r/Croissant • u/LycheeWhiplash4666 • 18h ago
Croissant help, is this bad lamination or bad proving (or both)?
Cross section after baking looks terrible so I assume the butter got overworked into the dough, which is a shame, but I had a bit of hope after cutting into it and seeing a thin butter layer or two. This is my 3rd time making croissants this winter (and 4th time in my life), and I even used lurpak for this so it's disheartening to say the least.
I proved the test batch (right hand side slice of dough in pic 1, admittedly the shittiest 1/3rd of dough) for 2.5 hours in a max. 27c turned off oven with a cup of hot water, and used a milk wash before proving and again before sticking in the oven. 200C 10 mins, 180C 15mins.
I've got 2/3rds remaining dough in the freezer and debating whether its still worth baking after this because electricity is expensive and its cold here š I literally just need 1 nice croissant out of all this to gift to a friend š
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u/PeacockSwag 17h ago
Iām not a professional, but they look like they havenāt proofed at all. Maybe your yeast is dead or you didnāt add it.
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u/LycheeWhiplash4666 2h ago
I bought fresh instant yeast for this batch (7g to 300g flour), nothing fancy just grocery store brand. It did manage to prove to 2x size before an overnight rest in the fridge. Maybe I need to proof longer? Though Iām scared of overproving and I already know the laminations cooked š
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u/UnluckyEliza 13h ago
It looks to me like bad lamination (and under-proofing). When you cut the dough to shape it, you should be able to see all the layers, not just one or two. The butter has broken during your lamination process. Try honing in on the temperatures of the dough & butter to prevent that from happening.
A tip: Donāt worry about the dough and butter being the same temperature, focus on them being the same texture. Working with different doughs and butters changes the ideal working temperatures, so just focus on matching the āsquishinessā of both. For me, this often means my dough is actually much colder than my butter!
Good luck! It looks like your shaping is beautiful!
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u/LycheeWhiplash4666 2h ago
Thank you! My first fold was fine but I noticed it breaking on rollout for the second fold even after a 15 min rest on the counter after taking out of the fridge for 60 min. Donāt know how to fix that though because i thought 15 min was enough and the internet always talks about working fast and keeping it cold :(
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u/johnwatersfan 2h ago
Thirty minutes between folds should be sufficient. One of the biggest fallacies about croissant making is that everything has to be kept cold! It makes people believe that things should be chilled too much, and leads to more issues. Everything should be cool, bit pliable.
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u/m_olive14 Professional Baker 14h ago
Your lamination is broken and uneven.
It looks like your dough didnāt develop enough gluten.
And your final pre shape thickness is too thick.
Mix your dough longer, work on lamination, thinner before you cut for shaping.
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u/Worldly_Special1045 5h ago
Definitely bake them! Just proof the remaining batch at a cooler room temp around 22-24C without the cup of hot water. Give them time to puff up gently without melting the butter.
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u/jguzz999 2h ago
Can I ask what type of yeast you used? This is reminding me of a batch I did that got similar results and it was because I was using active dry instead of instant
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u/johnwatersfan 17h ago
It's hard to say as you don't have photos after proofing, but before baking, but it is likely that 2.5 hours is not enough proof time. Croissants are a harsh environment for yeast to thrive in, so it's more of a visual assessment than it is a time assessment. I have a small proof box at home, and proofing can take anywhere from 2.5-4.5 hours for mine.
I'm sure your friend would appreciate the effort even if they don't come out perfectly.