Flour, Butter, and Ambition: Inside the World of Desserts

by Clément Le Déoré, Owner and Executive Pastry Chef, Desserts by Clément in San Diego, CA

Sponsored by

Get to Know Clement

I started baking when I was 15-years old in Brittany, France. I actually finished middle school and I didn’t want to go to high school. I always wanted to work instead of going to school, so I started an apprenticeship and randomly picked the bakery close by my neighborhood. I started my two-year program to learn how to make bread. The more I was working in the bakery; the more I loved what I was doing. And then I decided to do one extra year to learn how to make desserts.

After my three years of apprenticeship, I wanted to take a big step and go to a different place, so I decided to move to Corsica, a small island in the Mediterranean, at the age of 18. I worked there as a baker for a bakery for two years and then I worked as a pastry chef for two more years. After those four years in Corsica, I was ready to explore the world and went to Australia for two years. I love new challenges so I left everything to go to Australia with zero English to work for a French cafe where I was making their desserts. It was hard at the beginning to communicate, but after a few months, I was living my best life. After those two years I didn’t want to stop in Australia and decided to move to San Diego. It had been my dream since I was a kid to live in California (I guess because I watched too many movies). In San Diego, I worked for four years for a French bakery and then I was finally ready to go on my own. That’s when Desserts by Clement began. I started by myself in my living room and four years later I have 20 employees. Now I am trying to build my empire!

For me baking is a way to share love through food. I always say that my reward from all the hard work is to see the happiness in people’s faces when they eat what I make. What I love most is that creativity is unlimited.

The Recipe

I created this pastry with all the techniques I learned through those past years. I always love to make croissants and recently I have learned the new techniques about the stripes on a croissant, which brings the lamination to the next level. Also, few months ago, the Dubai chocolate was very trendy so this is why I created this pastry by combining two skills in one pastry that I had recently learned to make The Dubai Bi-Color Croissant.

To create this pastry, I decided to make a Swiss-shaped croissant with green stripes on top to show the green color that is related to the flavor inside. For the filling, I decided to make from scratch the Dubai chocolate filling and also add some pistachio cream to add some moisture. For the decoration, I dipped half of the pastry into milk chocolate to really bring the full experience of the Dubai bar but into a croissant.

When I create a pastry or dessert, I always go with at least three different textures, so it always surprises the palate. I think it is always very important to add texture so you can enjoy different flavors under different forms.

Flavor is as important as texture; I always make sure that the flavor really shows in the product without being overpowering, and I always try to have the right balance of sweetness and flavor.

On Ingredients and Craft

For me, everything starts with flavor. I look for ingredients that are real when you taste them, so there is no confusion. Whether it’s a strawberry, a pistachio or a vanilla, it needs to express itself fully. I also look for balance: acidity, sweetness, aroma and texture. My goal is always to highlight the ingredient, not hide it.

King Arthur offers excellent consistency, which is essential in professional production. Their protein levels are reliable, and the flour behaves predictably, which is critical for laminated dough and Viennoiserie.

Each flour has its purpose. Choosing flour is like choosing butter. You select it based on the result you want to achieve.

So actually, I have been trying different types of flour for my croissant production and I found very interesting the difference of the final product you can have based on the flour you choose. I got really impressed by the volume of my croissants when I used the Sir Lancelo flour.

Pastry Culture and Trends

I’m excited to see a return to true craftsmanship in Viennoiserie. More chefs are focusing on the new techniques such as bi-color, stripes and different shapes. I really think that all those new techniques really brought back our crafts to life. People get more interested and more curious these days, because we have really pushed it to the next level and we can always create something new to attract customers. As bakers we want to keep creating and innovating.

Guests are beginning to recognize and value this level of precision.

Viennoiserie in America is evolving rapidly. There is a stronger demand for authentic, high-quality croissants made with proper techniques and premium ingredients. I believe we will see more specialized bakeries focused entirely on laminated dough and fermentation. Guests are becoming more educated and can recognize the difference between industrial and handcrafted products. This creates an exciting opportunity to elevate standards.

When we talk about techniques coming back, one the one hand, we have been elevating all our techniques and we have improved them. But we must also remember to be true to our classic technique because they are why we started baking and what made us the bakers we are today.

When you think about your career so far, what excites you most about the next chapter?

What excites me most is pushing Viennoiserie to the highest level possible while expanding my vision: to see that I can learn new things every day and, most important, to be able to share the passion and give back to people my knowledge and love for pastry so they can learn and give back as well.

Viennoiserie is one of the purest expressions of pastry. It combines precision, discipline, and artistry.

My goal is to build a production and brand that reflects true craftsmanship. I want everyone to know what is a real croissant made with real ingredients from flakiness to taste.

And This is just the beginning.

Dubai Croissant

By Clément Le Déoré, Owner and Executive Pastry Chef, Desserts by Clément in San Diego, CA

Croissant Dough

• 500 g Sir Galahad flour
• 60 g granulated sugar
• 10 g salt
• 30 g fresh yeast
• 100 g milk
• 125 g water
• 60 g unsalted butter
• 250 g butter sheet, for laminating

1. In the mixing bowl with the dough hook attachment, mix all the ingredients together at speed 1 for 5 minutes, then at speed 2 for 5 minutes.  
2. Remove the dough from the mixer and pre-shape it into a ball.
3. Cover the dough with plastic wrap and leave it to rest for 30 minutes.
4. After 30 minutes, flatten the dough by hand and transfer it to a sheet pan.
5. Place it in the freezer for 30 more minutes. You want the dough to be very cold before you start the lamination process.                                                                                                                       
6. Pull the butter sheet out from the refrigerator 30 minutes before you wish to start laminating. This will help ensure your butter and dough have the same texture.          
7. Give the dough a double fold, and then a single fold immediately afterward.
8. Once the folds are completed, rest the dough in the freezer for 30 minutes, then transfer it to the refrigerator for 30 minutes before beginning the Cross Lamination (below).

Green Dough

• 125 g Sir Galahad flour
• 15 g granulated sugar
• 3 g salt
• 8 g fresh yeast
• 35 g milk
• 32 g water
• 15 g unsalted butter
• Green coloring (powder preferred), as needed

1. Follow the same mixing procedure as for the Croissant Dough.
2.  Once the dough is made, shape it and set it aside to rest for 30 minutes.
3.  Flatten the dough, wrap it and place it in the freezer for 30 minutes to chill, then transfer it to the refrigerator until ready to use.

Cross Lamination

1. Place the green dough on the top of the paton (plain laminated dough) and sheet it down to 12 mm.
2. Cut 5 mm-wide strips and place them on top of the paton until it is completely covered.
3. For best results, allow the dough to rest in the freezer for at least 10 minutes before proceeding to the next step.
4.  Once the paton is cold – not frozen, just super-cold – flip it over, so that the cross-laminated side is down, against the conveyor belt, with the stripes running parallel to the belt.
5. Sheet down to 5 mm.
6. Cut 16 cm x 8 cm rectangles.      

Pistachio Pastry Cream

• 265 g milk
• 23 g cornstarch
• 70 g granulated sugar
• 20 g yolks
• 26 g egg
• 26 g unsalted butter
• 60 g pistachio paste

1. In a saucepan, bring the milk to a boil.
2. While the milk is heating, mix the cornstarch with the sugar, then add the yolks and egg. Mix until homogeneous.
3. Once the milk is boiling, pour half of it onto the egg mixture, whisk the eggs and hot milk together, then pour everything back into the saucepan.
4. Cook the pastry cream until it is boiling, then continue cooking and stirring for about 30 seconds more.
5. Off heat, mix in the butter and pistachio paste.
6. Cool down completely.
7. Whisk the chilled cream before transferring it to a piping bag.
   Be careful not to over-whisk it, otherwise the cream can be too liquid.

Pistachio Kadayif Filling

• 300 g kadayif (raw)
• 120 g unsalted butter
• 400 g pistachios, roasted
• 200 g white chocolate
• 50 g grape seed oil
• 5 g fleur de sel
• 300 g kadayif

1. Cut the kadayif into smaller pieces and toss it with the melted butter.
2. Bake for 15-20 minutes at 325°F (163°C), until lightly browned.
3. Allow to cool completely.
4. Process the roasted pistachios in a blender or food processor to form a smooth paste.
5. Combine the pistachio paste, chocolate and oil.
6. Combine 300 g of the baked kadayif and the pistachio mixture, adding the fleur de sel at the end.
7. Spread the filling onto a 1/4 sheet pan and place it in the freezer until solid.
8. Cut 5 cm x 5 cm rectangles and reserve in the freezer.

Note: Baked kadayif is available and can be used in this recipe to make the process easier.

Assembly & Baking

• Milk chocolate coating, as needed
• Crushed pistachios, as needed

1. Pipe some pistachio cream onto each rectangle of dough.
2. Place a rectangle of Pistachio Kadayif Filling on top of the pastry cream.
3. Fold the sides of the dough over the filling, then place the croissants on a tray, seam-side down.
4. Once everything is assembled, place the croissants in the proofer for approximately 90 minutes at 82-84°F (28-29°C).
5. Bake at 350°F (177°C) for about 20 minutes.
6. Brush or spray the croissants with simple syrup immediately upon removing them from the oven to give them a nice, shiny appearance.                                                                                                
7. Allow the croissants to cool completely.
8. Dip half of each croissant in milk chocolate coating and garnish with crushed pistachios.

(This article appeared in the Spring 2026 issue of Pastry Arts Magazine)