7th June 2010: Croissant (Pâte Croissant)

Seriously, I’ve never been a big fan of bread and dough. Having to go through so much hassle with my first croissant makes me wonder if I’d ever eat or make another ever again! I don’t mean to scare you but; oh well – that is how I feel. Anyway, the method of working with the dough is quite similar to the pâte feuilletée. One difference is – the pâte croissant contains yeast. Placing the beurre manié (butter)on my détrempe (basic dough) were definitely not my worst nightmare. It’s the process of enveloping the dough with my butter inside – that’s the trick.

And seriously, MY WORST NIGHTMARE is making sure my dough doesn’t spit butter while I roll it with my rolling pin. I know what you’re thinking – make sure I dust heaps of flour will help prevent my dough from splitting and sticking to my work bench. Yeah, that helps – it’s my hands that won’t synchronize with the work flow!

Mixing the ingredients were also one of the crucial I had to face every single day when I work with my products. I know what the smartie pants would say – hell no! Well, hell yes when I’ve got to mix everything with my hands and loyal spatula or whisk. I’ve been sent back to basic land with no kitchen mixer – all that is a quid pro quo situation for someone who wants to be a chef pâtissier. Nothing comes free. If you want to work and survive; you have to do what it takes. Certainly, I do miss the times when I get a free moment to myself and gazing into the mixer bowl while the ingredients twirl into heavenly mixture.

I guess dreaming won’t make me happy. So working on reality might help better. Let’s just hope Brioche would bring me better joy!