The bakery created the croissant for mini-sandwiches and appetizers, and jumped on the burgeoning trend for snackable, grab-and-go foods for between-meal consumption. Mr. Bohec noted that the concept may sound easy, but developing the product was about as painstaking as making a 14-grain croissant, another new product. To create that croissant with its more nutritious profile, three product developers worked with a vendor to find the right combination of grains to ensure the product didn’t taste as “healthy” as it sounds.
Additionally, adding grains tends to take the “puff” out of a puff pastry. La Petite Bretonne found the solution in the most unlikely of places.
“To make sure we had a nice shape, we reduced the fat in the product,” Mr. Bohec said. “Besides making it healthier, less fat restored the puffing capability.”
The next challenge? Taking on clean label and removing preservatives while maintaining shelf life.
“We’re also looking at reducing sodium yet maintaining a good-tasting product,” he said.