Butter temperature actually makes or breaks laminated dough

Tried making croissants twice last month in my tiny Chicago apartment. First batch the butter was too cold and shattered through the dough layers, totally ruined the rise. Second time I let it sit on the counter for 45 minutes until it bent like a flexible tile, and the layers puffed up beautifully. Same recipe, same flour, only difference was that simple temp check. Anyone else struggle with getting that sweet spot between too hard and too soft? I'm thinking about getting a laser thermometer for my next attempt.

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dixon.willow11d ago

My buddy swore by the microwave trick, nuked his butter for five seconds, and his croissants still came out flat as pancakes.