Freaky Croissant

Who doesn’t like to enjoy a classic croissant; a buttery, flaky, golden and well-laminated one? This – of course – is a rhetorical question. Normally, bakers will push the limits of a croissant’s flavour by using partial or total sourdough based fermentation and by adding salty ingredients to the dough or the laminated butter.

In this case, I prefer to use a classic one and enhance it with a filling. A combination that, on some level, reminds me of the grunge band Dinosaur Junior!

Inside you will find a rocking gritty contrast between the butter aroma and smooth texture of the croissant and a none-pasteurised, medium-hard sheep cheese; potent, roaring and with a gentle animal aftertaste, the combination of notes lingers on your palate. To add a third layer of texture and taste, simply spoon a homemade chipotle and onion marmalade with a final touch of fresh thyme on the cheese. If it sounds freaky, you are doing it right – it will taste amazing!

To further expand this grunge dimension, the croissant panino is best paired with a 24-hour cold-infused coffee cáscara, served with equal parts tonic water. The result? A crisp beverage that has an ethereal, yet present, hibiscus-flavoured round acidity, contained by the bitterness of tonic water.

The New Gastronome’s favourite croissant formula

100% Flour

52% Water

2.3 % Salt

2.5% Yeast

11% Sugar

5% Milk Powder

1% Malt Extract

3% Butter

40% Sourdough Starter with 50% hydration

For lamination: 

25% of the dough’s final weight in Butter

Check out this video as well!

Photos @Aarón Gómez Figueroa

About the author

Paolo Panero

He is “Braidese” with Italian blood and an international mind. The second-generation owner of Bottega delle Delizie, he has managed to combine duty with a maniacal passion for coffee. He’s a Specialty Coffee Barista and visiting Professor at the Master of Gastronomy at the University of Gastronomic Sciences, with a special talent for food storytelling.