French Pastries

[H.C. Heartland]

There is a new shop in one of the towns where we live that bakes homemade French Pastries. They are inexpensive and delicious. I have watched a professional baker do croissants and the amount of rolling and butter in between each individual layer of leafy pastry is pain staking. What do you think? Are French pastries something you enjoy making from scratch? Or do you think it is just as good to buy it from a baker? Any good recipes?

 

[LetThemEatCake]

Oh wow, lucky you that you have a shop like that nearby! I do enjoy making them from scratch, but only if I have a lot of time, because in my experience, it takes a while to perfect them and I have to have a lot of concentration since they can sometimes be tricky.

 

[JessiFox]

I've got to say, I'm jealous! I would love to have a decently priced French bakery options close to where I live! I enjoy making them from scratch for certain occasions, but generally it's one thing I'd rather get from a bakery. I don't have a ton of experience with them, and since they're so indulgent to begin with, I want them to at least be quite good when I do have them .

 

[H.C. Heartland]

I've got to say, I'm jealous! I would love to have a decently priced French bakery options close to where I live! I enjoy making them from scratch for certain occasions, but generally it's one thing I'd rather get from a bakery. I don't have a ton of experience with them, and since they're so indulgent to begin with, I want them to at least be quite good when I do have them .

Yes, that is what I am thinking too. It is a special thing to have and who knows for how long I might have it. So I think I should try eating lots and lots of their pastries as a form of research for my future French baking! lol I have a friend who is from France and even she has trouble making some of the pastries there, so I know it is something that takes time to master. Who knows maybe this French woman who owns the shop will share some of her secrets with me.

 

[Shiva14]

French pastries are so good! As previous posters have said they are very time consuming though and they are definitely not my forte. I like to blame it on my oven but I'm pretty sure since my oven does fine with other tasks, I'm probably the one to blame. I just can't get them flaky and moist, they end up kind if hard instead. Good for you for having a bakery nearby though!

 

[danielz]

I wouldn't make French pastries from scratch. It takes too much time to make right and don't you need a professional oven to get the right amount of backing and puffiness, anyway? I read somewhere that French bakers wake up at 2-3am to start working for the pastries of the day. Too much work for me!

 

[Tina Nord]

I agree, you should enjoy as many of the pastries that you can at the baker, and probably avoid making them at home. Some pastries take years of practice to get right, and this could mean lost money to you.