The croissant is one of the world's most iconic pastries. They're also notoriously difficult to bake — so naturally, the internet is chock full of shortcuts. Life is short, and we're mere mortals.
Few people are prepared to tackle a labor-intensive, 24-hour baking challenge that's likely doomed to failure. Classic croissants are made by laminating dough, a process that involves folding a flat sheet of butter into the mixture to create delicate, ultra-thin layers. Many hacks use premade laminated dough, while others call for rough puff pastry, an easier (though still pretty labor-intensive) alternative.
But a viral recipe has introduced a whole new method that stars an unexpected ingredient: rice paper. These are easier to make than their French counterparts, but they also have another claim to fame: they're gluten-free. Croissants rely heavily on gluten for their iconic honeycomb texture — the structural protein bonds the dough together as it bakes.
But even without gluten, the rice paper croissants boast a honeycomb-like crumb. The recipe, which was popularized by TikTok accounts like , , and , showcases cooks pulling crispy, beautifully browned pastries from ovens and pulling them apart to reveal soft, layered insides. But are they any good, or is this another dubious ? Do they taste like real croissants? Well, no.
Even though the pastries matched the croissant's characteristic honeycomb, most reviewers found the texture dense and chewy. But the consensus on social medi.