Make a Sad Stale Croissant in the Deep Fryer
There’s something very alluring about the large plastic-domed croissant containers you see at the grocery store and Costco, but I rarely fall for their oily siren song. It’s too stressful! But last week I saw a 12-pack for just three (3) US dollars on sale, and I couldn’t resist anymore. I bought these croissants and (inevitably) didn’t have time to eat them all until they got stale.
Stale croissants make great bread puddings and interesting croutons, but I don’t bake in July (or ever) and I didn’t feel like eating a salad for breakfast (although I don’t mind that concept ). I just wanted a croissant and wanted it to taste good. Luckily for me, I have a deep fryer, but reviving the dough is not as easy as throwing it into a small basket. As with reviving a stale baguette (or any other crispy bread), it must first be rinsed with water.
The heat from the fryer removes some of the starch retrogradation effects by releasing water that has been trapped in the starch crystals, and the extra moisture ensures all starches are nice and soft. It is suitable for large, crispy baguettes in a 300 degree oven and is suitable for one croissant in the deep fat fryer.
The method is simple. Turn on the sink and run the croissant briefly in running water. Heat deep fryer to 350 ℉ and heat for 3-4 minutes, inverting once, until croissant is warm and soft with a tender but crispy surface. In short, the transformation is amazing. Hard, harsh edges and crumbly texture are a distant memory.
The only problem is that I now have no reason not to buy huge plastic containers filled with croissants. But this may not be the real problem.