From boulangerie to…everything and everywhere

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Croissant dough is for making croissants. True or false? 

The traditionalists among us think that a croissant belongs on a boulangerie counter. It’s the prince of baked goods (with bread being the king, in case you were wondering) and crafting the perfect croissant is an art form all of its own. 

Croissants have been the subject of numerous debates – from whether they should be classified as pâtisserie or as bread, to how many folds a croissant should have. 

Today though, croissant aficionados have something else to worry about: the trend of croissant dough popping up pretty much everywhere. 

We’re seeing croissant dough where, exactly?

It’s a craze. We’re not sure if it started with the crookie or the cruffin, but bakers have been blending croissant dough with other recipes – creating croissant-esque baked goods that would definitely raise eyebrows in a rural French bakery. 

For example: 

• The cruffin – a muffin made from croissant dough.
• The crookie – a croissant filled with cookie dough (we won’t lie – it’s delicious).
• The cronut – you’ve probably guessed this one; the croissant doughnut.
• Crossushi – yep, it gets wilder. A combination of croissant and sushi, expect something along the lines of a salmon-filled croissant sandwich.
• The cragel – a flakey croissant-dough bagel, filled with…whatever you want it to be filled with.
• The crupcake – we know you can figure this one out on your own. 

OK, some of these sound tasty. But why do they exist? 

In the fast-paced world of food crazes, the real question might be…why not? 

But if we want to dig into it (which we do, obviously), the driving force behind the croissant diaspora is social media. 

The crookie was reportedly invented by a Parisian pastry chef named Stephane Louvard in 2022. Sales ticked along steadily, until an Instagram post by a Parisian restaurant review account drove a spike in sales – up to 200 per day. 

It was in 2023 that the crookie really kicked off though – when TikTok influencer Johan Papz shared a video of himself biting into one of Louvard’s creations. At that point, the bakery was overwhelmed: with hundreds of people coming to buy (and take photos with) crookies. Production pushed right up to 1,600 crookies per day; and then the craze spread around the world. 

The cronut came earlier though. It was created (and trademarked) in 2013 by another French pastry chef, Dominique Ansel, at his bakery in New York. He told Wired, “It’s not a matter of making it food for the camera. Make it good so people remember it in their heart. It’s worth more than a photo.” 

But the photo is important: social-media worthy baked goods have the potential to go viral; and when they do, they become part of the culture of the moment. 

What can F&B brands learn from social media food crazes? 

One viral product can lay the foundations for a brand to grow. Ansel, for example, has leveraged the virality of the cronut to build a global business: he now has bakeries in London and Tokyo, as well as a second location in New York; and a huge full-service restaurant and bakery in Los Angeles. 

But just creating a viral product isn’t enough. You’ve got to be strategic about it, and have a vision that stretches beyond viral success – because if you don’t, the craze will drive growth for the product (which consumers will buy from any company that sells it); but not necessarily for your brand. 

Ansel knew this – so he trademarked the cronut and used it to build awareness of his baking philosophy: creative, modern, and fun. That meant that the virality of the cronut enabled him to build a loyal customer base, and it became the springboard from which his business could expand outwards into the world. 

So the real lesson is this: if your brand hits on the next food craze, don’t assume your work is done. Think carefully about how you can take that virality and convert it into longevity – to make your viral success worthwhile. 

Mark your calendars for our next newsletter on 21 June 2024. Is there anything specific you'd like to see covered? We'd love to hear from you! Click here to share your suggestions.

Until next week,

Aravind Kanniah,
Exhibition Director

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