I love croissants for their flaky, buttery magic. For me, the unadorned croissant is an absolute classic. Some people think they are boring – gasp! I cannot agree with you.

We are lucky enough to have a top-quality supply in Oxford. Considering that even in France it’s estimated that more than three-quarters of all croissants are factory-produced, this is a pretty good showing. Before I share the bakeries that really stand out, let’s delve into some background to this beloved baked good.

First of all, it’s generally accepted that croissants actually originated in Austria and were brought to France in the 19th century as a Viennese speciality. In France, croissants are classed as ‘viennoiseries’, i.e. from Vienna. In a proper French boulangerie (bakery), there’ll be a whole separate section dedicated to this class of treat. Creating croissants requires a lot of time, in a process where butter is layered into dough, rolled out and folded a number of times. This is what creates those wonderful flaky layers, as well as the irresistible taste. As you can see, butter is key.

Back in Oxford, I’ve chosen the very best croissants in town based on three criteria:

• The taste should be lightly buttery with barely a hint of sweetness.
• The texture must include a flaky, laminated crust and a soft, airy inner structure.
• The appearance: there has to be shiny, golden-brown exterior and pale-yellow inside

My top three all come from local, independent businesses, so we can enjoy eating them while supporting Oxford traders.

To make things a little more interesting, I’m also including comments on almond croissants, another perennial favourite. They are the traditional way for bakeries to use day-old pastries, which they fill with almond cream and top with flaked almonds to make a nutty delight.

Gatineau

It’s no surprise that our very own French boulangerie in Summertown bakes beautiful golden-brown croissants with a delicate crunch, buttery flakiness, and even texture.

They are straight (not crescent shaped), which is the French way of indicating that they are pure butter. They also get top marks for the lamination. The almond croissants are rich without being overly sweet. And yes, they are topped with toasted almonds and sprinkled with powdered sugar. Bravo Monsieur Gatineau!

Broche

This tiny coffee shop on the corner of a residential street in Jericho is well worth a detour for their baked goods, as well as the creamy iced lattes.

Produced daily up in their Kidlington bakery unit, these croissants are exceptionally crispy on the outside, and subtly sweet within. They are buttery (perhaps a little less than Gatineau) and perfectly laminated. The almond croissants are distinctively flat and have a pleasingly dense covering of almonds.

Proof Social

While the Kennington bakery site isn’t within Oxford itself (though WELL worth the lovely walk along the river to get there), you can buy also buy their croissants at various locations around town. Tap Social in the Covered Market seems to carry the vegan versions only, but NewGround coffee round the corner has the all-butter version too. They make my list as a delicious all-rounder in each category: taste, flake, and look. If you are an almond-lover, this is the deluxe offering, with the strongest flavour and richest filling of all.

So that’s the best of the best; not all the croissants I sampled made this list. Some were quite good in only one category; others were too unevenly textured, undercooked, or a little greasy.

I braved one commercial offering, but it exuded industrial disappointment and reminded me why it’s worth paying about £3 or so for the real thing.

We all deserve a little treat now and then!

Do you have a fave croissant that didn’t make Liz’s top three? Let us know in the comments!