For years, if you wanted a great croissant—flaky, but not crumbly, and somehow both indulgent and airy—in this town, chances are you were making a bee line for German Village and the pastry case of Pistacia Vera. But with the opening of European-vibing Laughlin’s Bakery in the Short North, Columbus’ croissant cred has doubled. Bakers from both shops share the secrets of this buttery pastry (including how to spot a dud). pistaciavera.com; laughlinsbakery.com
Pistacia Vera
Reaching the right flavor and flakiness comes down to one thing: butter, says pastry chef Emily Hutton. “One of the major things is the quality of butter that we use.” European-style butter, higher in fat than American styles, is a must.
To get those rough creases, Hutton seals a block of butter into the dough, folding it over like an envelope. “When you see that really dark line [on the outside of the croissant] and it looks like the layers are rolled in, it’s actually a layer of butter,” Hutton explains.
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