How a carpenter became Bridgeport’s most beloved croissant baker

Rick Torres is a true renaissance man. Carpentry, plumbing, electrical, politics, even underwater welding. The guy just understands how the world works and is passionate about leaving his mark on it. He is also a God-fearing family man, dedicated to serving the next generation. His kids love him dearly. With his wife Michele, he has carved out a marriage set in stone which has produced 5 kids and 5 grandkids.

On top of all this, he also happens to make the best croissants around. It might be that all of these other skills make him such an exceptional croissant baker. Croissants are finicky. They require you to be confident, but patient. Baking a good croissant is all about feel, but it also requires a lot of deductive reasoning. It's a slim line between fluffy, layered croissants and a brioche loaf.

How do you make the best croissants in Connecticut? Go to croissant school, right? Well, for Rick Torres, who I am fortunate to call my dad, the answer is, “No”.

Building a Bridgeport institution

See…he is a trained carpenter and is pretty incredible in just about every facet of building that you can imagine. His hands have put together some pretty incredible places, including Harborview Market, Park City Music Hall, and every single one of his kids’ houses. He is also a trained Biologist, graduating from his beloved Washington University in St. Louis. There he met my mom, Michele, and through a winding journey they eventually found themselves with a couple of kids running a market in the Brooklawn section of Bridgeport. Eventually they would take their talents and the lessons they learned to a little spot on Harborview Avenue in the Black Rock section of Bridgeport.

The journey from carpenter to croissant-whisperer may be too long to detail here. I’m pretty sure a major part of my dad’s education came from a classically trained French chef who was known to enjoy his fair share of Budweisers. Alain was so sweet and genuine, always smiling and willing to teach. He had these old polaroids of incredible structures he made out of only melted sugar. Alain was a part of the cast of characters that massively impacted my dad’s baking, Harborview, and our family at large.

Croissants are just different.

So at some point, my dad got this croissant recipe, which he has made his own over his years of baking. His experience as a Biologist combined with the diverse problem-solving required to be a skilled builder has given him a unique vantage point to view a croissant recipe.

Most baking recipes are linear…just simple addition. Follow steps 1-10 and you’ll get your product, the same every time. Not with croissants. They require someone willing to wrestle with them…a patient dance partner who knows where things fit and can fix them when they don’t. How do you maximize butteriness but still get layers? How do you deal with some croissants coming out more buttery than others even when they came from the same batch?

What I do know is that Harborview Market croissants are a secret recipe which my dad has said will go with him to the grave. Part of me thinks he is nuts, but a much bigger part thinks that is badass. The weekly routine of staying up late, waking up early, and eventually dropping those glutenous crescents on the marble countertop to brighten the days of the Harborview faithful is a uniquely personal experience. Indeed, it is one of the most enduring tasks of his entire adult life. And not surprisingly, even if he did decide to share that recipe with the whole world, it still requires Rick’s brain, hands, and eyes. So I can’t say for sure what will happen in the future, but I can say right now we are all blessed to experience a truly dedicated craftsman and his croissants on a weekly basis.

Lessons from a craftsman

While I cannot share any specifics about the recipe, here are a few hints about it that I’ve gleaned. I’m pretty sure this won’t get me in trouble for sharing...

First, you can’t rush it. There is a fine line between an airy, layered croissant and a brioche.

Second, you need to maximize your layers, but you can’t handle the dough too much. My dad uses a modified bookend fold to maximize his layer count. To pick up a highly folded croissant dough, you can’t just mash your fingers underneath it and screw up all your hard work. Begin with the outside of your thumbs facing each side of the dough, then carefully roll your hands so they end up underneath that wonderfully layered flour baby.

Finally, just go purchase a $10,000 sheeting machine and practice for a decade and you’ll be well on your way to making a decent croissant. Otherwise, leave it to the pro and be sure to stop by Harborview Market and say thanks when you see Rick!

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