I Ran A Custom Croissant Bakery For A Day

Safiya Nygaard・2 minutes read

Croissants have gained immense popularity with variations like cronuts and crookies, attracting people with the challenging and satisfying process of making them. Black Box Bakery in Denver specializes in unique croissants, using precise techniques and creative fillings to create flaky, buttery pastries with intricate designs.

Insights

  • Croissants have evolved into a viral trend with variations like cronuts and crookies due to their challenging yet satisfying preparation process.
  • The intricate process of making croissants involves precise steps like laminating dough with butter, shaping it into orbs, and flattening it using specialized equipment, resulting in flaky, buttery pastries with unique flavors and designs.

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Recent questions

  • How are croissants made?

    Croissants are made by laminating dough with butter.

  • What is the purpose of a laminator in baking?

    A laminator is used to flatten dough quickly.

  • What are some unique croissant creations?

    Unique croissant creations include cube croissants.

  • How are croissant cubes decorated?

    Croissant cubes are decorated with simple syrup and fillings.

  • What flavors are incorporated into croissant fillings?

    Croissant fillings include mulled wine ganache and Earl Grey whipped ganache.

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Summary

00:00

"Art of Crafting Flaky Croissants Revealed"

  • Croissants have become a viral sensation, with various forms like cronuts, croffles, and crookies gaining immense popularity.
  • People are drawn to the process of making croissants due to its difficulty and satisfying steps.
  • Black Box Bakery in Denver specializes in unique croissants and agreed to let the narrator take over for a day.
  • The first step in making croissants is measuring out ingredients, including milk, bread flour, yeast, sugar, salt, and butter.
  • Croissant dough needs to be cold throughout the process, requiring frequent trips to the walk-in/freezer.
  • Black Box Bakery is known for pushing the boundaries of baked goods with creations like sweet potato maple starship and cheezit croissants.
  • The key to a croissant's flaky layers is laminating the dough by folding butter into it multiple times.
  • The narrator learns to shape the dough into orbs before flattening them into sheets using a laminator.
  • Professional pastry equipment like a sheeter is used to flatten the dough, eliminating the need for a rolling pin.
  • The process of making croissants involves precise steps and techniques, culminating in the creation of flaky, buttery pastries.

10:22

Electric dough sheeter creates flaky croissants efficiently.

  • The laminator is an electric dough sheeter used to flatten dough quickly.
  • Dough is placed on the sheeter and flattened using a conveyor belt.
  • After resting in the fridge, slabs of butter are added to the dough for lamination.
  • The dough is flattened further, butter is added, and the dough is folded to create layers.
  • The layers are folded multiple times to create a "book" of dough and butter.
  • The book is rested in the fridge before being flattened again and rolled onto a rod.
  • The dough is sliced into strips, then triangles, and stretched into long tails.
  • The dough is rolled into crescent shapes, creating croissants.
  • For cube croissants, the dough is rolled into logs and cut into Tootsie Roll shapes.
  • Custom cube croissants involve adding black food coloring to the dough for a unique design.

19:58

"Artistic Croissant Cubes with Festive Fillings"

  • Arielle and Safiya work on creating Swiss roll-like croissants with black dough that smudges near the top despite various cutting methods.
  • Arielle delicately fixes the smudges on the black dough to ensure the pinstripe spirals are visible.
  • The croissant cubes are hand-massaged, filled with in-house made fillings like mulled wine ganache and orange diplomat cream.
  • The mulled wine ganache is molecularly prepared with glucose, heavy cream, dark chocolate, and mulled wine for a festive flavor.
  • Arielle and Safiya prepare an Earl Grey whipped ganache with glucose, trimoline, Earl Grey tea bags, white chocolate chips, and salt for flavor enhancement.
  • The croissants are proofed in a humidifying cabinet to allow the dough to rise before baking.
  • The croissants and cubes are baked, with some croissants taking on unique shapes and the cubes being decorated with simple syrup and fillings.
  • Jordan instructs Safiya on decorating the mulled wine cube by creating holes for fillings and ensuring a generous amount is piped in.
  • Creative expression is key in decorating the top of the croissant cubes to make them visually appealing.
  • The final step involves decorating and filling the cubes with intricate designs to make them eye-catching and delicious.

28:55

Innovative Pastry Creations: A Winter Collaboration

  • Safiya and her team work on creating a mulled wine cube and a custom striped gilded egg croissant.
  • They mix Earl Grey ganache with heavy whipping cream to lighten it and mix elderflower syrup into Colorado Mountain honey for added flavor.
  • The cube is filled with the cream mixture and topped with abstract mountain-like dollops of vanilla whipped cream and elderflower honey.
  • The croissant is described as buttery, with good layers, and a moist interior, though lacking a perfect honeycomb structure.
  • The mulled wine cube is challenging to eat but offers a festive and flavorful experience, with a nice balance of flavors.
  • The custom striped gilded egg croissant is gooey and overflowing with cream, but not overwhelmingly sweet due to the balance of tea and elderflower flavors.
  • The final pastries are described as a collaboration between Safiya and Black Box Bakery, with a winter mountainous flavor profile and a hint of goth aesthetic.
  • Safiya reflects on her experience and growth in pastry-making, thanking Black Box Bakery for the lessons learned.
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