Rise Baking Lab

Pain Au Chocolat (Chocolatine). Before anyone comments about the chocolate amount these are 2 house made batons each equalling 2.5 regular batons.

Nice clean layers! These croissants used two double folds and no extra top skin. The beautiful contrast comes from a carefully applied egg wash. My egg wash is 1 egg, 5 yolks and a splash of heavy cream. Mix extremely well (but be careful not to aerate it and create too many bubbles) and pass through a sieve before using for a nice smooth finish. Brush only on the flat skin and not on the layers for maximum contrast. Not practical in large production where spraying is much preferred but in smaller batches it looks beautiful.

100% Whole Grain Sourdough. 50% Fresh Milled. Mark Hart & Luis Cabral De Luna Luis Cabral De Luna Graison Gill The Whole Grain Workshop. Peace Country Milling & Grains KoMo - Nachhaltige Getreidemühlen, Flocker und Mixer Jalyns - komomills.canada KoMo Grain Mills USA

No sheeter. No professional bakery equipment. These were made completely by hand.

That’s the focus of my next digital class: Croissants by Hand: Professional Level Croissants at Home.

It’s still a couple months away, but keep an eye out for more.

In the meantime, if you’re making croissants by hand, what’s your biggest struggle?

The pain au chocolat in these photos were laminated with two double folds (17 dough layers), with no added top skin.

Honestly… I think this is my sweet spot.

A growing trend has been toward two single folds (10 dough layers), thicker, more dramatic layers, and a pronounced top skin. I completely understand why—it creates incredible visual definition, and I make that style too.

These photos are why I don’t think you need to go that far. With clean lamination, two double folds (17 dough layers) can still produce a dramatic crumb and beautiful definition while keeping the eating quality I prefer. To me, thinner finished layers are lighter and crisper, while thicker layers—and especially a pronounced top skin—become more crunchy than I enjoy.

Before anyone points it out, yes—finished layer thickness matters more than fold count alone. Final sheeting thickness is only part of the equation. Different sheeters produce different actual thicknesses at the same setting, and dough shrinkage can leave the finished dough significantly thicker than the target.

Butter quality matters too. Better butter makes thinner layers easier to maintain, while thicker layers are generally more forgiving.

I’m not saying there’s one “correct” way to laminate. The more croissants I make, the more I find myself coming back to two double folds (17 dough layers), a 4.5-5 mm sheet-out, and no added top skin.

Or maybe these layers are still too thick for you, the crumb is too open, and a more traditional croissant is your ideal. That’s the fun of viennoiserie.

Maybe we’ve started confusing visual drama with eating quality. Some of today’s most photogenic croissants aren’t necessarily the ones I’d most want to eat.

Where do you land?

• Three single folds (28 dough layers)
• Two double folds (17 dough layers)
• One double fold + one single fold (13 dough layers)
• Two single folds (10 dough layers)
• Added top skin or no top skin?

I’m genuinely curious—not which style photographs best, but which one you actually enjoy eating and making most, and why.

Some beauties from Bread Camp. The Einkorn sourdough has always been one of my favourites.

Our current favourite pastry, Pain Au Glizz 🌭

These were made using the same recipe and technique but with one difference. What do you think the difference was?
The worst crumb I have ever had vs a near perfect crumb from one thing changed.