Zaatar croissant
September 19, 2011 • Category: Savory Pastries
Zaatar croissants are offered in every pastry shop in Beirut. Once you have tried one, the plain croissants taste just, well, too plain. There is something irresistible about the slightly pungent, aromatic and nutty zaatar.
The croissant idea was a challenge from Stevie, and Heavenly Housewive.
The challenge was compounded by the fact that temperatures are still in the high nineties in Dallas these days.
The recipe comes from Jacques Torres Dessert Circus, who uses this dough for his croissants and his pains au chocolat.
If you did not have biceps before attempting this, you will after.
Check out the other creations in this challenge (they may not post all at the same time)
http://weirdcombinations.com/
Vanessa
http://sweetartichoke.com
Anna
http://www.keepitluce.com
Glamorous Glutton
http://glamorousglutton.com
Jamie’s Girl
http://jamiegirlsblog.blogspot.com
http://thymetobeloved.wordpress.com
Erika Beth, messy chef
Http://www.lifestooshorttoskipdessert.blogspot.com
Faith
http://www.anediblemosaic.com
- 3 Tbsp. melted unsalted butter (40 g.)
- 1 Tbsp. of dry instant yeast (he used fresh yeast 1 ounce or 25 g.)
- 1/2 cup of water (125 g.)
- 3 1/3 cups of bread flour (500 g.) (plus more, as needed)
- 2 tsp. of salt (12 g.)
- 1/3 cup of sugar (65 g.)
- 1/2 cup of whole milk (125 g.)
- 1 cup +2 Tbsp. of unsalted butter (250 g.)
For the zaatar: 1 cup of zaatar mix, diluted in enough olive oil to make a thick but spreadable paste.
METHOD:
- Proof the yeast in a little warm water with a dash of sugar. Place the flour, salt, sugar in a mixing bowl and mix to combine a few seconds. Add the melted butter, milk (scalded and cooled if desired), and the proofed yeast. Mix until the dough is formed and if the aspect is “like a rope”(not smooth), mix some more and knead by hand on a work surface for a few minutes until a smooth dough is formed, adding a bit of flour or more water as needed.
- Cover with a plastic sheet on a floured baking sheet and let it rise for about 30 minutes or up to an hour. Roll it out into an 8X15 rectangle, 1/4 inch thick. Cover it with plastic and let it rest in the fridge for 2 hours. Let the butter soften outside.
- Remove the dough from the fridge and place it facing you (long side) and cover 2/3 of it with the butter, spreading it with a spatula. Fold the 1/3 of the dough without butter over the center and the bottom over the top, so it looks like a folded letter.
- Roll into a rectangle 10X30 and 1/8 in thick. Fold each short end to the middle in order to meet, but not overlap. Rotate the dough. Let it rest in the fridge for 2 hours or overnight.
- Roll the cold dough into a 10X30 rectangle. Fold the dough again like a letter, with the long side facing you. Place in the fridge 30 minutes. Remove and roll into a 10X36 rectangle, 1/4 in thick.
- Cut triangles into the dough using a pizza cutter or a knife. Lay the triangle with the tip facing you and gently pull the tip toward you; this is supposed to help add layers to the finished croissant. Spread some zaatar (about 2 teaspoons) on the triangle and roll it into a croissant shape. Let the croissant rise for one to three hours until doubled in size. (Make sure you space them on the baking sheet so they don’t bump into each other)
- Brush the croissant with an egg beaten with a teaspoon of milk, and bake in a preheated 400F oven for 10 to 15 minutes until puffed and golden brown, and enjoy while still warm.
Comments
44 Comments • Comments Feed
Faith says:
Your croissants are gorgeous, Joumana! I noticed you posted my email address…did you mean to post my url?
On September 19, 2011 at 1:55 pm
Erika Beth says:
Wow! I’ve never heard of these type of croissants before. They seem so exotic. lol Lovely job! (And I like that you used Jacques Torres’s recipe. I’ll have to take a peak since I love his stuff.)
On September 19, 2011 at 2:07 pm
Faith says:
Thanks, Joumana! And I have to say, great minds think alike! 😉 (I’m in love with za’atar, lol!)
On September 19, 2011 at 2:07 pm
antilles says:
ça doit être très bon, Passe un bon mardi, kiss
On September 19, 2011 at 2:29 pm
Cristina says:
I feel so curious about his zaatar. I”ll see if I can get it here (I think I will) and make your recipe..!
On September 19, 2011 at 2:35 pm
Lyndsey ~ says:
These are beautiful croissants…I have some zaatar that I made all ready to be used up, but I can’t bake like you do. I would love to try these for sure.
On September 19, 2011 at 2:43 pm
Belinda @zomppa says:
Was just in a spice store with their own blend of zaatar…hmm. This would be perfect for it.
On September 19, 2011 at 3:25 pm
Rosa says:
Gorgeous! Your croissants look so tempting and I love your choice of filling!
Cheers,
Rosa
On September 19, 2011 at 3:29 pm
Angel of the North says:
Those look so gorgeous but I daren’t go near a croisant, let alone make a batch!
On September 19, 2011 at 3:43 pm
deana says:
I think that is a brilliant idea. I am so crazy about zatar and have a big bag of it. You have really put your stamp on croissants!
On September 19, 2011 at 4:07 pm
Stevie says:
Your croissants look so elegant. I knew that you’d make something stunning, regardless of the heat.
On September 19, 2011 at 4:14 pm
Anna says:
These look absolutely perfect. What a lovely inspirational interpretation of the classic 😀
On September 19, 2011 at 4:21 pm
Banana Wonder says:
What lovely croissant! I am so impressed with this combination of tangy zaatar and sweet buttery dough. I have to try making croissants sometime…
On September 19, 2011 at 4:46 pm
shayma says:
my god- you are amazing, J. you even make croissants- i bow down to you! and i love these croissants- they are sold here in Toronto at a Lebanese-Armenian bakery. love love love. x shayma
On September 19, 2011 at 7:53 pm
Samantha Angela says:
Wow! Homemade croissants? I’ve always wanted to try making them but I’ve never been quite ambitious enough.
On September 19, 2011 at 8:28 pm
Heavenly Housewife says:
I never would have thought of putting zaatar with a croissant, but actually, now that I see them, I totally want one :D. I have some zaatar at home, I must try it.
Your croissants came out beautifully. Thank you so much for taking part in the challenge with us :). I hope you had as much fun as I have!
*kisses* HH
On September 20, 2011 at 1:14 am
Diane says:
Love croissants but maybe if I try these I will not like the local ones anymore!!! Diane
On September 20, 2011 at 2:04 am
Priya says:
Croissants looks fabulous and incredible..
On September 20, 2011 at 2:40 am
Chiara says:
Wow, those look amazing! Wish I could bite into one right now!
On September 20, 2011 at 2:41 am
Joanne says:
I love your savory twist on these croissants! Za’atar is one of my favorite spice blends.
On September 20, 2011 at 5:13 am
zerrin says:
These croissants look scrumptious! Never had that courage to try them at home. You are so skillful! And I get curious about zaatar. Sounds like a great spread for croissants!
On September 20, 2011 at 7:12 am
Caffettiera says:
Your pictures are even more scrumptious than usual. I am not sure anything can make a normal croissant taste bland, but I will have to try these, maybe I’ll be converted, who knows? Well done for braving the heat to show us this delight!
On September 20, 2011 at 7:38 am
Cherine says:
Zaatar croissants are irresistible and yours look GORGEOUS… great job and lovely pictures!
On September 20, 2011 at 11:05 am
sare says:
Why can’t I think something like those…
On September 20, 2011 at 11:52 am
Susan says:
Your croissants turned out beautifully, Joumana, and I’m sure you have very strong arms now 😉
On September 20, 2011 at 2:12 pm
lisaiscooking says:
These look amazing! And, you made these in Dallas this heat. Great job! I’m going to have to try making croissants again because I have to try these.
On September 20, 2011 at 4:32 pm
Juliana says:
Wow, these croissants look fabulous, love the zaatar inside of it…so interesting.
Hope you are having a wonderful week Joumana 🙂
On September 20, 2011 at 7:13 pm
sophia says:
Of course you’ll put your cultural spin on it!! I’ve recently tried zaatar, and I love that spice. I know the thousand-layer pastry is a myth, but yours look flaky and perfect enough to be a thousand layers!
On September 21, 2011 at 12:13 am
Angie's Recipes says:
Joumana, your croissants look so buttery and great with zaatar filling
On September 21, 2011 at 3:32 am
Steve @ HPD says:
High 90s, eh? Well, it’s triple digits here … 64.5°!! Cheers!
On September 21, 2011 at 12:37 pm
Glamorous Glutton says:
Your croissants look fabulous, spicing them up is a great idea. I struggled with mine but everyones successes have made me think I’ll have another go and I’ll definitely try zatar in my next batch. GG
On September 21, 2011 at 1:51 pm
Oui, Chef says:
Your croissants look perfectly formed, and oh so tasty! Love the idea of adding zatar to anything! Brava! – S
On September 21, 2011 at 1:55 pm
Nicole says:
Chapeau! these look delicious! You have so many great uses for zaatar! I am going to get my hands on some!
On September 22, 2011 at 11:33 am
kouky says:
quelle coïncidence qu’on ait fait le même défi pour ce mois!! ça reste une aventure assez laborieuse avec les fortes températures qui subsistent encore!
j’adore ta version parfumée au zaatar que je testerai la prochaine fois! bonne soirée! bises!
On September 27, 2011 at 2:03 pm
domi says:
” Croissant ” mon expérience cette pâtisserie est délicieuse…
On September 28, 2011 at 11:45 am
Needful Things says:
These look amazing – my kids love zaatar-anything & I’m sure these will be very popular at our house. Bookmarking to try out over the weekend!
On April 17, 2012 at 6:05 am
Zayatmomma says:
Hello Joumana,
When i saw these i knew i had to at least attempt making them, however during the process with the 3rd and 4th step you roll the dough out and you spread the butter, then fold the dough and roll it out, i had butter all over the place, i used the 1 cup +2 Tbsp. of unsalted butter (250 g.) with this part, maybe i should have used the 3 tbs (40 g.) instead? I used the smaller amount in the beginning, when making the dough, if you could clarify please, otherwise the turned out amazingly delish, i had a few left after i ran out of the zatar spread and decide to use red raspberry spread those are also very good.
On January 4, 2014 at 12:58 pm
Joumana says:
@Zayatmomma: If you will bear with me, I am planning to post a new technique I found out about here (Beirut) in which the dough is dunked in 4 cups of oil then rolled out; it makes the flakiest dough and is very similar to the puff pastry used in croissant; otherwise, there is a trick which involves mixing the butter with a little flour say 1/2 cup to keep it from sliding off the dough. You used the right amount of butter, it is just a very tricky pastry to make, which why why most times I buy it already made from a good pastry shop or an upscale market (has to be made with pure butter to be good though)
On January 5, 2014 at 12:44 am
AbuGhazaleh Despina says:
Hi!!!!!!!1Just saw your blog and what it contains it looks fantastic and I will start trying your recipes.Nice to meet you Mrs. Joumana
acc. I am greek married to a Lebanese love Lebanon and the lebanese. I have three children I am a grandmother.
On January 19, 2015 at 12:35 pm
AbuGhazaleh Despina says:
Hi!!!!!!!1Just saw your blog and what it contains it looks fantastic and I will start trying your recipes.Nice to meet you Mrs. Joumana
acc. I am greek married to a Lebanese love Lebanon and the lebanese. I have three children I am a grandmother.It is the first time I write to you.
On January 19, 2015 at 12:36 pm
Joumana says:
@Despina AbuGhazaleh: I am happy to meet you too! Love the Greeks and your culture.:)
On January 19, 2015 at 1:53 pm
Coco in the Kitchen says:
Making bread still scares me, even know I learned to bake a nice round crusty loaf in my cast iron pot.
Your croissants are next on my list!
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