Pastry Cookbook

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Baker’s Croissants

Course Side Dish
Cuisine French

Ingredients

Dough

  • 500 g flour
  • 20 g fresh yeast
  • 60 g sugar
  • 10 g of salt
  • 1 cup 8 oz milk, whole
  • 1 egg large
  • 30 g butter softened

Egg wash

  • 2 egg yolks to brush on croissants
  • 1 cup water

Butter inlay

  • 350 g unsalted butter cool to the touch
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 30 g AP flour

Instructions

Dough

  • Put the flour, sugar, salt, and softened butter into a stand mixer. Blend until flour and butter are well mixed. Add warm milk and eggs. Knead for 2 minutes, then add fresh yeast. Continuing kneading to obtain a smooth and homogeneous dough.
  • Mold into a ball and let stand for 1 hour at room temperature. Afterwards, the dough can be matured overnight in the refrigerator or left at room temperature until doubled in size.
  • If proceeding without the overnight refrigeration, knead again and then refrigerate for 30 minutes until slightly chilled.
  • If refrigerated overnight, take out of the refrigerator 90 minutes before moving to the next step.

Butter inlay:

  • Cut the butter into 1˝ chunks and combine with the salt and flour at low speed in a stand mixer just until smooth, with no lumps and no air.
  • Spread the butter on a piece of plastic wrap and shape into an 8˝ square. Wrap and refrigerate for 30 minutes.
  • Spread the dough on a floured surface with a floured rolling pin. The butter inlay should have roughly the same consistency as the dough: place your inlay it in the middle of the dough and spread it, avoiding putting it on the edges of the dough.
  • Fold the dough over the butter to cover it and seal the edges with slightly damp fingers

Lamination:

  • Roll out the dough, being careful not to let the butter escape out the sides, and form a long rectangle large enough to be able to be folded in thirds: fold the 2 ends toward the center, then turn the dough rectangle 90* and fold again in half lengthwise.
  • Rest for 10 minutes, covered in plastic wrap so it doesn’t dry out,
  • Turn the dough to have the fold on the right and roll it out again into a large rectangle, then fold in thirds and again in half. Return to refrigerator for 30 minutes to firm at any time during this process if you feel it is too soft.
  • Rest for 10 minutes, covered in plastic wrap so it doesn’t dry out.

Shaping

  • Roll out the dough evenly to make a long rectangle about 16 x 20 inches. Cut into 2 strips about 8 x 20 inch Cut into triangles about 4 x 8 in.
  • Roll each triangle from the bottom to the tip
  • Prepare 2 baking sheets either buttered or covered with parchment paper. Put the croissants on the sheets (about 9 per plate) spacing them out a little. Brush with egg yolk/ water mixture.
  • Let rise about 90 minutes before brushing a second time with egg yolk diluted in a little water just before going into the oven.
  • Bake for 10-15 minutes at 415°F (210°C), keeping an eye on the coloring.