Photo via Facebook / Fresh Baked Cafe
Some culinary historians believe the croissant originated in Austria as the kipfel (German for crescent). Over time, this buttery, flaky pastry has become a staple of French culture and tradition. Crafting the perfect croissant, with a crisp, flaky outside, a soft, buttery inside, and delicate crumbs that lightly fall to your plate after each bite, is not for the novice baker. Croissants are made from laminated dough, in which butter and dough are folded over each other and rolled out to create thin layers (pastry-themed episodes of “The Great British Baking Show” provide a glimpse of how tedious the technique can be).
The challenge of making the perfect croissant is what drew Jennifer Betances, owner of Fresh Baked Café (114 W. Wisconsin Ave., Oconomowoc, and 18900 W. Bluemound Road, Brookfield) to specialize in this French delicacy. Betances was born in Spain and grew up in Miami. She had lived throughout the United States and abroad. She had always enjoyed cooking rather than baking, but then she hit a crossroad in life.
“A friend who’s a chef told me I should take some time and try to specialize in something, so I did,” Betances says. In Spain, she took classes at Mimo San Sebastián cooking school, and a butchery class. “I enjoyed the classes, but they didn’t blow my mind. My fiancé, a French National Police officer in Cannes, offered for me to come and take some classes there.”
In France, Betances became inspired by the art of the croissant. “I was challenged by it because it’s a very difficult pasty to create,” she affirms. She took two-plus years to develop her own recipe. “In school, they give you the techniques on how to make croissants, but no pastry chef will give you their recipe.”
Making a croissant is like a chemistry project, Betances describes, because conditions such as humidity have to be monitored to create a successful pastry.
Bringing French Favorites to Wisconsin
Betances had moved to Oconomowoc more than 20 years ago, after her then-husband accepted a promotion through work. Her children and grandchildren still live in Wisconsin. Betances returned to the Badger State to be close to family. She started selling her croissants at the Oconomowoc Farmers Market, and it wasn’t long before she had repeat customers.
Realizing that she was on to something, she saved money and began researching the dynamics that go into opening a business. She opened her first Fresh Baked Café location in Oconomowoc in 2019. She credits the city of Oconomowoc with having a great loan program for small businesses.
“No amount of education can prepare you for the roller coaster of being a small business,” she observes. “Just because you have a good product, or you think you have a good product, you really don’t know until you open your doors. So far, the Oconomowoc area has been incredibly supportive.”
She opened the Brookfield location December 2020, after the opportunity “fell from the sky.” Betances’ daughter, Christina Childers, who currently manages both café locations, heard from a friend about space available in the Galleria West Shopping Center. Betances had been looking to expand.
At both locations, customers can get coffee drinks, soups like Cuban bean, sandwiches such as turkey and brie, quiche Lorraine or treats like vanilla cream pastry fruit tarts.
Of course, there’s also the marquee croissants. Everyday flavors are ham and cheese, almond, classic chocolate, plain and Nutella. Rotating flavors include fig and parmesan; The Miami, with guava and cream cheese; pineapple upside down; and WTF, a croissant filled with dark chocolate from France and topped with a marshmallow glaze. Six to 12 croissant flavors are available daily.
Betances is inspired by flavors she likes. “Creating flavors is the fun part for me,” she says. She uses European butter, high quality flour and chocolate from France.
“We’ve gotten incredible support from the community,” she concludes. “Small business owners and employees make the most effort to please customers and make them feel comfortable. Supporting us supports the community, as well.”
For more information, visit freshbakedcafe.com or facebook.com/freshbakedcafebrookfieldwi.
