"Croissants Recipe"

By RoketJSquerl

Ingredients

• For the croissants:
• 1 tablespoon active dry yeast
• 7 tablespoons whole milk (68′F)
• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 tablespoon fleur de sel
• 6 tablespoons superfine sugar
• 2 1/4 tablespoons unsalted butter, very soft
• 1 tablespoon dry milk powder
• 1/2 cup mineral water (68′F)
• 3 sticks (12 ounces) French butter
• 1 large egg yolk
• 1 whole egg
• dash of fine sea salt

Details

Servings 20
Adapted from zencancook.com

Preparation

Step 1

For the croissants:

Dissolve the yeast in the warm milk. Sift the all-purpose flour, then incorporate the sea salt, sugar, very soft butter, dry milk powder, water and yeast dissolved in warm milk. Knead the mixture briefly. Transfer the dough to a bowl, cover it with plastic wrap, and keep it at room temperature (ideally at 72′F) for 1 1/2 hours, or until the dough has doubled in volume.

Punch down the dough to its initial volume and cover it with plastic wrap again. Refrigerate for 1 hour. Punch it down again and place in the freezer for 30 minutes.

Remove the dough from the freezer. Pound the cold butter in between sheets of parchment paper with a rolling pin to soften, then knead butter with hands forming a rectangle. Place it in the refrigerator while you roll the dough.

Sprinkle a work surface with flour and roll out a long rectangle of dough; it should be three times longer than it is wide. Place the pad of butter on one half of the dough rectangle. Fold the other half of the dough rectangle over the butter pad and pinch the edges shut around it.

To make the croissants you will need to put 3 double turns into the dough. To make your first double turn, dust your counter surface with flour and roll out the dough into a rectangle three times longer than it is wide.

Visually divide the dough lengthwise into quarters. Fold the two outer quarters over the center axis, or spine, of the rectangle of dough, so they meet in the center. Then close the book, bringing one edge to meet the other. Double turn complete. Wrap the dough in plastic and refrigerate for 1 hour. Repeat the operation twice more for a total of 3 double turns with one hour of rest in between. Make sure you start each turn with the center axis, the spine of the book, on your left.

Roll out the dough to a rectangle about 8 inches wide and 1/8 inch thick.

Cut out long triangles, each 8 inches long from the pointiest tip to the center of the side across it and 4 inches wide at the bottom. Roll each triangle tightly from the wide bottom to the tip of the triangle and give them a crescent shape.

Transfer the croissants to two baking trays lined with silpat  or parchment paper. Cover lightly with plastic and leave at room temperature to double in size, about one hour.

Heat the oven to 450′F.

Whisk the egg, egg yolk and salt together in a small bowl and brush the top of the croissant generously.

Place the trays in the oven and immediately lower the temperature to 350′F.

Bake the croissants for 20 to 25 minutes, or until they double in size, caramelize on the edges, and have a crusty outer layer. Eat them right out of the oven or at room temperature.