November 28, 2011 - 6:35pm
Recette des croissants
Great video on youtube. I don't understand 2 words of what is said, but there are a couple good tricks you can get just by watching. Anyone who speaks french want to take the time to tell me what he is explaining in the folding section of the video. It seems to have to do with how to fold to get even layers.
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I don't speak French but I am able to translate some of it (with the exception of what he's trying to explain when he cuts off the end of the flattened dough as he folds it) and I was able to create a recipe by just watching the video. Don't be concerned about the even edges. If you can't roll the rectangle evenly you can't get even edges; practice even pressure on the rolling pin.
Rolling out a rectangle is impossible, right? Has to have even edges to a rectangle. I'm teasing, but don't really understand what you mean, either.
I think I understand most of the folding. I think it looks like he folds the way he does to keep the dough flat. I'll try it on my next batch, but it looks like a much better way than just the simple tri-fold (letter fold). He's also making 4 layers per roll-out instead of 3, which is pretty cool, too. The part I really dont get is when he cuts the end off, but then puts it back into the dough, when it seems like could have just moved the dough and not cut it at all.
I really like the cutting an X in the dough ball trick! I hadnt seen that one, yet.
but I learned a lot: the X in the dough ball, and the smart way to roll out the butter piece to just the right size with the help of folded parchment paper.
Karin
When the parchment paper trick is possibly the coolest thing I have ever seen!
speak French pretty well and although I won't do a full translation, I can answer the question of why he trims the dough. He is doing it so that he has a neat edge to the dough when he does the single fold. That edge will be an exterior edge on the final roll out of the dough and may become the edge of a finished pastry - you want to be sure that the layers of butter are visible (as he explains). You will notice that the dough has "fishtailed" as he rolled it out - this is inevitable (even if you use a sheeter) - and simply needs to be trimmed to make sure the edges are as neat as possible and expose the butter layers. Rather than waste the trimming, he incorporates it into the detrempe.
Straight edges do matter. Everything matters.
Another note for those who don't understand the narration is that while he is rolling the detrempe for the single turn he seems to make little motions with the rolling pin that are uneven - he is demonstrating what NOT to do. He explains that you must roll the dough evenly and not put pressure in certain areas.
Hope this helps.
The folding technique illustrated is the beurrage, a double fold and a single. This method effectively supplies 2 and a half folds ( the beurrage is not counted) which will yield a more substantial croissant with some "tooth" to it.
He describes a stage which he calls "pointage" which would transalate as "pointing", or "making points," where he forms a ball with dough and slashes an "X" 30mm deep, (or a little over an inch.) He lets it rest "for a little while" (his words, no actual time is mentionned). He goes on to say that this step is important as it gets the dough proofing and relaxing. I'm not too sure what he means by that since a normal resting period is likely not long enough to get any noticeable proofing going, mind you, I've never done a pointage. I'll try it and see. I have to say that, in the next shot, the dough looks a lot flatter and seems to have proofed quite a bit. It could be that "a little while" is a lot longer than I expect.
After refrigeration, he places the butter on the top side of the dough. Often a skin forms. Putting the butter on the top side, keeps that any skin fromed inside the folded dough.
He states that it is best to NOT overlap folds so as to avoid having some areas of the dough having more layers than others. However, he also stresses that the folds should butt up cleanly against each other.
He taps the buttered dough to bind the butter to it before rolling out, and rolls out with openings away for him. He taps after every fold.
On his double fold, he does not fold 50/50 but closer to 65/35. He does so to avoid placing the point where two folds meet at the joint of the last fold. His logic is that if that happens, and if the seam opens, there will be a section of dough that is missing a fold. This sounds like a pretty good idea and we will try it out on our next batch.
The business of getting everything square and rectangular is to simplify the eventual shaping. By cutting off the ragged end and adding it back in, he keeps his full weight while keeping everything pretty much square. Not a bad idea... we just toss the trim into the next batch.
I particularly liked his method of using parchment to keep his butter block square and at an even thickness. We'll try that one too. We'll probably have to modify that trick to get the right size block.
Cheers
Paul
that was really intersting thanks, did anyone get how times he did the folds and rest? twice only? i guess any recipe would work?
I've made puff pastry and danish in the past, but using a short cut method of chopping the butter straight into the dough in the food processor, and then doing the rolls and rests, rather than preparing the dough and butter separately. I actually got good results too. will have to experiement and see, i love croissants.
Generally, one rests the dough before adding the butter slab, again after, again after each fold and finally before shaping. However, let the dough decide. If the dough is still workable (no butter leaks, no tears, etc) go ahead to the next step.
A fifteen minute rest in the fridge should be enough, but again, let the dough decide what it needs. Note: some prefer a shorter rest in the freezer but I find that that action presents more potential problems than it solves. If your butter gets too hard, your croissants will be seriously ugly. Sometimes the edges of the dough will freeze. I'd rather add a bit more waiting time than risk complications. Personal preference I guess.
We usually make 3 to 5 bigger batches at a time. By the time we add the butter slab (beurrage: French for "buttering") to the last batch, the first is rested enough. Same goes for folds ( we also use a double and a single... but we may add an extra single if the dough is "ugly").
Sorry, that I can't give you a definitive resting time... there are too many variables. Start with 15 minutes and adjust as needed.
BTW: Regarding final shaping... Some people like to do it like the video i.e. rolling by pushing away and out, others prefer having the wide part away from them and rolling by pulling towards themselves and out. Both way work. Personnally I prefer pulling towards me. Some of my guys prefer pushing, and a couple do both depending on how the triangle is oriented on the table (i.e. They push if it points away and pull if it points towards. It's faster but I usually notice a difference in final shape)
Cheers
Paul and Proth both.
I'm watching it again, turns out I know at least three words after all! Bonjour, croissant, and chocolat!
Maybe there is hope yet.
Actually, you know more French than you realize. Many terms used in English are actually French.
vis à vis : "as compared to" as in "New Customers are up vis à vis Sales."
R.S.V.P: "reply required" RSVP is short for "Repondez s'il vous plait" or Please reply
"Je ne sais quoi" : "I don't know what" as in "That desert has a certain Je ne sais quoi that makes it different"
"Comédie noir": "Black comedy/theatrical piece (depending on context)"
And of course...
"Ménage à trois": ""three-way thing" no further explanation needed
Cheers