Crazy Dough Croissants with Praline Pistachios and White Chocolate

Crazy dough is a very versatile dough because it has a neutral taste, and it is therefore suitable for both sweet and savory preparations. Crazy dough is indeed the base dough for savory tarts, quiches, and strudels, both sweet and prepared with vegetables, cheeses, and cold cuts.

In some parts of Italy, this dough is called “stretched dough” because it is easy to stretch very thin even with the help of just your hands.

The crazy dough recipe I propose is fantastic and a bit different from others, lighter because it’s made with ricotta (only 3 ingredients) and is therefore fat-free (without oil and butter). Ideal croissants for a healthy breakfast (the white chocolate glaze is optional).

With this delicious crazy dough you can make simple sweet croissants, for example, by sprinkling the dough ONLY with cinnamon and sugar, or just brown sugar (I use muscovado), but here I also write the doses for glazing them with white chocolate and pistachios.

These homemade crazy dough croissants are so good that they have rightfully entered the category of my Top Recipes, which you can consult by clicking HERE.

Ingredients

4 cups all-purpose flour
9 oz ricotta (fresh)
as needed whole milk (or water (about 1 cup))
as needed fine salt
as needed muscovado sugar
as needed ground cinnamon
7 oz white chocolate (quality, I use Callebaut)
1 tbsp sunflower seed oil (high oleic (or rice oil))
as needed pistachio crumbs

Tools

Bowls Guzzini bowl set of various sizes
Stand Mixer Kenwood with 1400 W power, illuminated bowl
Pastry Wheel
Saucepan for bain-marie cooking
Baking Tray adjustable

Steps

In the bowl of the stand mixer with the K beater (you can also work everything by hand) mix flour and ricotta, a pinch of salt and add about 1 cup (220 ml) of milk (or water) and work the dough for about 2 minutes, it should be smooth, homogeneous and not sticky.
Smack the dough a couple of times on the work surface (this helps make it more elastic) and then let it rest for about 30 minutes, covered by a cloth or a pot.
On a floured work surface (or on parchment paper) roll out the crazy dough with a rolling pin. A thin rectangle should be formed.
Transfer the rectangle onto a sheet of parchment paper and sprinkle it with brown sugar and cinnamon. Roll over it with the rolling pin to make it adhere well to the dough.
With a serrated pastry wheel, cut the rectangle into strips and form croissants by rolling each strip onto itself (as in the photo).
Place the croissants obtained this way on a baking tray lined with parchment paper and bake in a preheated oven at 392°F (200°C) for a maximum of 10 minutes.
Personally, I like them a lot even like this, simply filled with brown sugar and cinnamon, one leads to another!
Below, in any case, I also write the richer and more delicious version with white chocolate and pistachio glaze.
Take a saucepan for bain-marie cooking and melt 7 oz (200 g) of good quality white chocolate with one tablespoon of high oleic sunflower seed oil (or rice oil), once the chocolate is melted, add a little pistachio crumbs and mix. Pour everything over the cold croissants and garnish with more pistachio crumbs.

Notes and Tips

If you need to prepare in advance, know that crazy dough keeps well in the refrigerator, even for a couple of days wrapped in plastic wrap for food. If, instead, you have prepared too much, you can put it in a freezer bag. The day you need to use it, you can place it on a plate and let it thaw in the fridge, then use it as if it were fresh.

For the glaze, I chose to use high oleic sunflower seed oil, which – unlike all other oils (except extra virgin olive oil) – does not contain polyunsaturated fats, which are very harmful and are also found in many industrial products (snacks, crackers, etc.). Oleic acid is indeed a monounsaturated fatty acid that has various interesting characteristics: it is useful in providing the body with those precious substances known as omega-3 and omega-6 and in reducing “bad” cholesterol in the blood. High oleic sunflower oil also boasts antibacterial, anti-inflammatory, and anti-cancer properties.

Shopping Tips!!!

To weigh the ingredients, I use this practical digital kitchen scale, with a large removable bowl, tare function, and built-in timer.

To knead to perfection, I use my Titanium Chef Patissier XL stand mixer with 7L EasyWarm bowl, integrated scale, and blender, a faithful kitchen ally for: kneading, weighing, whisking, cooking, chopping, pasteurizing eggs.

If you are looking for a more economical and smaller stand mixer, you can the excellent Kenwood Titanium Chef Baker XL, 1200W of power, 5l bowl and integrated scale.

For cooking in a bain-marie – especially for melting butter and chocolate – I use this practical and convenient bain-marie pot.

To bake the croissants, I used this practical extendable multi-use tray, very useful for Pizza, Focaccias, Cookies and Cakes (sweet or savory).

You can purchase all the items I recommend above, on Amazon, at a great price, just click directly on the related links.

FAQ (Questions and Answers)

Why is it called “crazy dough”?
Pellegrino Artusi writes: “It is called crazy not because it is capable of some madness, but for the simplicity with which it lends itself to act as a substitute for missing pastry in various dishes, as you will see. Quench flour with water and salt in proportion and form a dough that can be rolled into a sheet with a rolling pin.

Delicious Recipes

Crazy Dough Croissants with Praline Pistachios