Tried laminated dough with European butter vs regular butter last weekend

I made croissants side by side using Plugra and then store brand. The European butter gave me a much cleaner lamination and better rise, about 30 percent taller after baking. Has anyone else noticed this big of a difference or was it just my technique?

3 comments

3 Comments

max_torres441mo ago

Yeah you got better butter or just better consistency? I found the extra fat in European butter makes the dough way more forgiving when rolling so it doesn't tear as easy. That cleaner lamination probably meant your butter layers stayed intact instead of melting into the dough.

kimr741mo ago

The 3 croissant attempts I ruined last year before switching butter brands would disagree with you on it not being that serious. I mean yeah, it's just pastry, but when you're 4 hours in and the dough rips on the last fold, you start questioning life choices. Not everything has to be an art form, but consistency matters if you want something edible at the end.

bennett.evan1mo ago

Yeah that part about the butter not melting into the dough is huge. I found that using a marble rolling pin helps a ton too because it stays naturally cold while you work. The stone pulls heat away from the dough which means your butter block stays firmer through the first few turns. I switched to one after destroying a batch on a hot summer day and the difference was night and day.