The 72-Hour Croissant

Day One: The Dough

A great croissant is one of the most technically demanding things a baker

can make. It requires precision, patience, and years of practice to perfect.

At Bittersweet, our croissants take 72 hours from start to finish.

We begin by making our détrempe — the base dough. It's a simple mixture of

flour, water, milk, sugar, salt, and yeast. But the key is fermentation.

After mixing, the dough rests in the refrigerator overnight, developing

flavor and strength.

Day Two: Lamination

This is where the magic happens. We take cold, pliable butter and lock it

inside the chilled dough. Then begins the process of lamination — rolling

and folding the dough multiple times to create those signature layers.

Our recipe calls for 27 layers. Each fold must be precise, each rest period

timed perfectly. Too warm and the butter melts into the dough. Too cold and

the butter breaks instead of rolling smoothly.

Day Three: Shaping and Baking

After a final overnight rest, we roll the laminated dough and cut it into

triangles. Each croissant is rolled by hand — a skill that takes months to

master. The shaped croissants proof for several hours until they're light

and jiggly.

The Result

A properly made croissant should shatter when you bite into it, sending

flakes everywhere. The interior should be honeycomb-like, with distinct

layers visible. The flavor should be deeply buttery, slightly sweet, with

a hint of yeastiness.