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Pro tip: my old boss at the shop in Davenport told me to chill my dough, and 3 hours later I finally got it
I worked at a small bakery in Davenport for about two years and my boss Ray was a grumpy guy who barely gave advice. When I first started doing croissants, I was rushing the whole thing, mixing, shaping, baking all in one go because I thought cold dough was just a waste of time. Ray watched me struggle through maybe 6 batches of flat, greasy bricks and finally just said, "put it in the cooler, kid, it ain't going anywhere." I ignored him for another month because I was stubborn and thought I knew better. Then one Friday I was behind on a big order, threw the dough in the walk in mostly out of panic, forgot about it for 3 hours, and came back to the easiest lamination of my life. The layers actually held, the butter didn't smear, and those croissants came out looking like the ones in the case. Ray just nodded at me from the oven like he had known the whole time. Now I want to know how long you all rest your dough before shaping, because I still mess with the timing depending on the kitchen temp.
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rowanlewis18d ago
Bakers on a forum I lurk on swear by an overnight cold proof, like 8 to 12 hours in the fridge, and claim it beats a short chill every time. Tried it once with a batch of danish and the butter stayed put so well I almost felt bad for all the smeared trays I used to pull out. My kitchen runs hot in summer so I usually go longer, maybe 4 hours if the AC is off, less if its winter and the place is cold. There was a thread where a guy said poke the dough with a finger and if it springs back slow you're good, which sounds fake but honestly works for me. Still, nothing has topped that first accidental 3 hour rest, sometimes dumb luck teaches you more than any recipe.
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