Cocoa croissant 2

Q: What can I dust the work surface with to prevent the dough from sticking?

For laminated doughs, such as puff pastry, croissant , etc., the use of rice starch, or tapioca starch or potato starch, in this preferential order, is IMPERATIVE. The use of flour of any type and granularity, which alters the composition of the dough making it dry and creating micro fractures on its surface, must be ABSOLUTELY avoided. For doughs of bread, pizza , etc., the use of any type of starch is recommended, but it is also possible to use very fine flour if possible. In any case, it is recommended to use only the strictly necessary amount for the processing and to remove the excess, especially during the preparation of laminated doughs.

Q: Why don't you use cornstarch in recipes?

Because we want to offer an alternative to the usual ready-to-use industrial mixes , which are largely made up of corn starch. Proposing recipes based on this same ingredient would be inconsistent with our vision. Of course, those who prefer can replace potato starch with corn starch. It is an inexpensive and easy-to-find ingredient, but it tends to dry out products more quickly. The truth is that with Baker Mix you save compared to the ready-made mixes available on the market, even when using better and more expensive raw materials. In short, it's hard to do better!

Our recipes are designed to inspire your creativity and talent, helping you craft unique, high-quality gluten-free products at a lower cost than ready-made mixes. Try them, then adapt them to your needs - just like a true artisan, making every creation your own.
— Angel Food

Ingredients:

Powders:
180g Potato starch
40g Very fine rice flour
60g Rice starch
10g Bitter cocoa powder
50g Icing sugar
4g Sale
20g ANGEL MIX 2.0
8g PSILLIO
20g Yeast

Liquids:
200g Water
15g Seed oil

To browse:
150g Margarine for croissants/puff pastry

Preparation:

Place all the powders in the bowl of the mixer. Add the liquids gradually, working the dough with the dough hook at medium-high speed. While working, stop occasionally to clean the sides of the bowl with a spatula, bringing the dough back to the center. Knead vigorously for at least 4-5 minutes.

In the meantime, form a rectangle with the margarine, maintaining a uniform thickness of about 1 cm. It is not necessary to obtain a perfect rectangle, the important thing is that the thickness is homogeneous. If you use non-professional margarine or the room temperature is high, you can leave it in the freezer for 3-4 minutes to make it easier to work with.

Transfer the dough to the work surface and, using the rice starch as a dusting, roll it out to form a long, narrow rectangle, large enough to contain and cover the stick of margarine. Use the classic method to scoop out the fat, like for puff pastry or croissants.

Proceed with THREE turns by THREE ('simple' turns), rolling out the dough to a thickness of 8 mm. Don't take breaks between one round and another and use the bare minimum of rice starch as a dusting. If necessary, brush away any excess starch to avoid altering the dough. If in doubt, you can consult our video on the Angel Food YouTube channel or other online tutorials on laminating puff pastry dough.

Roll out the dough - always maintaining a thickness of 8mm - into a rectangle with the long side at least 32cm. Make 4 rectangles with the short side of 8 cm, and from each create two croissants, cutting the rectangle diagonally from one corner to the other. This will give you a total of 8 croissants. Don't throw away any scraps of dough: distribute them in the center of each triangle before rolling it.

Spray lightly with water and roll gently to give the classic croissant shape, avoiding over-tightening.

Cover the rolled croissants with a bag brushed with oil or non-stick spray and let rise according to the directions.

Preheat the oven, then remove the bag gently and bake the croissants following the times and temperatures indicated.

Once cooked, transfer the croissants to a wire rack to cool completely. After cooling, freeze them if necessary. You can store them at room temperature for about 48 hours or freeze them for up to 30 days at -18°C.

Remember that times and temperatures indicated may change based on various factors, such as type of equipment, product sizes, etc. and that the liquids indicated in the recipe may need to be adjusted based on the degree of hydration of the flours and starches used.

Notes:

Initial crumbly dough: Don’t worry if in the early stages the dough seems dry or difficult to work with. Do not add liquids: after a few minutes it will become smooth, firm, and elastic. On the contrary, if you want to add liquids to test the dough’s hydration, add them little by little!

Humidity during proofing: Keep the environment humid to promote the expansion of the product’s surface. If you don’t have special equipment, use a pot with boiling water in the proofing chamber.

Regular alveolation: To achieve a uniform interior with a “professional” look – or for Instagrammable photos – do not add dough scraps in the triangles.

Dough consistency: The dough must be plastic and compact, never too soft or dry. Adjust the water based on the absorption of flours, cocoa, and starches, which can vary. Always start with the minimum quantities to avoid waste.

More open alveolation: To get a product with a more open and airy alveolation, you can do only two rounds of three, or one round of four and one round of three – instead of three simple rounds.

Food cost reduction: To lower the cost of the self-produced mix to €3.50/kg, you can replace potato starch with corn starch and rice starch with tapioca starch.
Replacing all starches with only corn starch lowers the food cost of the mix to €3.30/kg instead of the initial €3.90/kg.

Hydration: It is important to remember that changing the type of starch also means adjusting the hydration to the type of ingredient you decide to use. Some tests are likely necessary to achieve the best balance.

Any doubts? Read here!

FAQs

Frequently Asked Questions

What is Angel Mix?

Angel Mix is a concentrated powder additive, gluten-free, wheat-free, corn-free, soy-free, and 100% vegan. It is used for the preparation of all types of gluten-free sweet or savory doughs, both with margarine and butter.

What is Baker Mix?

Baker Mix is a concentrated powder additive, gluten-free, wheat-free, corn-free, soy-free, and 100% vegan. It is used for the preparation of gluten-free baked goods such as bread, focaccia, bagels, donuts, buns, brioche, etc., etc.

What can I dust the work surface with to prevent the dough from sticking?

For laminated doughs, such as puff pastry, croissant, etc., the use of rice starch, or tapioca starch or potato starch, in this preferential order, is IMPERATIVE. The use of flour of any type and granularity, which alters the composition of the dough making it dry and creating micro fractures on its surface, must be ABSOLUTELY avoided.

For doughs of bread, pizza, etc., the use of any type of starch is recommended, but it is also possible to use very fine flour if possible.

In any case, it is recommended to use only the strictly necessary amount for the processing and to remove the excess, especially during the preparation of laminated doughs.

Why don't you use cornstarch in recipes?

Because we want to offer an alternative to the usual ready-to-use industrial mixes, which are largely made up of corn starch.

Proposing recipes based on this same ingredient would be inconsistent with our vision.

Of course, those who prefer can replace potato starch with corn starch. It is an inexpensive and easy-to-find ingredient, but it tends to dry out products more quickly.

The truth is that with Baker Mix you save compared to the ready-made mixes available on the market, even when using better and more expensive raw materials.

In short, it's hard to do better!

Can I use fresh eggs and milk instead of powdered ones?

Sure, although the use of powdered ingredients is preferable because it allows for more precise standardization of all production phases and is much faster in a professional environment.

However, know that 10g of whole egg powder corresponds to a medium egg, weighing 40 grams shelled (in fact, to reconstitute 10g of egg powder, 30g of water is needed).

8g of egg yolk powder corresponds to 1 yolk, reconstituted with 8g of water.

While 10g of powdered milk should be considered as 100g of milk, since 90g of water must be added to reconstitute it.

Are powdered eggs better or fresh ones?

It depends.

Powdered eggs ensure greater production efficiency and easier logistical management.

But fresh eggs guarantee a more stable and resilient structure both during leavening and baking. Especially with rich and/or "heavy" doughs (such as Colomba, Pandoro, etc.), they are preferable.

Is powdered milk better or fresh milk?

All else being equal in quality, powdered milk is preferable because it is more "convenient" to handle even logistically, and it has a more intense flavor since it is in powder form. By "playing" with hydration, it is indeed possible to accentuate or reduce the intensity of its taste in the product.

Can I substitute some ingredients?

Yes, but without completely changing the recipe, you can for example replace starches and flours.
Or you can replace sugar with cane sugar or coconut sugar.
Or use seed oil instead of EVO oil, and vice versa.
Obviously, you need to take these changes into account and possibly recalibrate the hydration of the recipe or specific procedures.

You can also enrich the recipe with your personal touch: add chopped black olives to the bread recipe, or put a pinch of cinnamon in your brioche, etc.

Our recipes mainly serve as a source of inspiration rather than a strict cookbook to follow.

And if you have any doubts, contact us!

Do I need a mixer?

Yes, although it is possible to prepare doughs by hand or with household appliances, the use of a dough mixer is strongly recommended, even if not professional, but one that can guarantee sufficient working intensity to properly prepare the doughs.

Is it really necessary to knead doughs prepared with Baker Mix for a long time?

Yes, because working the dough for a long time at medium-high speed helps to overcome the initial stiffness of the fibers and hydrocolloids, making the dough smoother, more homogeneous, and softer.

Can I freeze the raw dough?

Yes, you can freeze the freshly made and already portioned product BEFORE the proofing stage. However, keep in mind that the yeast in the dough will not survive more than 20/25 days, so the product should be consumed before this period.
Simply thaw the product in the refrigerator - well covered to prevent drying on the surface - for at least 12 hours, after which it can be handled like a freshly made product (i.e., proofing and baking).