Giant Neapolitan croissant stuffed with Nutella
A few years ago, the social trend of giant croissants for creating a “wow effect” emerged, perfect for sharing with friends and consists of the “maxi” reproduction of the classic breakfast croissant.
Actually, even in France, the trend of “croissant géant” (or XXL/XXXL croissant) has caught the attention of great pastry chefs like Philippe Conticini, who created the 1 kg croissant, a unique piece to share at a high cost
However, the idea of the giant croissant to share is rooted in the culture of the “cornettone” typical of the Naples area (especially in the historic center), where it has been consumed for a long time, in large format for an XXL breakfast, to share with friends and family.
Personally, I find the giant croissant stuffed with Nutella ideal to prepare at Carnival and in general throughout the year, for parties and gatherings of young people, even as a wow effect birthday cake! Success is guaranteed, it’s a spectacular dessert that everyone loves.
With my step-by-step recipe, you will get a maxi croissant that is super soft, fragrant, and delicious, homemade.
It’s a leavened brioche pastry dessert, which can be filled as you prefer, according to your taste: Nutella, custard, jam, etc.
With the same dough, you can also make regular croissants, instead of the giant one.
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- Difficulty: Easy
- Cost: Economical
- Rest time: 3 Hours
- Preparation time: 25 Minutes
- Portions: 12People
- Cooking methods: Oven
- Cuisine: Regional Italian
- Region: Campania
- Seasonality: All seasons, Carnival
Ingredients for the giant Neapolitan croissant
- 2 cups all-purpose flour (I use Caputo blue)
- 2 cups Manitoba flour (I use Caputo Gold)
- 5 tbsp butter (soft)
- 7 tbsp granulated sugar
- 5 oz eggs (whole, about 3 + 1 for brushing the surface)
- 1/2 cup whole milk
- 2 tsp fresh yeast
- 2 tsp vanilla extract (bourbon)
- 1 tsp fine salt
- 1 lb Nutella® (for filling)
- sugar stars (for decorating, optional)
Tools for the giant Neapolitan croissant
- Kitchen scale
- Bowls of various sizes
- Stand mixer Kenwood 1200 W power and double bowl
- Brushes kitchen, multi-purpose
- Spatulas set of 3 pastry spatulas
- Baking pan extendable and adjustable
Steps for the giant Neapolitan croissant
First of all, all the ingredients must be at room temperature, especially the butter, which must be soft like ointment.
The dough for this brioche dough croissant, can be worked by hand, but I prefer to use the stand mixer.
Dissolve the crumbled yeast in 1/2 cup of milk, added a little at a time.
Pour the two flours, the dissolved yeast in milk, 7 tbsp of sugar, and the vanilla extract into the bowl of the stand mixer, work the dough with the paddle attachment for about 5 minutes, at medium-high speed.
Then add the soft butter in pieces a little at a time, letting it absorb each time before adding more, until the dough “clings” to the paddle and is no longer sticky. It will take about 5 minutes on medium-low speed
At this point, replace the paddle with the dough hook: also add the salt and work for another 5 minutes at low speed.
You should get a smooth and elastic dough that comes away from the sides of the bowl in one piece, it should be worked for about 15 minutes in total, not more or it will heat up too much.
Place the dough to rise in a bowl sealed with plastic wrap, in a closed place away from drafts, for about 3 hours.
After 3 hours, flour the work surface and let the risen dough rest for 5 minutes.
After 5 minutes, roll out the dough with a floured rolling pin, forming a triangle 1/4 inch thick, 30 inches long, with the widest base at 14 inches.
Start rolling the triangle tightly on itself, starting from the widest base, give it the curved shape of a croissant, and place it on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper.
Let the croissant rise covered with a cloth for another 2 hours.
After 2 hours, brush the surface with a beaten egg with a pinch of salt, sprinkle it with stars or sugar granules (optional). Bake in a preheated static oven at 340°F, for about 20 minutes.
If you see that the surface of the dessert darkens too much, after 10 minutes, cover it with a sheet of aluminum foil.
Once cooked, let the croissant cool, cut it gently in two parts, place the cut base on a cake plate, spread Nutella (or the filling you prefer) over the entire surface with a cake spatula, cover the filling with the top part of the croissant.
Serve the giant croissant cut into slices.
Notes and Tips
If you prefer to prepare in advance: you can make the croissant dough the night before, let it rise in the fridge well covered, and in the morning, after shaping it, let it rise again and finally bake it.
The giant croissant keeps at room temperature, wrapped in plastic wrap for about 3 days.
You can also freeze it already cooked, sliced. Once the slices are thawed, you can heat them in the microwave or air fryer, for a rich breakfast at home.
Shopping Tips!!!
To work the doughs effortlessly, I use my Titanium Chef Patissier XL stand mixer with illuminated 7L bowl, 1400 W power, integrated scale and blender, a faithful ally in the kitchen for kneading, weighing, whipping, cooking, chopping, melting chocolate, and pasteurizing eggs.
I also highly recommend this very convenient and versatile extendable multi-purpose pan, ideal for pizzas, savory pies, cakes, cookies, and focaccias.
You can purchase all the items I recommend above, on Amazon, at a great price, just click directly on the respective links.
