Croissant

Croissant (French croissant — “crescent”) is an iconic symbol of French baking and breakfast, a tender crisp roll in the shape of a crescent made of flaky yeast-leavened dough. Despite the association with France, its prototype (the Austrian kipferl) came from Vienna, but it was French bakers who brought it to perfection.

The secret of the croissant lies in the technology of laminating the dough. Yeast dough is rolled out and folded many times with a sheet of cold butter, forming dozens of very thin alternating layers of dough and butter. During baking the moisture from the butter turns to steam, which “blows apart” these layers, pushing them apart — thus arises the characteristic airy, multi-layered, honeycomb structure of the crumb and the incredibly thin, crisp, flaky surface. The finished croissant has a golden crust that sheds flakes, a tender buttery flavour, and an aroma. The classic croissant is eaten for breakfast, often with butter, jam, chocolate, or honey, with coffee. There are also filled variations — with chocolate (pain au chocolat), almond, cream, ham, and cheese. Making a true croissant is a true art demanding skill and precision. The croissant is the embodiment of the French boulangerie, a small daily joy.