There is something special about fresh baked pastries, and these croissants are no exception. They may be a lair of love, but their flaky, buttery goodness is sure to be a delicious addition to your breakfast or brunch menu.
Ingredients
- 3 1/2 cups Swany White Flour
- 1/4 cup white or packed brown sugar
- 2 teaspoons salt
- 1 cup milk, or more
- 1 pound unsalted butter
- 2 tablespoons flour, for dusting
- 1 egg
- 1 tablespoon milk
Directions
- In a stand mixer with a dough hook, place the yeast, flour, sugar, salt and the milk and mix for 2 minutes until a soft moist dough forms on the hook. If your dough I snot moist enough, you can add additional milk, no more than 4 tablespoons, adding a table spoon at a time.
- Once you have achieved moist dough, turn the mixer on high and mix for another 4 minutes until very smooth and elastic.
- Turn the dough out of the bowl onto a floured surface, cover with a damp towel and allow it to rest for about 15 minutes.
- Remove the towel and roll the dough onto a board into a 10 by 9-inch rectangle about 5/8-inch thick. Wrap the dough in plastic then chill for at least 1 hour and up to overnight. A French rolling pin works best for this.
- About ten minutes prior to removing dough from the refrigerator, prepare the butter by beating it with your rolling pin on a floured surface to soften it and form a rectangle 6 by 8 1/2 inches. Place it between plastic wrap and set aside.
- Remove the dough from the refrigerator and roll it on a floured surface into a 10 by 15-inch and 1/4-inch thick rectangle.
- Place the shorter side of the dough parallel to the front of your body on the work surface and place the butter in the middle, long-ways.
- Fold the bottom up over the butter and brush off any excess flour and then fold the top down over the butter to overlap and encase the butter. Press down lightly with the rolling pin to push all the layers together and make sure they have contact.
- Roll the dough once again to form a new 10 by 15-inch rectangle and then fold into thirds.
- Mark it with an indentation made by poking your finger once at the corner of the dough meaning you have completed the first “turn”.
- Wrap in plastic and chill 1 hour.
- Repeat steps 9 – 11 again three more times
- After the final turn, you can let the dough chill 1 hour (up to overnight), or, roll it out to a 13 by 24-inch square that is a little less than 1/4-inch thick and cut out your croissants and shape them.
- When ready to roll and cut the dough, use a sharp large knife and cut into 6-inch strips then cut them into triangles, about 4 inches wide at the base of the triangle.
- Stretch these triangles again 9 inches long, then place on the work surface and place a piece of scrap dough in the center of the wide end to enclose. This will help plump up the center.
- Roll the triangles up towards you starting at the wide end tucking under the tip and curving the ends to produce that famous present shape. Place them 2 inches apart on a parchment lined sheet pan.
- In a small bowl, whisk together the egg and milk and brush the croissants with this egg wash.
- Place croissants in a warmed oven with a pan of hot water in the bottom to create moisture that will allow the croissants to proof.
- Set aside to proof until puffed up and spongy to the touch (about 1 to 1 1.2 hours) and remove from the oven.
- Preheat oven to 425 degree F and spritz with water, close the door, and get the croissants. after placing the croissants in the oven, spritz again, close the door and turn the oven down to 400 degrees F.
- After 10 minutes, rotate your pan if they are cooking unevenly and turn the oven down to 375 degrees F. Bake another 5 to 8 minutes until golden brown.