When it comes to breakfast, one item that is always loved for its flaky, buttery goodness is the croissant. Eaten as it is, or smeared with butter and jam, croissants are a breakfast staple whether you’re buying one from a bakery, supermarket, or making from scratch at home. However, the one downside is that they have a tendency to turn stale relatively quickly.
Fortunately, there is something you can do to save staling croissants, celebrity chef Paul Hollywood has revealed. The Great British Bake Off star shared his trick to prevent food waste and enjoy a delicious breakfast.
Paul told his followers on TikTok: “If you’ve ever bought a croissant, or made a croissant and thought ‘they’ve gone stale, they don’t last long’ … true.”
He explained: “The trick is, in the industry, what we do is we turn them into almond croissants.”
The expert continued on to say that you should take your dry croissant, cut it in half, and spread some frangipani mix on both sides. Paul even suggested adding raspberry jam if you want to turn it into a bakewell-flavoured croissant.
After this, you should top the croissant with flake almonds and bake it in the oven for about 10 minutes.
He said: “Honestly, they are absolutely gorgeous and give the croissant a new lease of life.”
Croissants are known to be tough to make, as the process can be drawn out.
However, Paul said that while it may take a while, the process itself is “relatively easy”. He shared his top tip to ensure success, and said it’s all to do with the butter.
He explained: “The crucial thing is neatness when adding the rolled out butter. If the butter does not fit neatly right to the edge of the dough, you will end up with parts of the croissant with no butter.”
Temperature also plays an important role, as you will need to keep everything cool as you work, including your hands.
In his book, How to Bake, Paul explains that after making his croissants, he bakes them for 15 to 20 minutes, or until they are golden brown. He then lets them cool on a wire rack, before eating them warm.
Several TikTok users shared their own tips for saving old croissants underneath Paul’s video.
One wrote that they will “slice them in half, smear a little salted butter on them, and then sear them butter side down”.
They added: “They make the perfect dippers for a poached, soft boiled, or over easy egg.”
Another user said that they dampen the outside of the pastries before putting in the air fryer for three to four minutes, adding: “They taste as fresh as the day I bought them.”
