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Hi All!

I received many fun and informative responses...Thanks for writing!  Especially this reply, "Now I want a croissant!"

Oops! I didn't mean to stir up the troops!

I also had a fun response from my Mom - a non-celiac. She said, "I love croissants, but the one I had in a little cafe in Paris was so incredibly divine that I will never eat another croissant again, unless it is Paris...It's just not worth it." 

Well, she's in her 70's, so I don't know how many more croissants she'll be having in this life, sticking to that standard! But ya gotta love the dedication and fidelity to heavenly excellence! This is taking on near-mystic proportions! Which reminds me, I was told a couple of times in your replies that the gluten free croissant is considered the "Holy Grail of gluten free baking." I love the imagery, the drama and the adventure implied!

Response: 
"I, too, hunger for and crave for a GF croissant, but, alas, as far as I know there are none available in the US.  If you take flight to France, a company called Valpiform makes them, but they do not export them.  To me, croissants are the Holy Grail of GF baking.  I've made a few attempts, but they turned out greasy, not flaky.  I've spoken to Rebecca Reilly, author of GF Baking and inventor of GF phyllo dough, and she says she doesn't know of a way to do it."

I love Rebecca Reilly's book, and I'd say her standards are probably right up there with my Mom's...or beyond. She does have a recipe for phyllo dough and baklava, though. So she does put out the effort! But I also have deep respect for the fact that she find this unresolvable at this time.

Anyway, it turns out there are GF croissants in France (of course!). 

One reply states: "Our CSA president has told me that she has had wheat starch croissants somewhere in Europe..."

"Anyway, at the health food stores in France (especially Paris) I found quite an array of GF baked goods including croissants!   And they are pretty darn good warmed up in the oven.  So maybe you need to plan a trip!  My mom has lots of tips for GF dining in France."

 "....Gluten-free croissants, brioches chocolate and other pastries are made by "GlutaBye" and available in France (my  freezer is filled with them after my daughters trip to Nice).  You can reach them at www.glutabye.com and see if they will ship to the USA..."  (I did check, and they said, "We do ship, but it  is very expensive, and what happened to USA Customs?"  - I wasn't sure what they meant by that - but things probably got very strict after 9/11) - They have a great web site, by the way, and a map that shows the health food stores that carry their GF items all throughout France. 

RECIPE:
I received this all important post - a special clue in search of the Holy Grail...
 
Hi,
There is a recipe at the Delphi CD Forum:  http://forums.delphiforums.com/celiac/start
Here is the recipe for GF croissants:  http://forums.delphiforums.com/celiac/messages?msg=29935.1
Tell us if you succeed or not,
Good luck,
Mireille

Mary here: I sent this recipe to Mr. Ritt's in Philadelphia. People said it anyone could do it - he could.But I have not heard back. So, Round Table, you could also submit your humble requests to him... 

Summary on Mr. Ritts"

"Mr. Ritt's Bakery.  Their phone number is 1-877-677-4887 or 215-627-3034.  
Website is http://MRRITTS.com  Their stuff is great."

"The gluten free bakery is Mr Ritts. It is the best!  The biggest selection is in the store but they will mail you food also. I live in MA and order my mail. Check out the website. Also, the bakery has their own flour which you can use one on one in any recipe and the results taste just like normal. Give it a try." 

"I just got a pumpkin cheesecake and Jewish apple for thanksgiving....and just made meatballs with their fabulous bread crumbs......I am lucky to live in the area"

"The bakery in Philly is Mr. Ritts... I found their products heavy and just so-so."

Other replies...
"I have never tried this, but I think the Chebe Bread Mix that you can buy in any health food store would lend itself ideally to make GF croissants."

 "I recall at one point someone said that they use spring roll wrappers for making baklava, and since I had already had several dismal failures trying just that, I'm not sure why I did not ask them how they do it. Of course that is not quite the same level of nirvana as a croissant, but, the flaky layers....yum! By the way, I do find that puff rolls work out just fine with GF flours, and you can make nice ones with cheese, or plain ones and fill them with chocolate or vanilla custard for a spectacular dessert (cream puffs, Napoleons)."

French Bread
I got a lot of request for this! I use Betty Hagmann's recipe in "The Gluten Free Gourmet Cooks fast and Healthy." She has a fat-free French Bread. I use it as is - except I use one whole egg instead of the whites of two eggs. I hate throwing out yolks...(We raise our own chickens, and I've since heard the yolks help prevent macular degeneration.)

I find it crucial to use French bread pans. I bought mine through Amazon.com  - It has perforations, so I line the pan with oiled parchment paper. (I have used olive oil..but I may switch to coconut oil)
http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/detail/-/B00004R91I/qid=1101138924/sr=1-2/ref=sr_1_2/102-4706614-4021757?v=glance&s=kitchen  (They also have a baguette pan - which I plan to use to make bread for sub sandwiches for my son....he misses those, too.)

Anyway, when this bread comes out of the oven - EVERYTHING stops! The first loaf is consumed on the spot. We can't help it! (It reminds me of "the old days" when I used to make bread. It was celebration when it came out of the oven  - even on a near daily basis. The kids would devour part of it after school, etc.) I even call a young neighbor girl who is wheat-free and let her know that "It's almost ready to come out of the oven...get over here..." She drops everything and rushes over! It's really fun. Doesn't happen that often...but it's fun. I save the other loaf for Garlic bread.

FYI...I will also do a separate post on coconut oil...It may be of help to many people on this list.

Joy!

Mary Kretzmann
Nevada City, CA

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