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Croissant dough
I’ve made some croissants and used T45 French flour as per recipe but I found the dough to be very stiff and non-elastic. It’s so stiff that the dough was tearing when kneading. I’ve never seen this before. What can be done?
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1 Reply
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Hi Megan.
The issue of a stiff and non-elastic dough when making croissants can be due to several factors related to hydration, temperature, or kneading.
Here are some factors and solutions:
-T45 flour has a lower protein content compared to other flours, between 8-10%, which makes it softer but also means it absorbs less water.
Solution: Slightly increase the amount of liquid (water or milk) to achieve a softer, more elastic dough. Do this in small increments (10-20 g).
-If the dough is too cold, it can become stiff and difficult to handle. This is especially important if the environment you’re working in is cold.
Solution: Allow the dough to reach a controlled room temperature (approximately 22-24°C) before working with it.
-If you knead too much, you could overheat the dough or break the gluten chains, making it brittle. Keep in mind that each mixer has different power, and kneading for 5 minutes in a high-powered mixer is not the same as kneading for 5 minutes in a home mixer or one with lower power.
Solution: Knead only until the dough is homogeneous and slightly smooth. Don’t overwork it.
I hope this information is helpful. If you have any other questions, feel free to reach out, and I’ll be happy to help you resolve them.
Best regards.
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