Shoutout to the pastry chef who taught me about resting dough at the Chicago summit last weekend

I always thought letting dough sit was just about avoiding toughness, but this guy from a bakery in Portland explained how it helps gluten relax and hydrate the flour evenly. He showed me a side-by-side test with his own croissants - the rested batch had way better layers and oven spring. Has anyone else messed around with longer rest times for laminated dough?

2 comments

2 Comments

lindareed1mo ago

My grandmother always rested her pie dough overnight and ended up with flaky crusts that never got soggy on the bottom.

gonzalez.wesley1mo ago

Try resting your laminated dough in the fridge for at least 12 hours after the final fold, it makes a huge difference in how clean the layers separate during baking. Also keeping the butter cold throughout the process prevents it from smearing into the dough.