Just nailed my first perfect batch of croissants after a workshop in Seattle

I took a weekend class at a small bakery there, and the instructor showed me how to actually feel the dough's temperature with my hands instead of just using a timer. She said 'if it feels like a cool cheek, it's ready' and that simple tip changed everything. I went home and tried it, and my lamination was spot on for the first time in maybe 15 tries. The croissants came out with those crisp, flaky layers I've always wanted. Has anyone else picked up a small trick like that from a class that just clicked?

3 comments

3 Comments

zarap143mo ago

Wait, that's actually a cheek, not a chin.

david7013mo ago

Took a pottery class where the teacher said to hum while spinning the wheel. That steady sound keeps your hands from shaking too much.

harper_smith20d agoOG Member

I read somewhere that humming actually calms your nervous system by stimulating the vagus nerve. It's called the vagal brake or something like that. There's a whole study from 2013 about how humming lowers your heart rate and makes you less jittery. Your pottery teacher probably didn't know the science but it totally makes sense. I bet it also forces you to breathe steady which helps with hand control. Might have to try this next time I'm doing something fiddly like painting miniatures.