Making viennoiserie at home is often a project we keep putting off. Brian Boclet’s Mediterranean Square is worth stopping the procrastination. A laminated yeasted dough, a filling with southern flavors, and a result that has nothing to do with what you find in bakeries.
Ingredients :
- T45 Flour — T45, finer and lower in gluten than T55, gives a tighter crumb and more delicate lamination. A strong bread flour (like Gruau d’or) further strengthens the gluten network during folding without making the dough elastic and hard to roll. Avoid regular supermarket flour: it absorbs butter poorly and the lamination flattens during baking.
- Butter for laminating — This is the butter that creates the layers, not the one in the dough. It must have a high fat content (84% minimum) and remain firm without breaking—a dry butter, called ‘tourage butter’, is ideal. Alternatively, a well-chilled AOP butter works. The rule: if the butter crumbles when tapped, it’s too cold; if it sticks to your fingers, it’s too warm. The right texture is like plasticine.
- Oil-packed sun-dried tomatoes — They provide an umami concentration that fresh tomatoes cannot achieve. Drain them thoroughly on paper towels before using: excess oil soaks the dough and prevents proper lamination. Cut into small irregular pieces to create flavor pockets rather than a uniform layer.
- Pitted black olives — Preferably Kalamata, for their fleshy texture and balanced bitterness. Canned olives work, but rinse them in cold water to reduce metallic taste. Dry them well before adding to the filling—same logic as tomatoes: moisture is the enemy of lamination.
