Five things that give away a great croissant
- A deep golden-brown colour, verging on mahogany at the tips – pale croissants are underbaked
- Clearly visible, separate layers on the outside, like the pages of a book
- Light in the hand for its size; heavy croissants are often under-proved
- An open, irregular honeycomb when you cut it in half, not a tight, bready crumb
- A clean taste of butter, with no greasy film left on your fingers or tongue
Butter, margarine and 'baked off'
Look for 'all-butter' or 'pur beurre'. Cheaper croissants often use margarine or blended fats, which are easier to work with but leave a waxy aftertaste. Many cafés and supermarkets also bake croissants from frozen dough made in a factory. These can be perfectly pleasant, but a croissant laminated by hand in the bakery itself has more flavour and more character – and is worth the extra pound.
Beyond the plain croissant
Almond croissants are traditionally made from day-old croissants soaked in syrup, filled and topped with frangipane, then baked again – a clever way to use up yesterday's batch. Ham and cheese croissants make a good savoury lunch. In recent years bakeries have also introduced cube-shaped croissants, cruffins and filled 'supreme' rounds, though the plain croissant remains the truest test of skill.