Known in France as croissants de boulanger, this yeasted dough is layered with butter and given a succession of folds that create the distinctive profile of classic croissants. Light and airy and shatteringly crisp, with a deeply caramelized buttery flavor, these croissants are a labor of love that’s absolutely worth the time.
* Ingredients
Recipe for 2 baking sheets (about 18 croissants)
°500g T45 flour
°20 g fresh baker’s yeast (cube) or 10 g dry yeast
°60g of sugar
°10g of salt
°200ml milk
°2 eggs (not mandatory to give a little brioche side) + 1 to brown
°200 g unsalted butter (if possible Charentes Poitou AOP) at room temperature, neither too hard nor too soft
* Methods:
Preperation
Dough
Put the flour in a terrine and make a well; crumble the yeast. Add the sugar and salt (the salt should not touch the yeast directly). Then add the lukewarm milk and the eggs. Warning: remember not to add all the milk at the start and to adjust the exact final quantity to the absorption capacity of the flour (which depends on the quality of the flour). Knead to obtaining a soft & homogeneous dough. (This operation is even easier if you have a stand mixer!)
Shape into a ball and leave to rest for 1 hour in a lukewarm atmosphere (or in a proofing oven)
When the dough has doubled in volume, knead it for a few moments to make it fall down then place it in the refrigerator for 30 minutes
Butter the dough: roll out the dough on a floured work surface using a floured rolling pin. be careful with the butter which must NOT be too soft!! It must have about the same consistency as the dough: place it in the middle on the dough by spreading it, without putting any on the edges
Wrap the butter with the dough and seal the edges well if necessary with slightly damp fingers
Puff pastry: roll out the dough with a rolling pin, taking care not to let the butter escape. Start by extending from the middle to form a large rectangle long enough to fold in 4: fold the 2 ends towards the center, then fold in 2
Turn the dough to have the fold on the right
Extend the dough again to form a large rectangle, and repeat the folding operation
Leave to stand for 30 minutes in the refrigerator to firm up because the butter tends to melt. Do not hesitate to put the dough in the refrigerator during the foldings if you feel that it is too soft (it also depends on the weather…)
Roll out the dough thinly, evenly, according to a rectangle of about 40 x 50 cm to cut it into 2 strips of about 20 cm x 50 cm
Make triangles of about 20 x 10 cm
Roll up each triangle, ending with the point
(Make small croissants with the borders so as not to waste…)
Prepare 2 sheets buttered or covered with baking paper. Place the croissants (about 9 per tray) on it, spacing them out a little
Let them swell for about 1 hour before browning them with egg yolk diluted in a little water
Preheat the oven then put in the oven and cook for 10/15 min at 210°, watching for the coloring.
Enjoy!