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I finally figured out what went wrong with my croissants after 8 tries
So I've been trying to make croissants from scratch since last December. My first 7 batches came out like flat greasy pancakes. Last week I was watching a baking show at 2am and realized I was skipping the rest period between folding the butter in. I was rushing it. The butter kept breaking through the dough because it wasn't cold enough between turns. Finally took my time, stuck the dough in the fridge for a full 30 minutes between each fold, and they actually puffed up. Not perfect but way better. Anyone else ever miss some tiny step for months and then feel dumb when you spot it?
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grayperez4mo ago
Yeah that's the thing about stuff like this, you don't just learn the recipe you learn the rhythm of it. It's like when I finally realized I was overwatering my houseplants for months because I thought they needed constant moisture but actually they just needed to dry out completely between waterings. We get so focused on the big steps that we completely forget the tiny pauses in between are the whole point. It's wild how much of life is like that, you know? Like the rest is the actual work.
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brookes374mo ago
Learning the rhythm of it" is spot on. I saw an interview with a chef once who said the hardest thing to teach new cooks isn't the recipes, it's knowing when to just leave the pan alone.
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lisa_bennett3mo ago
The rest is the actual work" is such a good way to put it. I had this whole thing with baking bread where I kept messing up because I was too impatient with the rising times. I'd be like "okay it's been 45 minutes that should be enough" and then it would come out like a brick. Finally someone told me to literally set a timer and walk away. Don't peek, don't poke it, just let it sit. And it worked. Now I just leave it alone and come back when the timer goes off and it's perfect every time. Funny how doing less is actually doing more.
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