purple potatoes to my family....) Thanks for jostling that memory :-)
Take Care,
Janet
I can see how purple food might not seem natural. It's more common in China/Japan. I love purple yam, I know the taste is very close to normal yam, but somehow the purple color makes it taste better.
Another work of art ;) always look forward to your blog. It is inspiring, you proof that impossible is possible.
Thank u.
Thanks!
So, what's next? Red? Or maybe blue? : p
Hat off to your tremendous creativity and never-ending effort in realising your imagination, as always. Thanks for sharing the pure work of art, which looks yummy, too.
As for the problem you encountered with the puree, I wonder if it'd be less difficult if you use the powder like this.
http://www.cuoca.com/products/detail.php?product_id=1838
It's pure 100% purple yam. Just steam-cooked, pureed and dried to be used in baking. Never used it myself, but it has good reviews.
I actually saw some of my Chinese baking friends using this powder. They are selling it really $$$ on Amazon, but I think I will ask my husband to bring some back next time he goes to China for work.
:) yes, I'm lurking... shhh... those are pretty!
<whispering...> I will check out my Asian market.
Many people seem to use it to colour macaroons too.
Macaroon... another obsession inducing baking item. I am resisting it so far....
What do you think I mentioned it for? Resistance is futile. ::evil grin::
Ms Tx, How many people can make pastries like yours. Aren't there plenty of engineers and/or scientists in the world? But how many super-duper pastry chefs? Think about it. -Varda ( :-)
What a compliment, thanks!
...
But there aren't many engineers like me either. :P
Next up, beets?
Beet powder. :)
Grape skin powder could be nice too.
What color is that? Purple? Another one to try...
I bookmark every croissant recipe of yours I come across. Nearly every post on TFL inspires me, but your croissants and wonderful photography make me want to be you. I envy your patience in the Texas heat! Can't wait to try a colorful sourdough croissant myself!
Thanks for posting:)