Tackling croissants at home

I love all things that come out of an oven. But, I have a thing for bread that makes me feel alive every time I watch them bloom. If there is anything else that comes close to that feeling, it has got to be laminated pastry.

I still remember the first day I tackled croissants at home and even though they weren't perfect, I felt truly accomplished. I had little to NO knowledge about pastry or bread whatsoever and boy! I never thought I'd do it for a living, just a year later. Life never stops surprising me !

Quitting my job and getting myself enrolled in the pastry school was the boldest decision I took in my life. But it paid off at the end, in 10 folds. After three years of dedication, pastry school and two very satisfying jobs, I have no regrets.

Making french pastry was particularly one of my favorite jobs. I was lucky to have gotten the chance to work along-side passionate and skillful people. I learnt countless things and mastered certain techniques to the point that I could almost do them with my eyes closed.

The most important lesson I learnt, is that following a recipe is one thing and knowing what you do is another. So if anyone out there is attempting to make croissants or any laminated pastry at home, I hope, these tips would help in some way.

If you have left over croissants, they can be used in many ways. Wrap them in plastic and leave at room temperature for up to a day or refrigerate to keep for up to a week. You can freeze them in zip lock bags too.

If you want to keep them for longer, place in a airtight container and freeze up to several weeks. Thaw over night in fridge and freshen up by baking for 5-10 minutes in a moderate oven.

My favorite is almond croissants. For this you need some custard, almond cream, a bit of sugar syrup(optional) and almond flakes. Here is how to make them;

And there you go!

If you have got any more leftovers, freeze them and later turn them in to 'pudding'. Use any bread and butter pudding recipe and replace the bread with croissants. I usually split the croissants in half, length wise and count one half as a slice of bread.