Brites Padaria Artesanal & Pastelaria Artesanal

"The list of ingredients for making these croissants is long, but the most important thing is time. “Brites is a bakery and pastry shop that uses artisanal production methods and respects the time required for each product. Time is, in fact, the most important ingredient,” insists Verónica Dias, the 29-year-old baker who opened this space in mid-January, where breads, baguettes and cakes rise at their own pace. “The bread and viennoiserie, French pastries, are all naturally fermented and long-lasting. I make Berlin balls, doughnuts and French croissants, for example, which are our trademark. They contain 50% butter,” she says. But not just any butter. The dough uses Azorean butter and in the laminating process (which gives the croissant its flaky appearance), Verónica opts for French butter with 84% fat and extra dry. “This makes the croissant more buttery, light and crispy.” The process is slow and complex: it takes three days from preparation to cooking. In the first day, the dough is made, in the second day it is rolled out and in the third day it is baked. In addition to the plain croissants (€1.50), speculoos, chocolate toffee, ganache and gianduia, which is a mixture of chocolate and hazelnut, are some of the fillings (between €2 and €2.30) that are on display in this new and tempting space."