In the United States, National Croissant Day is observed each year on January 30th. Croissants are a buttery, crescent-shaped rolls that are crispy on the outside and soft on the inside.
The key to a perfect croissant is laminating the dough, a process by which butter is folded into the mixture creating multiple thin layers of butter and dough. The result is a mouth-watering flaky crust and airy body.
Legend surrounds this pastry, as is often the case with a popular, worldly treat. What is known, is that crescent-shaped breads have been found around the world for ages. One of these was the Kipferl which originated in Austria as far back as the 13th century. This nonlaminated bread is more like a roll.
Credit for the croissant we know today is given to an Austrian military officer, August Zang. In 1939 he opened a Viennese bakery in Paris introducing France to Viennese baking techniques.
HOW TO OBSERVE
Stop by the bakery for a fresh, warm croissant or try making your own using this recipe: Croissants recipe.
From Foodimentary.com:
Here are today’s five thing to know about Croissant:
- Each croissant rolls are made of 50 or more thin layers of pastry & butter.
- According to legend, it was Marie Antoinette (Austrian Princess who married Louis XVI), introduced the croissant to France.
- The French newspaper Le Figaro named the croissant from bakery Pierre Hermé the best in Paris in 2013. It also won in 2006.
- Since Starbucks bought French baker Pascal Rigo’s San Francisco-based La Boulange, the chocolate croissant has become the coffee chain’s bestselling pastry.
- In 2013, chef Dominque Ansel came up with the cronut — a deep-fried croissant/doughnut combination that became all the rage at his New York bakery.
A bakery in L.A. has just added a croissant filled with smoked salmon, ginger, wasabi and nori to the menu. Buzz60’s Emily Drooby (@emilydrooby) has more.
