My conversation with a pastry chef about butter changed how I make croissants

I was grabbing supplies at the baking supply store on 5th street and got to talking with this pastry chef named Lena. She told me European butter with 84% fat content makes a huge difference in lamination, I always just used whatever was on sale. She showed me how the lower water content means better layers and now I'm never going back to cheap butter. Has anyone else noticed a big difference switching butter brands for croissants?

2 comments

2 Comments

ryand2628d ago

Question if the average person could actually tell the difference in a blind test. I get that pro bakers notice that stuff but most of us are just making breakfast at home. Used cheap store brand butter for years and my croissants turned out fine. Felt flaky and tasted good enough that nobody complained. Maybe the 84% thing matters if you're doing 7 folds and trying to win a contest, but for a Sunday morning bake I doubt it's that serious.

barbara_kim28d ago

Wait, didn't you notice how much more flaky and tall the layers get with the good butter?