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Black ink/food coloring for laminated dough
Dear Sussan! I hope you ll see my message, may you please advice if I want to color my croissants to diamond black per Antonio Bachour recipe, which brand and how much is recommended to use to make sure it will not dye my tongue and hands when ready and at the same time I not losing the vibrancy of the color? Maybe also I shouldn’t use the milk at all since it may affect the appearance during the baking?
Thank you so much in advance.
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12 Replies
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Scoolinary Team
Hi Salma.
Welcome to the Scoolinary community! Thank you for your question.
To color your croissants with diamond black according to Chef Antonio Bachour’s recipe, I recommend using edible food coloring suitable for baking. These types of food coloring are designed to maintain the vibrancy of the color even when exposed to the heat of the oven.
Recomendación:
Gel or powder food coloring: I suggest using gel or powder food coloring specifically formulated for baking, as these tend to resist heat better.
Recommended brands:
AmeriColor Soft Gel Paste: Excellent for baking, easily mixes into the dough, and maintains the vibrant color during baking.
Wilton Color Right Performance Color: Also suitable for baking, doesn’t lose intensity with heat.
Quantity: To achieve a deep black, start with a small amount (like a pinch) and add more gradually until you reach the desired shade. Avoid using too much at once, as it could affect the dough’s texture.
Milk: I recommend avoiding the use of milk if you want to maintain the color’s intensity, as it may affect the result. You can opt for water or another liquid that won’t alter the color, depending on your preferred texture and flavor.
As a recommendation, I suggest doing a small test first to ensure the results you get match what you’re looking for, or to make any adjustments in your next batch of croissants.
I hope this information helps you achieve the perfect diamond black croissants.
Best regards.
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Thank you so much for your reply. As always it’s pleasure to see your advices.
The only issue I face with food coloring is that I’m not sure what is the limit to avoid when adding food coloring, for example in Bachour’s recipe for strawberry mascarpone croissant he uses 8g of red gel and that’s only for 300g dough, so what I thought I can use 8g of food coloring for every 300g of dough 🤦🏻♀️ forgetting the fact that this dough is not base and that much of coloring would not affect the overall dough. Anyways to make it short I end up with colored tongue, and “inner organs” also got affected 🙈
I have lots of Chefmaster gel food coloring so I’m using that brand to dye my croissants. Any suggestions in terms of limits to not exceed when coloring the dough? (1350g of dough per Bachour’s recipe)
Again many thanks 🙏❤️❤️❤️🌺
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Level:
Scoolinary Team
Hi Salma.
Welcome to the Scoolinary community! Thank you for your question.
When it comes to food coloring, it’s important to remember that each dough reacts differently depending on its ingredients and base, so the colorant is distributed in various ways. In general, I would suggest using a maximum of 1-2% of colorant in relation to the weight of the dough, especially if you’re working with a dough rich in fats, like croissant dough, as it doesn’t absorb as much as a basic dough.
For Chef Bachour’s recipe, if you’re using 1350g of dough, a good range would be between 13g and 27g of colorant (depending on the intensity you’re aiming for). It’s always best to start with less colorant and adjust, as some gel brands are more concentrated than others. Also, remember that mixing colorants like red and yellow can affect the hue, so keep in mind the shades you’re trying to achieve.
I hope this information helps, and that your croissants turn out spectacular next time!</div><div>Warm regards, and thank you for sharing your experience.
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Thank you Sussan!
Also can you please advise on how to properly preserve croissants to keep them fresh? Like my croissants are getting dry and harder next day and losing the crispness. Is there any additional “secret ingredients” that bakeries use in order to keep their croissants fresh at least 3-4 days? In general is it possible?
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Level:
Scoolinary Team
Hi Salma.
To keep croissants fresh, it’s best to store them in a dry place at room temperature. You can wrap them lightly in parchment paper or a paper bag to retain some moisture without making them too soft. Avoid the fridge, as it can cause them to dry out even more. How do you usually store them?
Bakeries sometimes use dough enhancers to improve the texture and freshness of croissants, allowing them to stay soft longer without losing quality. One of the most common enhancers is ascorbic acid (vitamin C), which helps maintain the crumb structure, or emulsifiers like soy lecithin. These help the croissants retain moisture for a longer period.
If you decide to try an enhancer, I would recommend using around 0.1% to 0.3% of the weight of the flour. For example, if you’re using 1 kg of flour, you should add between 1 and 3 grams of the enhancer. However, you can also achieve great results by controlling the humidity and baking time carefully.
I hope this information helps!
Best regards.
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Hi Sussan! Sorry just checked the chat and saw your reply message. Thank you so much for your help. Is it possible to use both ingredients for that reason? and if I also can store croissants in airtight container in the walk in cooler because later those re going under the heat before serving? Possible or better solution exists?
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Level:
Scoolinary Team
Hi Salma!
No worries at all,I’m glad you saw the message.
Yes, you can absolutely use both ascorbic acid and soy lecithin together. They work in a complementary way: ascorbic acid helps strengthen the gluten and improve the dough structure, while lecithin acts as an emulsifier, helping retain moisture and extend freshness. Just be sure not to exceed the recommended dosage (between 0.1% and 0.3% of the total flour weight).
As for storage, keeping croissants in an airtight container in the fridge isn’t ideal, as the cold tends to dry out and harden laminated doughs. However, if that’s your only option and you plan to reheat them before serving, it can work—just make sure to:
- Let them cool completely before storing to avoid condensation.
- Wrap them in parchment paper or plastic wrap before placing them in the container.
- Reheat them in a preheated oven at 160–170°C (320–340°F) for a few minutes to bring back some of the crispness.
An even better option—if you’re not eating them within 1–2 days—is to freeze them once cooled. They freeze very well, and if you reheat them straight from frozen, they come out almost like freshly baked.
Hope this helps you keep your croissants delicious for longer!
Warm regards,
Sussan.-
Hi Sussan! Thank you so much for all these tips. But, I serve savory croissants and since those are filled with either tuna or turkey w cheese and salsa, I air tight them and store in the walk in cooler..any better idea would greatly appreciated 🙏
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Level:
Scoolinary Team
Hi Salma.
Thank you for your message and for sharing more details about how you serve your croissants!
Since you’re making savory croissants filled with ingredients like tuna or turkey, cheese, and sauces, it’s completely understandable that you need to refrigerate them for food safety. In that case, storing them in an airtight container in the fridge is the best approach.Here are a few tips to help preserve the texture and flavor of your croissants without compromising the safety or quality of the filling:
▪️Let them cool completely before storing:Make sure the croissants are fully cooled before placing them in the fridge. This prevents condensation, which can soften the laminated layers and affect the texture.
▪️Protective wrapping:If possible, wrap each croissant individually in parchment paper or food-safe plastic wrap before placing them in an airtight container. This helps retain moisture without making the exterior soggy.
▪️Gentle reheating (with caution):If the filling doesn’t contain delicate sauces like mayonnaise, you can gently reheat the croissants in a preheated oven at 160–170°C (320–340°F) for about 5–7 minutes to bring back some crispness.
However, if the croissants contain mayonnaise, creamy dressings, or heat-sensitive sauces, it’s best not to reheat them, as the flavors or texture of the filling may change or separate. In those cases, the ideal option is to serve them at room temperature: just take them out of the fridge about 40 to 50 minutes before serving to let them safely come to temperature.
▪️Consume within a short timeframe:We recommend eating refrigerated filled croissants within 24 to 48 hours for the best taste, texture, and food safety.Finally, if you ever want to prepare them ahead of time without delicate sauces, you can freeze the assembled croissants and reheat them directly from frozen (wrap them in foil for the first few minutes, then uncover to let them brown).
Thank you again for sharing your process and for trusting us!I’m sure your savory croissants are a big hit.
Warm regards!Sussan Scoolinary Team.
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Sussan! Thank you so much! How long can I store frozen baked croissants? Up to how many days/weeks or even months? Please advise it’s very important as I’m thinking to bake them, freeze them and then rebake them before serving them to save time.
thank you so much !
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Or it’s better to freeze formed croissants after I shaped them and then proof and bake? Then for how long that could be stored? And if that may require certain type of yeast so it want die in few months ? Or some improvers or enhancers to be added? Don’t know ..
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Level:
Scoolinary Team
Hi Salma!Thanks for your question.
▪️Baked croissants (without any filling):
You can freeze them for up to 1 month without any issues. After that, they start to lose texture and flavor, although they can last up to 2 months if well-wrapped (ideally in plastic wrap and then sealed in an airtight bag).
To serve, let them thaw at room temperature and then reheat them in the oven (about 5–8 minutes at 160–170 °C / 320–340 °F) to bring back some freshness and crispiness.
▪️Shaped croissants, frozen before proofing and baking:
This is the best option if you’re aiming for the highest quality. You can freeze them right after shaping (before the final proof).
In this case, they’ll keep well for up to 6 weeks in the freezer, as long as they’re well protected from air and moisture.
To use them: let them thaw and proof overnight in the fridge (approx. 8–12 hours), then bake straight from the fridge. They’ll come out almost as if freshly made.
Conclusion:
To maintain the best texture, aroma, and flakiness in your unfilled croissants, I recommend freezing them after shaping and before the final proof. This technique is ideal for prepping in advance and guarantees excellent results when baking right before serving.
As a general tip, always run a small test batch first this is the best way to determine how long your croissants can hold up using your chosen storage method.
Hope this helps!
Best regards.
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