Had a croissant disaster yesterday and it flipped my whole method

I was at my kitchen counter in Omaha trying to laminate butter for a batch of croissants and the butter block shattered into pieces when I rolled it out. The temp was too cold and I had rushed the chill time, so instead of smooth layers I got greasy mess. Anyone else have a butter fail that taught you to slow down and watch your thermometer closer?

2 comments

2 Comments

smith.nancy1d ago

Did you try resting the butter at room temp for 10 minutes before rolling it out?

-1

shane_hayes1d ago

Wait, did @smith.nancy actually just say 10 minutes? That is not nearly enough time for butter to come to room temp unless your kitchen is a sauna. Cold butter straight from the fridge will crack and tear your dough every time, I have been there and it is a complete mess to fix. You need at least 30-45 minutes depending on how warm your house is, the butter should bend without breaking. No wonder your pastry is coming out tough if you are rushing the butter that hard.