Butter always floods croissants

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chueh

Senior Cook
Joined
Feb 9, 2009
Messages
145
When I used the exact amount of butter called for the croissant recipe, the croissants just "floated on" the flooded butter when done. When I cut down the butter, the butter still oozed out of the croissants, despite of not flooding. The butter was still oozed out twice area as the croissant themselves.

I followed the directions with correct temperature and time.....Why did it happen this way????
 
It's impossible to diagnose without knowing the recipe used and the technique. For instance, did you roll/pound the butter (real butter) into a tissue thin sheet? For four clubs of flour, perhaps only 3 tbsp of butter is used. And did you then fold into thirds and roll the dough and butter at least three times? And what was the baking time and temperature.

It is hard to imagine butter oozing from them with the modest amount of butter that is so distributed among so many layers, even if the time/temperature was incorrect.
 
The recipe is included below my reply. I have never made this successful before but my croissants were always flooded with butter.

I followed the recipe, making the butter into shape and chill before I worked on the dough, bringing both the butter and the dough at the same workable condition temperature-wise, and enveloping the butter with the dough. The only direction I did not follow exactly was that I did the folds more than 3 times.




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Détrempe
3 ½ cup all-purpose flour
1 cup water, room temperature
½ cup 2% milk, room temperature
5 Tbsp sugar
1 pkg (2 1/4 tsp) instant dry yeast
1 ¼ tsp salt
2 Tbsp unsalted butter, at room temperature

Beurrage
1 ¼ cup unsalted butter, at room temperature
1 egg whisked with 2 Tbsp of water, for brushing



Assembly
1. For the détrempe, fit a stand mixer with the hook attachment and stir the flour, water, milk, sugar, and yeast on low speed to blend, then add the salt. Increase to one speed higher and knead for about 4 minutes, adding the butter mid way through kneading – the dough should just clean the sides of the bowl. Shape the dough into a rectangle (it will be soft), place it on a parchment lined baking tray and cover with a tea towel and then plastic wrap. Let the dough sit out for 90 minutes, then chill for at least an hour, up to 8 hours.
2. For the beurrage, shape the butter into an 8-inch square. Chill until ready to use if preparing in advance, but pull from the fridge to soften. Ensure that the butter offers the same resistance (is the same consistency) as the chilled dough – while the temperature of each may differ, the “give” should be the same.
3. On a floured work surface, turn out the chilled détrempe and roll out to a square about 14-inches across. Place the beurrage in the centre of the square, but rotated so that the points of the butter square fall at the middle of each flat side of the dough. Bring the corners of the dough together, wrapping the butter like an envelope and gently pinch the edges. Roll the dough out into a rectangle about 20-inches long and fold the dough into thirds (this is called a single fold). Return the dough to the baking tray, cover with the towel and plastic and chill for at least an hour, up to 8 hours.
4. Repeat rolling and folding the dough into singles folds 2 more times, rotating the dough 90 degrees each time before rolling and chilling the dough for at least an hour and up to 8 hours before each fold. Let the dough rest for at least 4 hours and up to 12 hours after the final fold before using.
5. For 12 plain croissants, measure out about 20 oz of dough and store the rest in the fridge. On a floured work surface, roll out the dough to a rectangle about 16-inches by 12-inches. Cut the dough in half horizontally and then cut 6 triangles from each.
6. Make a 1-inch score on the short side of each triangle, and roll up the croissant from this side. Curve the croissant so that the point of the triangle is at the bottom and pointing the opposite direction as the curve in. If you wish, you can pinch the croissant ends together so they hold the curve shape. Place these on a parchment –lined baking tray, leaving at least 3 inches between each other and cover these with a tea towel and then plastic. Let the croissants rise for 2 hours.
7. Preheat the oven to 375 F. Brush the croissants with the eggwash and then bake them for about 15 minutes until a rich golden brown.
8. The croissants are best enjoyed the day they are baked. If you wish to prepare ahead, you can make the dough, fold it and let it rise, and then cut and shape the croissants. Freeze the croissants on a baking tray, then pack in a container. The croissants should fully thaw and proof for about 3 hours before then baking.
 
When you survey this problem and suggested solutions, you find that there are any number of things that might cause it.Croissants are touchy beasts. I think the recipe is okay, pretty normal.

Some claim that butter being too cold causes the problem, partly by not allowing the folds to be rolled out flat, leaving butter lumps. Some claim poor proofing is the problem. I guess I could see that. Some say oven temperature being off it the problem. Some that dough layer too thick does it. They all agree than any tearing of the dough layers is disaster.

One suggestion that I kind of like the sound if is that, if the dough goes in the oven too cold, the butter melts too much faster than the dough rises and starts baking. I could see the hot liquid butter running before the dough gets well under way.

It's been an awful long time since I tried croissants. Now, I'm almost afraid to try again.
 
...if the dough goes in the oven too cold, the butter melts too much faster than the dough rises and starts baking. I could see the hot liquid butter running before the dough gets well under way...

But if the dough is cold, the butter is cold too.

I can see that if the butter is too cold during the construction, there could be an issue, but not at the baking point.

With cookie dough that uses butter, a warm dough yields a flatter, spread out cookie because the butter melts, spreading out and taking the dough with it before the dough can set in a thicker shape. Chilling the dough chills the butter so it doesn't melt as fast, giving the dough a chance to begin baking and to set. This may result in a risen dough that is able to hold on to the melting butter.

Just speculation.
 
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