The French home cook is famous for making a delicious, elaborate dinner ... but always buying her dessert from the local patisserie. And very few people in France make their own bread or croissants because that's what the boulangerie is for. But Americans are different. We seem to like playing with elaborate laminated doughs and complicated, lengthy recipes. What about you?
Perhaps this is because until recently, it was pretty hard to find a decent croissant in many US cities and so, with our can-do Yankee spirits in full display, we decided to just make them ourselves. We also tend to have larger kitchens than most Europeans, which helps when you're rolling long sheets of dough, and of course, we have larger refrigerators to rest the doughs in between rolling. And larger ovens, too. Heck, Americans are just larger all around!
Where I live, I am lucky to have several really decent bakeries that have perfected the croissant. So rather than spend hours in the kitchen making them at home, I purchase a few every now and then and spread them with my homemade jam or marmalade as a nod to my usual preference for homemade.
How about you? What complicated pastries to you enjoy making at home?
Related: Recipe Review: Home Made Croissants from Tartine Bakery
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There's no option for "I haven't yet, but it will be magnificent when I do." :-)
I use grass fed butter and eggs from the backyard, what I lack in technique is usually more than made up by the excellent taste of the ingredients.
I live in France and would never make pastries or bread, since the boulangeries do it so much better than I could ever (and it is part of the french life, walking to the boulangerie etc..). My mother in law (back in the US) constantly tells me I should learn how to make them but I don't see any reason to...until we move back to the States because I can't find a good french bread/pastries for the life of me.
Oh, those Trader Joe's ones are HEAVEN.
Oh, those Trader Joe's ones are HEAVEN.
I have aspirations to try making these things... but then there are so many steps involved and my aspirations for a vegan-esque diet would be drowned in all of the butter. And then I have to consider the rampant humidity of my climate, and the endless chilling required for both dough and butter... I would definitely need a larger kitchen, and an armada of cleaning ladies to help scour the flour out of pretty much everything...
After I learn some passable French, I will go visit and get the real thing :D
I bake pretty much everything from scratch--EXCEPT croissants, which I either get from the awesome French bakery near us or make from the Trader Joe frozen (chocolate) ones (which are surprisingly great).
I tried my hand at making croissants just earlier this year (I got the Tartine cookbook, and KNEW that was the first thing I wanted to make). They are delicious! I find that truly delicious croissants are becoming harder and harder to find these days, or cost a premium, so it's really nice having a whole batch in my freezer to proof and bake as I see fit. While it did take a long time (a lot of dough resting), I didn't think it was hard, per se--just tedious. That said, I've already made 2 batches, and will probably make another once the ones in the freezer are gone. It's worth it to me!
Orangette's Chausson Aux Pommes are on regular rotation at our house for morning. Store bought puff pastry so it's a bit of a cheat. I love seeing my kids walk out the door to school with a warm pastry in hand.
I used to work as a pastry cook in a bakery and I would never make pastries at home. Bread yes. But pastries too much work rolling, folding and resting it all and in the end I think pancakes or muffins are just as good and not as much work.
I make a large batch of croissants at the holidays easch year, as well as the pastry for a beef wellington. I like the challenge and the time alone in the kitchen (I kick everyone out on occasion, in the name of delicious food). During the rest of the year, though, I keep it simple.
I do love making more complicated and time consuming pastries like croissants for the same reason I love following a complicated lace knitting chart, it's meditative and clears my mind of everything except for the task at hand.
And then I get to eat it.