Savory Croissants

The basic shape for savory croissants are similar to the traditional shape for a chocolate croissant. This box style makes it easy to roll up all sorts of fillings inside. But because you are rolling it up you still dont get as much of a filling to dough ratio as you would if you filled a plain croissant after baking. This shape does not only have to be used for savory croissants, as you see you can fill it with a sweet filling as well. Common variations in American bakeries now a day are spinach and feta, goat cheese and herbs, ham and cheese, chocolate, almond. Two methods of making these croissants will be described below.


Spinach and Feta Croissant

Formula*: if you are making a small batch or a one time batch this can easily be done without a formula and based on taste.
70% Spinach
100% Feta Cheese
40% Sun-dried Tomato
70% Sauté Onions
10% Butter, for sautéing
Salt and Pepper to taste
*In class we prepared this batch without a formula so my percentages are approximate



MOP: Prepare croissant as described in the straight dough method. A whole wheat croissant dough works very well to accompany the tastes in a savory croissants.

To prepare the filling:

• Sauté onions in butter until translucent, do not brown the onions. Remove from heat and cool.
• Wash and strain all the liquid out of spinach. Any remaining liquid will over hydrate the croissant dough and will make your croissant soggy not flakey.
• Add the crumbled feta, spinach, onions, and half of the sun-dried tomatoes into a bowl. Mix well. 
• Taste and season the mixture. Sun-dried tomatoes have acidity and salt in them so while you season the mixture you can also adjust the salt by adding more tomatoes if you want.

MOP:

• Roll out the croissant dough to 1/8" thick, 12" wide, and lengthened
• Score and cut 3 x 5" rectangles from the dough.
• Put about an oz (soup spoonful) of spinach and feta filling about 1/2" from the top of the croissant. Flatten out tightly.
• Egg wash the bottom of the rectangle.
• Fold up, make sure that the seem is in the middle of the croissant.
• Transfer the rolled up croissant to a parchment lined sheet pan and press down to make sure the seem is in the center.
• Egg wash croissants before proofing for 60 min - 90 min.
• Egg wash before baking at 385 degrees Fahrenheit in a convection oven.

This method for preparing this croissant shape is popular in production because it is a little bit faster. However you do not get as clean of an edge or a cut on the croissants.

Cream Cheese and Cherry Filled Croissants

Formula*: if you are making a small batch or a one time batch this can easily be done without a formula and based on taste.

100% Cream Cheese, 8 oz.

100% Confectioners Sugar, 8 oz.

20% Eggs, 2 each

140% Cherries, with liquid

20% Confectioners Sugar

*In class we prepared this batch without a formula so my percentages are approximate

MOP:

• Cook cherries and confectioners sugar to a boil, essentially creating a cooked fruit filling similar to the filling used for a pie. Let cool completely, put into piping bag when cooled for easy application. An alternative to this method is to just place cherries, fresh or canned, on the croissant without cooking but you will have more excess liquid in this method which will give your baked croissant less height.
• Using your mixer and a paddle attachment mix the cream cheese until soft. Add the confectioners sugar until cream cheese is soft and fluffy. Add eggs, one at a time. You should end up with a sweet and solid consistency that is slightly more hydrated and softer then a butter cream. Place this in your piping bag for easy application.
• Roll out dough to be 5" wide, 1/8" thick, and lengthened.
• Pipe a line of cream cheese filling about 1/2" from the top of the block. Pipe all the way across.
• Below this line, pipe a line of the cherry filling across.
• Egg wash a line across the bottom of the dough.
• Roll up the dough like you would for an individual croissant. Make sure to keep the filling in the dough, and rolling as tightly as you can.
• Cut a 3" piece from the strip, rock your sharpened chefs knife as you cut. Use this piece as a guide to cut the rest of the strip into 3" portions. 
• Transfer these pieces to a parchment lined sheet tray. Press down each piece and press down to make sure the seem is in the center.
• Egg wash croissants before proofing for 60 min - 90 min.
• Egg wash before baking at 385 degrees Fahrenheit in a convection oven.