Class
Article
College
Emma Eccles Jones College of Education and Human Services
Department
Family, Consumer, and Human Development Department
Faculty Mentor
Maryann Schneider
Presentation Type
Poster Presentation
Abstract
The purpose of this experiment is to determine the effect on volume, flakiness, and air cell size and amount in basic croissants when the dough is folded less than and more than what’s currently considered standard. The process of dough lamination, or the creation of alternating layers of dough and fat, is a technique used in various pastries. The layer of fat, often butter or margarine, creates an impenetrable barrier to the steam, or water vapor, produced by surrounding dough layers. This facilitates lift within the pastry and while many types don’t contain yeast, lamination becomes crucial to the finalized shape and volume of the product. The more layers of fat, the more supposed lift a pastry can undergo, however, as folds increase, the thinning of each fat layer also increases the likelihood of fracture or pooling together unevenly. Thus, too much fracturing can result in a loss of gas retention and lift as well as decrease the flakiness. Consequently, a balance must be found between too little and too many folds.1 The outlined experiment was performed using a classic French croissant recipe. Croissants with different numbers of folds were produced and analyzed in various ways including a subjective sensory panel to determine possible consumer perceptions. The industry standard of 3 folds, or 27 layers, was determined to be the most desirable. Fewer folds resulted in air cells that were much too big, and more folds resulted in non-uniform air cells and a doughy texture as well as a denser product overall.
Location
Logan, UT
Start Date
4-12-2023 10:30 AM
End Date
4-12-2023 11:30 AM
Included in
Effects of Folding on Laminated Dough
Logan, UT
The purpose of this experiment is to determine the effect on volume, flakiness, and air cell size and amount in basic croissants when the dough is folded less than and more than what’s currently considered standard. The process of dough lamination, or the creation of alternating layers of dough and fat, is a technique used in various pastries. The layer of fat, often butter or margarine, creates an impenetrable barrier to the steam, or water vapor, produced by surrounding dough layers. This facilitates lift within the pastry and while many types don’t contain yeast, lamination becomes crucial to the finalized shape and volume of the product. The more layers of fat, the more supposed lift a pastry can undergo, however, as folds increase, the thinning of each fat layer also increases the likelihood of fracture or pooling together unevenly. Thus, too much fracturing can result in a loss of gas retention and lift as well as decrease the flakiness. Consequently, a balance must be found between too little and too many folds.1 The outlined experiment was performed using a classic French croissant recipe. Croissants with different numbers of folds were produced and analyzed in various ways including a subjective sensory panel to determine possible consumer perceptions. The industry standard of 3 folds, or 27 layers, was determined to be the most desirable. Fewer folds resulted in air cells that were much too big, and more folds resulted in non-uniform air cells and a doughy texture as well as a denser product overall.