> This time we remembered the salt, and I think that did make a positive
> difference in the taste.

> This time we used the cuisinart to mix the dough instead of hand
> kneading.  We think it's the wrong tool for the job.  The biggest
> problem was the heat.  With the motor so close to the mixing bowl, the
> dough got too hot too fast.  It rose quite a bit in the refrigerator.
> It didn't do that last time.  Now, after deciding that we didn't need
> a stand-up mixer, we've decided that maybe we do need one afterall.
> There's no hurry.  We're waiting for the right one on Craig's List.

> We thought we'd try refrigerating for an hour after every turn instead
> of for 2 hours and doing 2 turns at a time.  Who knows if that was the
> right decision.  We got so mixed up about turns and times that by the
> end of the day we couldn't remember how many turns it had had.  I do
> believe the dough rose too much before shaping.

> The day was a little hotter and considerably more humid.  That
> probably had an effect, but we haven't figured out what sort.

> A few hours before fireworks time, I got the miserable itchy feeling
> of a mold allergy.  I took antihistamines and could scarcely keep my
> eyes open to shape the croissants.  Jim took over and said he didn't
> do as good a job.  The almond croissants especially mooshed into one
> big danish-type pastry.  We need larger pans so there's more space
> between the individual croissants as they bake.

> The neat thing about baking at home is that the results will be good
> and edible even if they're not perfect.  This morning they were
> improved by an excellent soft goat cheese and some nice cassis jam.