My puff pastry turned into a sad pancake last Tuesday

I tried making croissants from scratch for the first time and forgot to chill the butter properly... ended up with a greasy flat mess that looked nothing like the flaky layers in the YouTube video. My kitchen counter was covered in butter puddles and I had to toss the whole batch after 3 failed attempts. Has anyone else had a pastry disaster that taught you a weird lesson about temperature control?

2 comments

2 Comments

ivanbell15h ago

Butter puddles sound like a crime scene, not baking.

the_piper13h ago

Have you tried sticking the butter in the freezer for like 10 minutes before cutting it? That always helps me get cleaner chunks so they don't melt into a weird mess, ivanbell. I usually cube it up cold and toss it straight into the flour mix, keeps everything more solid. Yeah butter puddles are gross but a quick chill stops that from happening.