"Julia Altshuler" > wrote in message
...
>I like to bake. Usually I make small batches of cookies, muffins, quick
>breads. I combine ingredients in a bowl and mix by hand with a wooden
>spoon or wire whip. From time to time I make yeast bread. I knead by
>hand.
>
>
> Recently we've been thinking about how much we like croissants and how
> there's no bakery around here that makes good ones and how far we drive in
> the quest for the perfect croissant. We've been thinking about making
> them ourselves.
>
>
> I bought _Baking Illustrated: The Practical Kitchen Companion for the Home
> Baker_. This is the book by the editors of Cook's Illustrated Magzine,
> America's Test Kitchen people with Christopher Kimball, the guy with the
> bowtie. I know we all like to argue about television celebrities, but I
> like those people. I find the information well-presented and informative.
>
>
> The book recommends a stand-up mixer for the croissant dough. We don't
> have one, and I'm looking for advice on whether we need one. It's the
> usual consideration of balancing cost and counter space against how much
> we'd actually use it. We do have a cuisinart which is kept under the
> counter and brought out from time to time. Has anyone found that having a
> stand-up mixer makes a big difference in making croissants, or is doing
> that part by hand or cuisinart just as good? I don't want to buy a big
> appliance for one task, but neither do I want to risk bad results because
> I wasn't willing to start with the right equipment.
>
>
> --Lia
>

Before I would invest in a stand mixer to only make croissants, I would
invest $10-$20 in a 24 inch by 24 inch pc of scrap marble countertop or a
large marble tile. Mine is 24 by 36 inches.
Keep the tile in the fridge (or outside in cold weather), and use as a
pastry board. Works wonders w/ pie crust as well.