General Mills Foodservice has announced the launch of Pillsbury Freezer-to-Oven Croissants, which make it easy to bake consistently flaky, high-quality croissants in less than 30 minutes. The ready-to-bake croissants go straight from the freezer to the oven and require no thawing or proofing—allowing operators to bake off fresh croissants with no advance planning.

The European-style croissants featured 48 flaky layers and are available in butter and chocolate swirl—made with Barry Callebaut semi-sweet chocolate from Belgium. Both versions have a rich, buttery flavor, tender texture and flaky crust every time, thanks to a proprietary process backed by rigorous testing from the culinary experts at General Mills.

“We know baking fresh croissants is a challenge for many foodservice operations, whether they are baking from scratch or thawing and proofing frozen dough, so we sought to perfect a better process,” says Sonja Kehr, a member of Chefs of the Mills, whose role includes testing product performance and troubleshooting. “A freezer-to-oven croissant without the guesswork of proofing is about as easy as it can get. We aim to eliminate variability and ensure that labor of all skill levels can achieve consistent, flawless results.”

Because the Pillsbury croissants rise during baking, the product is packed flat and frees up valuable freezer space—in contrast to many competitive products that are pre-proofed and require more extensive packaging, creating a larger footprint.

To help operators make the most of their croissants on their menus, General Mills has created several resources including recipes, merchandising and display ideas and more on its website.