Apparently We've All Been Eating Croissants Wrong This Whole Time - Tasting Table

"William Hanson, who runs an etiquette training institute in the U.K., addressed the topic in a TikTok video, where he said, "The croissant is made from butter, so no need to put more on top". According to Hanson, the only spreads that should be added are a little jam or marmalade, and both should be spooned onto a plate before preparing the croissant."

"Additionally, Hanson says that people should avoid dipping pastries into a cup of coffee or rich hot chocolate, even though this is a tradition in parts of France. The podcaster and author believes that this isn't good manners. Instead, play politely, stick to your plate, and try not to make a huge mess. Hanson isn't alone in his belief that croissants don't need any extra butter."

One etiquette view holds that croissants require no additional butter because the dough is made with large quantities of butter. Only small amounts of jam or marmalade should be added, and spreads should be spooned onto a plate before preparing the croissant. Dunking pastries into coffee or rich hot chocolate is advised against as poor manners, despite being traditional in parts of France. A standard croissant recipe contains roughly 50 grams (about 3½ tablespoons) of butter, making extra butter unnecessary and potentially excessive. In France, adding toppings that mask the croissant’s flavor is generally frowned upon.

Read at Tasting Table