I was a total snob about frozen fruit, until I tried it in laminated dough

Honestly, I always thought using frozen fruit in baking was a shortcut for people who didn't care about quality. I'd go out of my way to get fresh berries from the farmers market for my danishes and turnovers. But last month, during a big batch order at my shop in Portland, I ran out of fresh raspberries mid-mix. Grocery store frozen bag was all I had, so I tossed them in the rough puff straight from the freezer without thawing. The result was way better than I expected. The raspberries held their shape so much better in the folds, and they didn't bleed into the dough like fresh ones do. Honestly, I might switch to frozen for certain things now. Has anyone else had a change of heart about a baking ingredient they used to hate on?

3 comments

3 Comments

parkera2211d ago

The frozen berry trick with laminated dough is a game changer for sure. I tried it with frozen blueberries in some rough puff last week and they stayed perfectly intact while fresh ones always seem to turn into a jammy mess that leaks out of the seams. The cold temp of the frozen fruit probably helps keep the butter layers from melting too fast during rolling which gives you a better lamination overall.

derek65611d ago

For real, "they stayed perfectly intact" is exactly what I noticed too. I did a batch of ham and cheese croissants with frozen raspberries mixed in and the difference was night and day. Fresh berries always burst open and bleed everywhere making a soggy mess but frozen ones just sit there like little jewels. Plus you're totally right about the butter layers, the cold temperature of the frozen fruit helps keep everything firm during that final fold before shaping. I actually had better rise on my frozen berry batch because the dough didnt get all soft and sticky from berry juice. Its one of those little hacks that just makes sense once you try it yourself.

butler.finley11d ago

Friend of mine used frozen raspberries in croissants and @parkera22 is totally right, they actually held their shape.