Introduction Though it may seem simple and common place, the French butter croissant has an interesting history and represents a whole culture of culinary ideas. There are several reasons behind choosing the croissant as the food I wish to present. First of all, I was eating a croissant in a cafe in Montreal Quebec when I was thinking about what topic I was going to present. I began to think about how much I have enjoyed the croissant since I was a young boy and since that age I have been constantly comparing croissants I come across to find the best ones. My father has always been a huge influence on me when it comes to food and rightfully so. My father is a professional French chef from France and is just remarkably talented in both his artistic and historical knowledge of foods. Simply put, his recipe is in the top two contending for best croissant i have tasted. My other contender for favorite croissant was found at a patisserie found in a small French village on the Mediterranean named Collioure. I lived in Collioure for three months a few years ago and became friends with the baker, who had snatched my loyalty to his shop by providing me with some of the most delicious croissants I have ever tasted. The final deciding factor was the history and the symbol of nationality the croissant represents which I will discuss later in this paper.
First I will cover a brief history French culinary arts followed by the mythology and history of the croissant. A short explanation of the recipe will follow and I will end on some final thoughts on the croissant.
Origins of French Cuisine The conception of French culinary arts can be attributed to Italy and the start of the renaissance period. The rebirth of philosophy and art during the renaissance did not exclude food as a source of pleasure, entertainment and sophistication. The Italians began fashioning dishes which served to provide an element of entertainment, and pushed the preparation of food to new levels of convention. Food was no longer presented as simply a means to satisfy a hungry belly, rather the entertainment value was emphasized. Pastas become more complex, layered lasagnas and meaty rich ravioli while decorative garnishes and previously idle ingredients were coming to life in this new era of cooking.
It was not until 1540’s when Catherine de Medici, arrived in France and changed the way the French would view food. Catherine de Medici was to eventually to become the wife of King Henri II, a position which had a permanent influence on French culture. Catherine de Medici brought with her to France, an entourage of chefs from Florence skilled in the are of Italian cuisine. Catherine Medici also brought with her the notion that food would become entertainment, almost like that of theater.
This revolution of food as an art form erupted on a grand scale in France, influencing style and technique used in cooking, pastries, breads, appetizers and desserts. The use of courses rather then serving the whole meal is put into practice. Courses prevent food from getting cold and also add extra value to the entertainment factor of the food presentation. The specialization of chefs also happens along with the instruments they use for creating different dishes.
The French revolution brought with it a move from fancy French foods being solely for royalty to the plate of regular citizens. It is at the time of the revolution that chefs begin opening restaurants to bring the culinary arts to anyone looking to enjoy what was once only fit for a King and Queen.
Foods were named according to their style or ingredients, such as the soups which could consist of; consommés, pottage's, cremes, and veloutes. Subcategories of these areas are defined by the choice of ingredients which were used. Finally in the 1950’s, chefs began to redefine cooking with a style known as “nouvelle cuisine”. This approach was more free in its preparations and were geared towards smaller portions so that these meals could be made at home. It is this legacy of cooking for which the French are known around the world for their culinary arts.
The Croissant The butter croissant is simply a crescent shaped pastry for which it is named after. It is often served alone with a coffee for breakfast, but it is not uncommon to find it being used for sandwiches. There are variations of the croissant, one of the more popular is the chocolate croissant which more often than not is not in the shape of a crescent at all. A good croissant will have a crusty flaky exterior while having a light, air pocket filled interior. As food is a major aspect of culture, it is important to recognize that the croissant, though simple is easy to recognize and it is almost certainly common knowledge what country this pastry represents. Not only does the croissant represent a whole culture, it also has an interesting past which is not so common to the every day pastry buff.
History and Mythology The story of the croissant are based both on historical and mythological origins. Though the croissant has a solid historic background in France, a more fantastic tale of the origins of the croissant is found throughout the literature written on the subject.
The first story takes place in Vienna Austria in the year 1683. At this time The Turkish empire had Austria under siege and were growing tiered of waiting and had decided to act against the Ottoman at Vienna. The bakers of Vienna were up late baking in their underground kitchens so that the bread would be ready by morning. The Turks had decided to dig a tunnel under the city’s wall in order to gain entrance and sack Vienna. The bakers working underground had heard strange noises and alerted the city guard, thus repelling the Turkish attempt at a sneak attack and saving the city.
The bakers were heroes and were thanked for their duty to the city. The bakers had decided to bake a bread in commemoration to their victory, a bread which took the shape of the crescent moon found on the Turkish flag. It is said that one hundred years later, Marie Antoinette, who married king Louis XVI, had brought with her the croissant which she introduced to France.
It is unclear if this story holds any truth or is simply an amassing tale to bring some mythology into the history of food. What is known, is that the croissant was brought to popularity by the French and is now a French national product.
The history of the French croissant is relatively short and not quite as exciting as that of the siege of Vienna. The first recorded entry of the croissant in French cooking literature can be found in a book published in 1853, titled “Des Substance Alimentaires”. Ten years later, the croissant appears again in the literature, however these forms of croissant were not similar to those of which are known today. It is not until 1906 when reference of the true French croissant is mentioned in Colombie’s Nouvelle Encyclopedie culinaire. It is these butter croissants with their flaky pastry which have become one of the many symbols to represent France and its heritage of fine cuisine.
Recipe The recipe I used to make the croissants for class is my fathers own recipe, since he works from his head, I decided to use a recipe from the famous Wolfgang Puck. The process he uses takes about 6 hours, however I have found that best results are to either leave the shaped croissant overnight to rise a little more, this gives them an added fluffiness which I enjoy. Here is the recipe:
Ingredients: 1 pound all-purpose flour
4 Tbsp sugar
1 tsp salt
1/2 ounce fresh yeast (or 1 Tbsp dry)
1-1/4 cups milk
12 ounces unsalted butter, at room temperature
1 egg, lightly beaten, for egg wash
Instructions: Using the dough hook of an electric mixer, combine flour, sugar, and salt in the bowl.
Dissolve the yeast in 1 cup lukewarm milk. Add to the flour mixture, together with the remaining milk, and mix until dough forms a ball.
Remove dough hook. Cover bowl with plastic wrap and allow dough to rest for 1 or 1-1/2 hours, until double in bulk. Punch down the dough and refrigerate it, covered, for 30 minutes.
Mold the butter into a block. Remove the dough from the refrigerator. Cut a deep cross in the dough. Spread out the sections of dough so that the center is the thickest part. Roll it in opposite directions to form a four-leaf clover, keeping the center thicker. Place the block of butter diagonally in the center of the cloverleaf and bring the edges of the dough to the center, enclosing the butter completely. Wrap tightly in plastic wrap and chill for 1 hour.
To make the turns, place the chilled dough on a lightly floured surface. Pound lightly and evenly with your rolling pin to make the dough malleable. Roll out into a rectangle approximately 9 by 16 inches. With the 9-inch side in front of you, fold into thirds, starting with the bottom third and folding over the top third. You have now completed the first turn. Turn the dough so that the narrow end faces you, keeping the seam on your right (a quarter turn). Again, roll out the dough into a rectangle approximately 9 by 16 inches, and again fold into thirds. You have now completed two turns. Wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate for 30 minutes.
Pound the dough evenly and again roll out into a 9-by-16-inch rectangle. Complete two more turns to make four turns. Wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate for 50 to 60 minutes.
Preheat oven to 400°F (205°C) .
Roll out dough into two rectangles 1/6 inch thick. Cut into triangles and shape into crescents. Put them on a baking sheet and allow to rise for 20 minutes.
Brush each croissant with egg wash and bake for 15 minutes, or until golden brown.
Yield: Makes 24 croissants
Conclusion The croissant is a symbol of French culture, proud of their rich tradition in the art of cooking. Historically, the croissant has a noble tale, one which celebrates victory or a reminder of the defeat of foes. To most people the croissant will start off their day as a light snack before they head off to work or school. What is important is that we slow down once in while and enjoy eating these delicious pastries simply because they have been made for our pleasure.
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