I have always loved croissants, with their flaky layers of yeasted dough, so it's become a bit of an obsession to work out how to veganise a traditional croissant recipe, but still get superb results.
And after my second attempt, I think I have stumbled onto something so delicious, so fabulous, that our Sunday breakfasts may well never be the same again....
No butter? What's in them instead?
Yes, that's right. These croissants are dairy free. And they don't use hydrogenated vegan margarine either.
Instead, they use a home-made "better butter", using Aquafaba, which not only behaves itself in the yeasted dough (meaning not coming apart in the layers), but also gives them a "buttery" flavour.
(Aquafaba is simply the liquid drained from a can of chickpeas. You can use your own home-cooked chickpeas, but for a recipe which requires precise measurements such as yeasted dough, I prefer to use the Aquafaba from a can of salt-reduced chickpeas - as I know that each time it will be consistent. Besides, it's no hardship to use up leftover chickpeas in our house - they can tuck themselves into almost any dinner dish without complaint.)
The first time I attempted vegan croissants, I made my own dairy-free butter with unrefined coconut oil and cocoa butter, as well as using wholemeal flour for the dough. They tasted ok - but the overwhelming flavour was of coconut and chocolate - and while the wholemeal flour made it healthier, it meant that it was harder to control the moisture ratio.
On the second attempt I learned from my mistakes. I used the recipe for Nina's Aquafaba butter, which has refined coconut oil and Aquafaba in it, and used a combination of white stoneground organic baker's flour and wholemeal organic spelt flour, as well as incorporating the magical Aquafaba into the yeasted dough itself. I've since tried using all (biodynamic) white baker's flour - without spelt flour - and the results were awesome too.
Baker's (or strong) flour has a naturally higher protein content than cake (soft) flour, so it produces good results for yeasted doughs as higher protein will generate more gluten. That helps the dough to rise nicely. But you don't want the dough to rise too quickly, or the croissants will taste "bready" which is why they are placed in the fridge to arrest the rising process, as well as keeping the aquafaba butter chilled so it stays in separate layers in the dough.
The results speak for themselves....
Why do we love this recipe?
They have the classic flaky texture of croissants.
Dough behaves beautifully, thanks to the aquafaba, so it rolls out well and doesn't shrink back.
They are made from simple ingredients, not processed margarine or dairy butter.
Easily adapted to vegan pain au chocolat by cutting into rectangles (instead of triangles) and placing a chunk of dark vegan chocolate in the centre, then rolling up.
* First you'll need to make up a double batch of Nina's Aquafaba Butter.I used refined coconut oil, apple cider vinegar and cold-pressed sunflower oil, + a little dusting of turmeric for colour. I poured the mixture into a lined pyrex dish to set, so it would already be in the rectangular shape needed for later.
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So I'm not going to pretend this recipe isn't fiddly - and it's certainly not something you can spontaneously make - because you really need to start cooking 24 hours before you want them.
But I can say they are worth every moment of preparation, and rolling the dough is actually incredibly therapeutic. The Aquafaba in the yeasted dough makes it very pliable and a pleasure to work with. And as for that Aquafaba butter, it really is a game-changer. Buttery, salty, velvety smooth - it's the good stuff. And yet, it's made with healthy fats, and no cows were harmed in the process.
Next, I want to try using this recipe as a base for Danish Pastries, especially as we approach Spring and the thought of all the lovely stone fruits that are soon to appear are already making my imagination dance for the possibilities. Almond and cherry? Peach and walnut? But for now, I know what we're going to be having next Sunday morning for breakfast. It's more of these little beauties in their flaky perfection.
Just one more croissant, anyone?
Happy Baking! Virginia
Related reading: 6 Of The Best Vegan Croissant Recipes To Try
First: use high-protein bread flour. The extra protein gives you the gluten structure to support all those thin layers. Second secret? We'll learn to laminate the dough using a tri-fold process that creates 109 distinct layers of butter and doughโgiving us the croissant's distinctive crunch and flavor at home.
Traditionally, no โ croissants aren't vegan because large quantities of dairy-based butter are used during their production; in the pastry and added in layers for lamination. However, it is possible to buy or make your own plant-based croissants that are delicious.
Since they are sold in a frozen state, they are required to use margarine or shortening as a substitute for butter. If you want to make a homemade croissant and would like to substitute butter for margarine or shortening, you can use about 3 tablespoons of butter for every 6 tablespoons of margarine or shortening.
Although you can produce excellent croissants from all-purpose flour, bread flour, or frozen packaged white dough, the high gluten content makes for hard and rubbery rolling out. A mixture of 2 parts unbleached pastry flour and 1 part unbleached all-purpose flour gives a dough that is much easier to handle.
Croissants can contain whole eggs, egg yolks, or egg whites depending on the recipe. Eggs can be added to the dough to help create a tender and flaky texture in the finished product.
Because croissants are made with butter, they typically contain a decent amount of saturated fat per serving. For instance, a medium plain croissant provides nearly 7 grams of saturated fat โ that's 54โ63% of the daily limit if you eat a 2,000-calorie diet ( 1 ).
As hard as this probably is to believe, crescent rolls don't contain any dairy. That's mostly because butter has a much shorter shelf life than hydrogenated palm oil.
In conclusion, Pillsbury Crescent Rolls are generally suitable for vegans. While enriched flour, vegetable shortening, baking powder, and sugar are common ingredients in these pastries, they do not typically contain dairy.
Our vegan dough is made using a plant based margarine and oat milk. Delicious warmed up with our Flour Pot jam. Produced in a facility that also processes the 14 known food allergens, therefore may contain traces.
Like many pop-can doughs, Trader Joe's crescent rolls are vegan. Use them to wrap TJ's vegan hot dogs (or pieces of vegan hot dogs), then spray the dough lightly with olive oil spray and sprinkle with Everything but the Bagel Seasoning.
Vegan butter is a non-dairy butter substitute made from plant-based ingredients. It is typically made from a blend of vegetable oils such as coconut, palm, or soybean and other natural ingredients such as nuts, seeds, and even algae. This makes it a great alternative for those who: Follow a vegan diet.
A croissant is typically made of yeast-risen dough. The dough is first layered with butter and then rolled. It is folded many times in a process called lamination. Then the dough is cut into triangles, rolled to form a crescent shape and baked.
Perfect for home baking, frying and spreading, Naturli's Vegan Block for Baking is the 100% plant-based butter alternative that tastes exactly as it should. Their block is made with shea, coconut, rapeseed and almond for a truly buttery and comforting flavour.
Introduction: My name is Rueben Jacobs, I am a cooperative, beautiful, kind, comfortable, glamorous, open, magnificent person who loves writing and wants to share my knowledge and understanding with you.
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