Unexpected Find: The Delayed Egg Wash

As you may know, my second attempt at croissants resulted in a quite pale version of the original. After realizing a little late in the initial baking process that I had not slathered egg wash atop each roll, I was disheartened at the pasty pastries that I extracted from the oven. As I gazed at their less-than-glossy surfaces, I wondered if I could apply the egg wash and try a second round in the oven. Would this ruin them for good, or revive them? I had to try!

At the same baking temperature as before – 360 degrees – I applied the wash to one previously baked croissant (using more yolk than white), and left one without to test the variation. In they went for roughly 6 minutes. At first there appeared to be no observable difference between the two but, after the time was up, there was a remarkable transformation for one. It became golden, the texture of the pastry more pronounced (and most certainly more appetizing).

What I did not expect was that the croissants themselves would thus feel so different. The egg wash infused the first with moisture, allowing for an easy tear reminiscent of the first croissants I had baked. The second “unwashed” version was difficult to separate into two halves, seeming to have gotten drier and tougher.

All in all, I now know that I could have popped out the croissants the moment I realized the wash was missing, painted it atop each proofed piece of dough, and the pastries ultimately would have been fine. A successful experiment, but one I hope not to repeat (by remembering the wash in the first place)!

Until next time,
SugarSource

Spotlight: Croissant Class – Take Two

After initially taking the croissant class at Mille Feuille in December, I thought I was ready to tackle baking croissants. The course may have left me a little overconfident, and my first batch proved to be less-than-appetizing. With that in mind, I wanted to share my top tips:

• Do not let the dough proof before you have rolled and assembled your croissants. Upon departing Mille Feuille, I proceeded to run errands for hours, allowing the dough plenty of opportunity to rise in my purse. Though it did not make it mess, it did complicate the rolling and proofing process once I was ready to make use of it.
• Related, but somewhat different: do not allow your dough to get too warm. The butter will start to melt, reducing the overall flakiness of the pastries.
• Do not attempt to use the dough after a few days. The yeast will slowly lose its ability to activate.
• Do use a good amount of flour to help with the rolling process, but do not forget to brush it off before you assemble or proof the pastries. Excess flour can lead to a bitter or distorted taste.
• If you do not have a convection oven, placing an empty baking sheet below the sheet with pastries helps to create a convection-like environment.
• Do not forget the egg wash step after proofing! Croissants have that beautiful golden-brown hue because of this step and it should not be overlooked. Otherwise, they may turn out like the above!

I will give croissants another shot, from start to finish in my own kitchen, using the directions provided by the instructor.

Until next time,
SugarSource