November 13, 2017 - 11:56am
Chewy croissant crust
Hi,
I have been wondering why my homemade croissant and puff pastry have had a chewy texture to them. It even sticks to the teeth. I know the dough should not be kneaded so what is the problem? I do the folding the night before leaving it in the fridge and then roll out, proof and cook the next day.
Share
Can you add some detail - ingredients method etc ?
My first thought was that they could be underbaked. It's very easy to undercook croissants and puff pastry, so you may have to experiment with your timing and temperature. The croissants should be deep golden brown all over, including the area right next to the cut edges. They should also feel light in your hand. Also, if you are using high-protein flour, you may want to switch to all-purpose flour. I even add some pastry flour because my KAF all-purpose is still pretty high in protein.
King arthur bread flour is really strong flour and for croissant at 50% that would be a really tough dough. Even an AP at that hydration can pose some difficulty during lamination and needs extra rest time. So far i have found 9.4% protein is much more compliant durong lamination. Totally agree to add some pastry flour to KA AP. I did croissants with 10% gold medal AP on the weekend amd found it quite resistant (even after 1hr rest / chill between folds)
I did use high protein flour, 30% manitoba 70% bread flour, since the butter doesn't burst out easily when rolling. What method is suitable if i use a lower protein content flour knowing the dough will be more fragile?
For croissant dough, the less initial gluten development the better. The laminating process will strengthen your dough, as will the resting period before makeup. If you are using a counter-top mixer, only mix for 1-2 minutes, until you don't see the loose flour anymore, but the dough is still lumpy. I divide my liquid between two containers, and dissolve yeast in one, and salt and sugar in the other. This way I don't end up with lumps of dry yeast with this short mixing process. After a couple of turns, this lumpy dough will be perfectly smooth and stronger, but not too strong. It will be very easy to roll out, so you won't squeeze out the butter in the process. Also, I'm sure you know this, the butter block and the dough should be the same consistency, so it's very important to let the dough chill in the fridge or even freezer before you incorporate the butter block. This is another factor that will help to distribute the butter evenly. I think a lot of recipes out there were developed for weaker European flours, and they don't take into account the strong prairie wheat available in the U.S. and Canada. (By the way: my old pastry instructors were French and they were in love with Canadian wheat but they had trouble adjusting to the much higher protein content. So don't be afraid to lower it a bit.)