Top French baker explains how to make a perfect croissant

DW (English)

Light and fluffy, shiny and golden brown are the ideal. But exactly what does it take to make the perfect croissant? Parisian Adrien Ozaneaux, the best croissant baker in all France for 2021, reveals his secrets.

Transcript

00:00 One serving of French clichés, s'il vous plaît.

00:04 The Eiffel Tower, of course.

00:06 The baguette, for sure.

00:08 And the croissant, one of the best-loved pastries in all of France.

00:13 Croissant means crescent, even though not all croissants are curved these days.

00:18 But more on its shape later.

00:20 First, how exactly do you bake the perfect croissant?

00:24 That's a question for Adrien Auzanneau.

00:29 In the Paris suburb of Epinay-sur-Orge, people line up for his croissants.

00:34 In 2021, he was officially named France's best croissant baker in a national competition.

00:42 When I heard that I'd won, I was pleased, but also stressed.

00:49 And I didn't even yet know that instead of 300 croissants a day, I would end up having to make 1,200.

00:56 His prize-winning croissants are made of two different kinds of flour.

01:00 Butter, sugar, yeast, milk with a little cream, water and salt.

01:08 What's very important are high-quality ingredients in the right amounts.

01:14 And my own tip, a bit of honey.

01:17 The dough has to be thoroughly kneaded.

01:23 Otherwise, the ingredients won't blend properly and the croissants won't rise as they should.

01:27 Next, he rolls out the dough and lets it set.

01:34 Then comes the decisive moment.

01:40 He works a thick layer of butter into the dough.

01:43 Most French people regard the butter croissant, not the normal one, as the true croissant.

01:51 A normal croissant is made with margarine, but I don't like the taste.

01:54 For a really good croissant, you need very good butter.

01:58 Adrien wraps a generously thick pad of butter into the dough.

02:04 My tip? I cut the dough along the butter's edge, so the butter and dough are evenly layered over each other.

02:15 What makes croissant dough especially flaky is a process called laminating.

02:19 The dough is rolled out with the butter and folded again and again.

02:23 The chef has to let the dough rest and rise periodically.

02:27 You can see the layers of butter.

02:34 Then Adrien cuts the dough into the ideal size.

02:40 This is a cross-section of a croissant in the shape of a triangle.

02:44 You tug on this triangle and roll it up into a crescent.

02:53 The croissants by this master pastry chef are very delicate.

03:01 They are very delicate, but they are also very delicate.

03:05 The croissants by this master pastry maker not only have to taste good, they have to look good as well.

03:13 I spray my croissants twice with an egg mixture, once before they rise and once before they bake.

03:22 That way they won't dry out and they look nice.

03:25 They shine even more.

03:28 Now they're done.

03:35 Without a doubt, good croissants take time.

03:38 Altogether, almost nine hours from start to finish.

03:42 But to Adrien, they're well worth it.

03:46 If you don't take enough time for the preparation, the croissants don't turn out well.

03:53 A good croissant takes time.

03:55 Only then can it develop its full flavor, and it keeps longer as well.

04:00 When croissants are produced industrially, it has to go quickly, and you notice the difference.

04:05 They're not likely to be as good or look as nice either.

04:09 In France, a butter croissant generally goes for between 1 euro and 1 euro 20.

04:16 It weighs 50 grams and packs 250 calories,

04:20 which may explain why most French people don't indulge in them every day.

04:24 And they prefer French-made croissants.

04:28 No doubt whatsoever, the French make the best croissants.

04:31 That comes from all the experience, the good ingredients,

04:34 and the very special method that only the French have mastered so well.

04:39 Bon appétit!

04:43 (upbeat music)

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