The French have long laid claim to the invention of the croissant. This flaky, buttery pastry has been associated with all things French. However, it is believed to really have been the invention of the Austrians. The ‘Kipferl’ was believed to be the prototype of the croissant. The Kipferl is a crescent-shaped morning confection made plain, with nuts or other fillings. It is a denser and a less flaky bread, made with a softer dough. The history of the Kipferl dates back to the 13th century where it is referenced as a “sweet” and wasn’t until the mid-16th century that the Austrian treat became part of the ‘morning pastry’ritual.

The croissant owes a lot of its popularity to movies, starting from Audrey Hepburn's character of Holly Golightly in Breakfast at Tiffany’s. Cut to the modern day when you have food based shows showcasing celebrity chefs in search of the perfect croissant and groups of urban Indians taking trips to Paris and Vienna. This flaky delight has become something of a showstopper on the breakfast table.   

Chocolate Croissant/ Pain au Chocolate

Ingredients

Flour 2.4 Kg
Castor Sugar 600g
Whole Eggs 3pcs
Salt 60g
Bread Improver 60g
Dry Yeast 60g
Milk Powder 150g
Chilled Water Mineral 1,500 ml
Butter Unsalted 150g
Elle & Vire Butter (82% Fat) 1,400g
Filling        
Bake Stable Chocolate Sticks 400g
Egg 2 Pcs
Milk 30ml

METHOD

Soak the yeast with little bit of sugar in lukewarm water to activate it.
Make a dough with all the ingredients except for Elle & Vire butter.
The final temperature of the dough should not exceed 24-degree C.
Chill the dough overnight and then laminate it with 1.4 Kg of butter. Do a three single fold. Rest the dough enough between the folds.
Sheet out the laminated pastry to four mm thickness.
Place your chocolate sticks. Roll and cut to your desired size.
Prove the pastry at 30-degree temperature with 75% humidity.
Make an egg wash with the remaining eggs and milk.
Egg wash and bake at 190-degrees for 15 minutes.

—Chef Partha Prathim Bose, Four Seasons Hotel Bengaluru

Pain Au Chocolate Croissant

French Croissant Recipes

Ingredients

Flour 500 g - 4 cups
Water 120 ml -½ cup
Milk 120 ml - ½ cup
Sugar 50 g - ¼ cup
Salt 2 teaspoons
Instant dry yeast - 1 packet
Unsalted butter, softened - 3 tablespoons
Cold unsalted butter - 1 ¼ cups, cut into ½-inch (1 cm) thick slices (285 g)
Egg, beaten 1
Sweetened chocolate bars - 2 bars

Method

In a large bowl, mix the flour, water, milk, sugar, salt, yeast, and butter. Once the dough starts to clump, turn it out onto a clean counter. Lightly knead the dough and form it into a ball, making sure not to over-knead it. Cover the dough with plastic wrap and refrigerate for one hour.

Slice the cold butter in thirds and place it onto a sheet of parchment paper. Place another piece of parchment on top of the butter and beat it with a rolling pin.

Keeping the parchment paper on the butter, use a rolling pin to roll the butter into seven inch (18 cm) square, ½-inch (1 cm) thick. If necessary, use a knife to trim the edges and place the trimmings back on top of the butter and continue to roll into a square. Transfer the butter layer to the refrigerator.

To roll out the dough, lightly flour the counter. Place the dough on the counter and push the rolling pin once vertically into the dough and once horizontally to form four quadrants. Roll out each corner and form a 10-inch (25 cm) square.

Place the butter layer on top of the dough and fold the sides of the dough over the butter, enclosing it completely.

Roll the dough with a rolling pin to seal the seams, making sure to lengthen the dough, rather than widening it. Transfer the dough to a baking sheet and cover with plastic wrap. Refrigerate for an hour.

Roll out the dough on a floured surface until it's 8x24 inches (20x61 cm).

Fold the top half down to the middle and brush off any excess flour. Fold the bottom half over the top and turn the dough clockwise to the left. This completes the first turn. Cover and refrigerate for one hour.

Roll out the dough again two more times, completing three turns in total and refrigerating for 1 hour in between each turn. If at any time the dough or butter begins to soften, stop and transfer back to the fridge.

After the final turn, cover the dough with plastic wrap and refrigerate overnight.

To form the croissants, cut the dough in half. Place one half in the refrigerator.
Flour the surface and roll out the dough into a long narrow strip, about 8x40 inches (20x101 cm).

With a knife, trim the edges of the dough. Cut the dough into four rectangles.

Place the chocolate on the edge of the dough and roll tightly enclosing it in the dough.

Place the croissants on a baking sheet, seam side down. Repeat with the other half of the dough.

Brush the croissants with the beaten egg. Save the remaining egg wash in the fridge for later. Place the croissants in a warm place to rise for an hour or two. Preheat oven to 400°F (200°C).

Once the croissants have been proofed, brush them with one more layer of egg wash.

Bake for 15 minutes or until golden brown and cooked through. Serve warm.

— Pastry chef Durba Basu Ray, Ibis and Novotel Bengaluru Outer Ring Road

Raspberry Croissant

For the raspberry dough

Ingredients

Yeast 20g
Water 92ml
Flour (T45) 260g
Sugar 30g
Salt 5g
Bread improver 1g
Butter 40g
Milk powder 14g
Raspberry purée 85g (reduced to 40g)
Red liquid food colouring 1 drop

For the plain dough

Ingredients  

Yeast 12g
Water 126ml
Flour (T45) 260g
Sugar 30g
Improver 1g
Butter 40g
Milk powder 14g
Salt 5g

For the lamination butter: - 280g butter

For the filling

Ingredients    

Raspberry jam 250g
Marzipan 175g

For the egg wash

Ingredients

1 free-range egg plus 1 egg yolk    
Water 10ml
Salt 1g
Sugar 1g

Method

For the raspberry dough

Reduce the raspberry purée to 40g on the stove, allow to cool.

For the lamination butter:

Roll to a rectangular shape about 40x25cm (15½x10in) between two sheets of baking paper, then chill.

For the filling

Combine the ingredients in a mixer fitted with a paddle attachment until smooth. Place into a piping bag and reserve until needed.

For the egg wash

1. Combine the ingredients, then sieve.
2. For both doughs (prep separately):
3. Dissolve the yeast in the water.
4. Add all the ingredients, except the salt, to a machine mixing bowl, then mix for nine minutes on low speed. Add the salt and mix for another two minutes on high speed.
5. Chill for a minimum of two hours.

For the layering

Roll both doughs separately on a floured surface into 40x25cm (15½x10in) rectangles.
Place the plain dough on top of the raspberry dough, then lay the butter on top.
Roll the dough out again to 40x25cm (15½x10in). Fold both short ends in to meet in the middle, then fold the dough in half again to look like a closed book, leaving the raspberry dough on the outside. Wrap in clingfilm and chill for 30 minutes.

Roll the dough out to 40x25cm (15½x10in), then divide the dough into three lengthwise. Fold the top short end down onto the middle section, then fold the bottom short end up onto the layered dough in the centre, so that it forms three layers (single turn), leaving the raspberry dough on the outside. Wrap in clingfilm and chill for at least 30 minutes.
Roll out on a floured surface to 6mm (¼in) thick. Trim to straighten the long ends. Cut into 10x15cm (4x6in) triangles (80g each).

Apply a small hazelnut-sized bulb of filling in the centre of the 10cm (4in) edge and fold the cut edge of the dough over, then continue to roll towards the pointed end of the dough to form a croissant. Place on baking trays, leaving space between them to expand.

Prove in a warm place until doubled in size. 8 Preheat the oven to 165°C/Gas Mark 3. Brush the tops with egg wash and bake for 16-17 minutes.

Pastry chef Durba Basu Ray,

Raspberry Croissant