Making authentic French croissants requires time and patience, but the result is a flaky, buttery pastry that is well worth the effort. Here’s a detailed recipe to guide you through the process.
#### Ingredients
**For the Dough:**
- **Flour**: 500 g (Type 55 or unbleached all-purpose flour)
- **Water**: 140 g (room temperature)
- **Whole Milk**: 140 g (room temperature)
- **Sugar**: 55 g
- **Soft Unsalted Butter**: 40 g
- **Instant Yeast**: 11 g
- **Salt**: 12 g
**For Laminating:**
- **Cold Unsalted Butter**: 280 g (for folding)
**For Egg Wash:**
- **Egg**: 1
- **Water**: 1 teaspoon
#### Instructions
1. **Prepare the Dough**:
- In a mixing bowl, combine the flour, sugar, salt, and instant yeast. Make sure the salt and yeast do not touch directly at this stage.
- Add the water and milk to the dry ingredients. Mix until a rough dough forms.
- Incorporate the soft butter and knead until the dough is smooth and elastic (about 5–10 minutes).
- Shape the dough into a ball, wrap it in plastic wrap, and refrigerate for at least **4 hours**, preferably overnight.
2. **Prepare the Butter Block**:
- While the dough is chilling, prepare the butter for laminating. Place the cold unsalted butter between two sheets of parchment paper and pound it with a rolling pin until it forms a flat rectangle (about 1 cm thick). Refrigerate to keep it firm.
3. **Laminate the Dough**:
- Roll out the chilled dough on a lightly floured surface into a rectangle large enough to envelop the butter block.
- Place the butter block in the center of the dough. Fold the dough over the butter, sealing it completely.
- Roll out the dough into a long rectangle (about three times longer than wide). Fold it into thirds like a letter (this is called a single turn).
- Wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate for **30 minutes**.
4. **Repeat Laminating Process**:
- Repeat the rolling and folding process two more times for a total of three single turns, chilling for 30 minutes between each turn.
5. **Shape Croissants**:
- After completing the turns, roll out the dough into a large rectangle (about 24 inches by 20 inches).
- Cut triangles from this rectangle (base about 8 cm wide and height about 20 cm).
- To shape each croissant, make a small cut at the base of each triangle, then gently stretch it while rolling from base to tip. Curve slightly to form a crescent shape.
6. **Proofing**:
- Place shaped croissants on lined baking trays. Cover loosely with plastic wrap or a kitchen towel and let them proof in a warm place for about **1–2 hours**, or until they have doubled in size.
7. **Preheat Oven**:
- Preheat your oven to **375°F (190°C)**.
8. **Egg Wash**:
- Whisk together the egg and water for an egg wash. Brush gently over each croissant before baking.
9. **Bake Croissants**:
- Bake for about **15–20 minutes**, or until golden brown and puffed up.
10. **Cool and Serve**:
- Allow to cool slightly on wire racks before serving.
Enjoy your homemade French croissants fresh with butter or jam!
Citations:
[1] https://mysecretconfections.com/2020/03/perfect-french-croissants/
[2] https://thesimplyluxuriouslife.com/vodcasts6e6/
[3] https://sugarspunrun.com/cinnamon-coffee-cake/
[4] https://www.gogogogourmet.com/cinnamon-coffee-cake-with-streusel-crumb-topping/
[5] https://www.weekendbakery.com/posts/classic-french-croissant-recipe/
[6] https://iambaker.net/double-fudge-brownies/
[7] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yyKO_od_31o
[8] https://thesaltedsweets.com/double-chocolate-fudge-brownies/
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