The other day I visited a French cafe that makes large croissants. It caught my attention to see a croissant so large sitting on the pastry shelf. I just love places that sell comically large portions in a country where the serving sizes are already supersized. I knew I had to order it at least once for the experience. So I called up my friend to see if she was free soon for a croissant lunch date. Once I got confirmation I went to their website to order since large croissants are considered a special order and they don't always have it in store. It took 3 business days for the order to be complete. So we went to the cafe to pick up and enjoy the croissant with a side of coffee and hot chocolate. Never in my life would I have thought I would be sitting at a cafe eating a large croissant. My current favorite baked good (aside from muffins) are croissants. They are so butter and so flaky and so soft. I prefer the croissants that are soft and not too crusty. Let me tell you, this gigantic croissant was pure flakes, crusty and soft by the time we were finished the accumulated flakes added up to the size of a regular croissant.
When I was taking culinary classes, the chef explained to us how croissants were made. Since classes were half a day we didn’t get to experience making croissants from scratch. Instead, we used puff pastry sheets and practiced rolling them into croissant shapes. We also made various other types of pastries using the puff pastry. Because of this I was under the impression that making croissants was extremely hard. After graduating 8 years ago I learned that making croissant dough from scratch is labor intensive, but it is possible to make it in a home kitchen. I have yet to try to make it. I have many fond memories of culinary school, sometimes I wish I would have pursued my studies further.
Did you know that the croissants that we know and love today are a more recent creation. Though crescent shaped pastries are not a new thing, it is said to be inspired from Kipferl which is an Austrian traditional bread. It's a yeast-based bread that is cut into triangles and then rolled into a crescent shape. Sometimes it can have different filings in the center and toppings as well. It is said to have been a traditional monastery pastry baked during Easter. The origins of the crescent shaped pastry are confusing as there are many folk tales talking about when they were first baked. French bakers substituted the yeast dough for layered butter and dough sheets called lamination. The croissants get their flaky texture and puffiness from the various butter and dough layers that are folded over and over on itself. Once baked these layers puff up creating the iconic croissant shape with large holes in the center.
In ancient times breads and pastries shaped into a crescent were believed to be made as offerings to the moon goddess, Selene. The shape also represents horns which is also associated with ancient symbolism. Horns can mean various things but in this case it showed resemblance to bull horns. Both moon goddess followers and bull followers were seen to be similar, thus their emblems were also similar representing their deity. I find this interesting since in Guatemala we have a sweet bread called cachitos which translates to little horns. During the Colonial period the Spaniards brought various baking techniques with them and taught them to the Guatemalans. As well as the wheat used to make their breads which they also set up fields to grow. With time Guatemalans incorporated traditional flavors into the recipes creating their version in modern day panaderias. Today sweet bread is a staple in many Latino homes representing connection to tradition and heritage. You can also find similar crescent shaped pastries all throughout Latin America, with various fillings inside and out.
Reference:
MARGIT L. S~RING, “THE HORN-MOTIFS OF THE BIBLE AND THE ANCIENT NEAR EAST.” Andrews University Seminary Studies Autumn 1984, digitalcommons.andrews.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1718&context=auss
“Croissant.” Wikipedia 3 March 2025, en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Croissant#:~:text=Crescent-shaped%20breads%20have%20been,a%20yeast-leavened%20laminated%20dough
“Kifli.” Wikipedia 19 February 2025, en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kifli
Paula Bendfeldt-Diaz, “Guatemalan Pan Dulce.” Growing Up Bilingual growingupbilingual.com/guatemalan-pan-dulce/
Thanks for reading! if you liked this post don't forget to give a like. I was surprised myself to know that croissants had such a history. My comic has also resumed! If you haven't read yet check it out. Boba Shop Sketches. Read more on Guatemala at my blog Guatemala Trip 2024.
Important Dates!
March 12: Blog Post
March 16: Comic Post
March 19: Blog Post
-no events scheduled
Links
Love toasty crunchy croissants. Especially if they’re buttery!