Understanding Laminated Dough: Croissants & Puff Pastry

The journey of the croissant, a prime example of viennoiserie, from its historical roots to its modern cultural significance, further illustrates the profound impact of laminated dough on global culinary traditions.

The Authentic Croissant: Origins, Evolution, and Cultural Significance

This investigation draws on concepts that have shaped the discipline of folklore since its inception to exact a fresh encounter with a transnationally popular item of Viennoiserie: the crescent-shaped pastry known as the croissant. Their application to this ephemeral foodways item sheds light on the croissant’s roots, dissemination, and distinct permutations. I discuss the origins of the pastry in the light of historic-geographic methodologies; its diffusion and evolution with reference to scholarship on tradition bearers, oikotypification, intertextuality and the role of the individual in perpetuating a tradition; and matters of its commodification and authenticity through consideration of how tradition functions in the modern age. Finally, through an autoethnographic approach, I draw on personal experience to consider one way in which croissant consumption may be traditionalized.















The way of the Croissant: Traditional perspectives on a traditional pastry, R Hopkin, 2016

Further scientific inquiry into the precise mechanics of dough lamination reveals how the number and integrity of these layers critically influence the final volume and flakiness of pastries.

Mastering Croissant Flakiness: The Science of Laminated Dough Folding

The purpose of this experiment is to determine the effect on volume, flakiness, and air cell size and amount in basic croissants when the dough is folded less than and more than what’s currently considered standard. The process of dough lamination, or the creation of alternating layers of dough and fat, is a technique used in various pastries. The layer of fat, often butter or margarine, creates an impenetrable barrier to the steam, or water vapor, produced by surrounding dough layers. This facilitates lift within the pastry and while many types don’t contain yeast, lamination becomes crucial to the finalized shape and volume of the product. The more layers of fat, the more supposed lift a pastry can undergo, however, as folds increase, the thinning of each fat layer also increases the likelihood of fracture or pooling together unevenly. Thus, too much fracturing can result in a loss of gas retention and lift as well as decrease the flakiness. Consequently, a balance must be fo

Effects of Folding on Laminated Dough, 2023

The key ingredients in laminated dough include flour, water, salt, and, most importantly, butter. Each ingredient plays a crucial role in the final product. High-quality butter is essential for flavor and creating the flaky layers, while the flour provides structure. Water activates the gluten, allowing the dough to stretch and hold its shape during the lamination process. The importance of using quality ingredients cannot be overstated, as they directly impact the texture and flavor of the finished pastry.

Croissant dough and puff pastry are both types of laminated dough, but they differ significantly in their ingredients and preparation methods. Understanding these differences is crucial for any aspiring baker.