RantMachine Posted October 29, 2014 Share Posted October 29, 2014 After the oh-so-popular "how to transport a cake on a motorcycle" thread, I have a significantly more boring but still baking related question;Has anyone ever made their own croissants?I need to make some, and I'd like them to be freshly cooked when I serve them, but the prep time is spread across nearly 6 hours So I'm just wondering if you can make them the night before and get them completely ready then leave them in the fridge overnight and cook them in the morning. Maybe pop them in the fridge just before the step of letting them rise at room temperature for 60 minutes, and do that in the morning along with the actual cooking (another 20 minutes)? I can't imagine it doing them any harm, but... well, I don't have the best luck in the world, do I? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Grumpy Old Git Posted October 29, 2014 Share Posted October 29, 2014 OK to do what you have suggest but... If they are 'chinese' you will need to re-wire the fridge! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RantMachine Posted October 29, 2014 Author Share Posted October 29, 2014 Can't I just leave the fridge in the corner of my garage until the battery dies and hope it'll go away magically? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Miguel the Penguin Posted October 29, 2014 Share Posted October 29, 2014 I don't know if it would be good enough for you, but you can buy frozen croissants and then bake them for 20 minutes when required. They come out really well, and are as close to freshly made as you can get without hours of faffing.Definitely available in Sainsburgers, not sure about the other supermarkets... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RantMachine Posted October 29, 2014 Author Share Posted October 29, 2014 Yeah, I'm familiar with those - the Tesco ones are pretty good, too.Unfortunately the whole reason I'm making them myself is that they need to be vegan friendly, which (unsurprisingly) is too small a niche for the supermarkets to cater to! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Joeman Posted October 29, 2014 Share Posted October 29, 2014 http://www.peta2.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/12/christian-vegan-meme-copy1-567x370.jpg Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
XmisterIS Posted October 29, 2014 Share Posted October 29, 2014 Personally, I would just buy fresh croisants from a baker. I've seen them made on a TV program about French food, and it looks like the Devil's own job to make them. They are made of a pastry which is very difficult to make and very easy to screw up and have to start all over again, then you have to roll it out very thin, then smear it with butter, then fold it in half, then roll it out again, then smear with butter again, then roll out again, etc, etc, etc, about twenty times. If you screw up at any point, you have to start all over again from scratch. IMHO, life is too short for that croisant-making malarkey! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Joeman Posted October 29, 2014 Share Posted October 29, 2014 yep, its all about the Lamination.roll out your pastry nice and thin, cover it in grated butter (freeze the butter so it grates) then fold it over.Then roll flat and fold again.. keep going about 10 times to get many laminations...I only know this as i saw it on a cookery program at the weekend.... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MarkW Posted October 29, 2014 Share Posted October 29, 2014 Just asked my mother, who is staying with us for half term, and she said they should be fine if you make the pastry the night before and bake them the next morning.I have to read the transporting a cake on a motorcycle thread! Last time I went to her house I had to leave a rather splendid bakewell tart behind, which she subsequently scoffed Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stu Posted October 29, 2014 Share Posted October 29, 2014 next question who is she ollie? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Who else but Quagmire Posted October 29, 2014 Share Posted October 29, 2014 It's a bit like this but withouth the marshmallows."> Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bonniebird Posted October 29, 2014 Share Posted October 29, 2014 Yes you can do it the night before - you want it chilled anyway before it goes in the oven as it helps maintain the laminations.I think folding in thirds rather than halves helps increase the laminations too.Mind you, i think the last time iI actually tried it was about 30odd years ago.Don't mind a bit of rough puff though Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Adam Posted October 29, 2014 Share Posted October 29, 2014 Yes that'll be fine Ollie, we do it at work. It's a process called retardation which basically means delaying the cycle by stalling it until you're ready to use it. Helps bakery's have more products available fresh in the morning. You're a braver man than me though I wouldn't want to make them by hand, let us know how you get on you might find a hidden talent, plus if they're super tasty there's a market for them! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RantMachine Posted October 29, 2014 Author Share Posted October 29, 2014 Cool, cheers for all the input guys! Was meant to make them tomorrow but may have to put it off courtesy of further bike problems... But it'll be useful when I get the chance Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Grumpy Old Git Posted October 30, 2014 Share Posted October 30, 2014 Yeah, I'm familiar with those - the Tesco ones are pretty good, too.Unfortunately the whole reason I'm making them myself is that they need to be Veganfriendly, which (unsurprisingly) is too small a niche for the supermarkets to cater to! Therefore NO BUTTER for all you subsequent 'posties'.I personally cannot imagine how one souch pastry would taste!Good Luck! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Joeman Posted October 30, 2014 Share Posted October 30, 2014 Yeah, I'm familiar with those - the Tesco ones are pretty good, too.Unfortunately the whole reason I'm making them myself is that they need to be Veganfriendly, which (unsurprisingly) is too small a niche for the supermarkets to cater to! Therefore NO BUTTER for all you subsequent 'posties'.I personally cannot imagine how one souch pastry would taste!Good Luck! yeah, but you need to substitute the butter for the Vegan equivalent otherwise it wont be a croissant, it will be a ball of dough! the whole point of Croissants is the flakey crispy layers... without butter, thats gonna be hard to achieve...What kind of bugs me about Veggies and Vegans is that they want to eat the same foods, but they want to make them Vegan/Veggie friendly... why cant they invent their own recipes??Its kind of like us meat eaters wanting a salad but swapping the lettuce for slices of green coloured ham, and the tomatoes for red coloured meatballs! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RantMachine Posted October 30, 2014 Author Share Posted October 30, 2014 Well, I would imagine that you could argue that cake/croissants/etc are pretty awesome and if you can make a vegan friendly version then why miss out? As for how well it will go, I'll tell you afterwards...Although in my mind, the main argument for vegan friendly versions of non-vegan dishes is that you can all eat more or less the same meal! I really wanted croissants and coffee for brunch last sunday but would've felt like a bit of a dick if I were the only one that could actually eat anything Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted October 30, 2014 Share Posted October 30, 2014 many years ago.. around 2000. i did some temping at a local 'huge' bakery. for a couple of days (thankfully only a couple) I worked on the croissant production line.. it was back breaking work. but.. also fairly disgusting. the stink.. I can smell it now. of the 'batter' they used.. i call it batter because thats practically what it was. with its 'fake' butter.. the smell of which was revolting. though having said that the end product was fine. the bakery supplied M&S.But.. since then I've not been able to bring myself to buy croissants from a supermarket. when I do buy them.. its from a little local bakery. and they're gorgeous.not sure how 'vegan' croissants would pan out given that the high butter content is really what they're all about. but then.. nothing surprises me anymore. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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