Dallas Morning News: Who makes the best croissants?

Our panel of Francophiles puts local bakeries to the test

By KIM PIERCE / Special Contributor to The Dallas Morning News

The judges at this recent tasting were one flaky bunch.
And aren't we glad.

That's because they were tasting croissants, and good ones tend to shatter into tiny flakes that cling to lips, fingers and clothes as well as every other exposed surface.

Today, a handful of specialty bakeries around North Texas – including Voilà in Allen, Village Baking Co. in Colleyville, and Rush Patisserie in Deep Ellum – are making these fragile French pastries in earnest, so we decided it was time to taste and compare. We also included croissants from La Madeleine, Central Market and Grapevine's Main Street Bread Baking Company.

Our panel of experts blind-tasted those six locally produced croissants as well as Williams-Sonoma's frozen ones that you can bake at home.

Keep in mind that we couldn't control when the croissants came out of the oven, so judges had to factor in freshness. Croissants are best, of course, when they are oven-fresh.

Kim Pierce is a Dallas freelance writer.

Photos by EVANS CAGLAGE/DMN; styling by LISA VEIGEL/Staff Designer
What makes a great croissant? Light layers inside, or a more breadlike texture? Does it matter whether it's all-butter? We tested seven varieties of croissants.

Read more about Voilà:
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And the Winner is

1. Main Street Bread Baking Company

316 N. Main St., Grapevine, 817-424-4333, www.themainbakery.com

Also: 7200 Bishop Road, Plano, and 3600 Shire Blvd., Richardson, $1.50 to $1.95 each (depending on location)

Unanimously voted best overall for flavor and texture. “It has a nice lace inside of it,” said one of the judges, describing the interior texture. In France, the oblong shape denotes a croissant made with butter, which is the case with Main Street’s.

The Croissants, in order of preference

2. Voilà!

1201 W. McDermott Drive, Allen, 972-747-1272, www.voila-bakery.com
$1.69 each

These were picture-perfect croissants, with the outer spirals of dough already starting to shatter. The judges found this the most visually appetizing croissant, but they preferred the taste of Main Street’s.

3. La Madeleine

Multiple locations www.lamadeleine.com
$1.29 each

One judge commented that the appearance led her to believe this croissant would taste better than it did. Although the croissant had eye appeal, its flavor was judged to be bland.

4. Central Market

Multiple locations www.centralmarket.com,
$2.99 for a package of 3

“Commercial-looking,” commented one judge, but with a good golden color. This one seemed doughy to judges and did not shatter when pulled apart.

5. Village Baking Co.

Colleyville www.villagebakingco.com
$2.99 for a package of 4 at Sprouts

Village Baking Co. opened with a store but eventually closed it because of a booming wholesale business. Now, its croissants are sold at Sprouts Farmers Markets and other locations (see Web site). These croissants were deemed dense and bland by the panel, with little flakiness. But they had been baked 12 hours before the tasting, the longest of any croissant in the lineup.

6. Williams-Sonoma

Mail-order only: www.williams-sonoma.com
$39.95 for 18 (plus shipping)

These were doughy and burnt on the bottom. They looked dense. “They were beautiful in the oven,” said food stylist Jane Jarrell, who prepared them according to the package directions. But they fell as they cooled, she said.

7. Rush Patisserie

2901 Elm St. 214-749-4040, $2 each

These were smaller, in the tradition of real French croissants, but the judges felt they were too dense and had a burnt look. In fairness, these croissants had been baked eight hours earlier, the second-longest lapse in the lineup.

Croissants at Home

Croissants are larger in the United States than in France, perhaps because Americans use them more for sandwiches, whereas Europeans eat them as a breakfast pastry.

In France, the best croissants are made with pur beurre, or pure butter. The consumer knows this is the case by the oblong shape of the croissant. The rounded, crescent shape may have been made with cheaper products, such as lard, or may not contain as much butter as a premium croissant.

When you serve a croissant at home, warm it first. Place it in a 400-degree oven for three to four minutes, Patrick Esquerre suggests. It will taste as good as if you just baked it. Smear with good-quality jam or preserves, such as apricot or strawberry, and accompany with a steaming cup of coffee or tea.