CROISSANTS

French croissants are made of leavened puff pastry. Notice that there's no eggs in this dough so it is not a brioche dough!! You can use water, milk or a mixture of water and milk. The fat used is commonly butter or margarine (butter is better obviously!).

I think it's quite easy to make croissants at home but in the other hand I think it's really difficult to make a perfect croissant ! I'm pleased with those because they are homemade but I really have to train to get perfect croissants.

Makes 8 to 10 croissants,

Ingredients :

- 250 gr flour
- 75 gr water
- 75 gr milk
- 25 gr sugar
- 25 gr butter (softened)
- 10 gr fresh yeast (I think you can use dry yeast but I really prefer the fresh one)
- 5 gr salt
- 150 butter (for the folds)
- 1 egg mixed with 1 tbsp water (to glaze the dough)

In a large bowl gather the flour, salt, sugar, softened butter (25 gr), yeast (crumbled), then the water and milk and knead until the dough is soft and it doesn't stick anymore (use your stand mixer or by hand if you're courageous). Then cover the bowl with a clean cloth and allow to rise for 1 hour.

Prepare the butter for the folds. Shape a square with the butter (softened, that's easier), wrap it with plastic film and place in the fridge.

After 1 hour the dough has doubled its volume. Punch it to remove the air bubbles, wrap it in plastic film and place in the fridge for 1 hour.

Take the dough and the butter out of the fridge. Roll out the dough into a rectangle...

Place the butter in the center and cover with the dough. Seal with the fingers. Notice that the dough and the butter have to be at same temperature!

Then apply the first fold, a double one : roll out the dough into a big rectangle...

Then fold the top half to the middle and the bottom half to the middle as well. Then fold in 2. This is a double fold! Wrap it in plastic film and put in the fridge for 30 minutes.

After 30 minutes, apply the last fold, that is : a single one. So, turn the dough to get in front of you the folds. Roll it out into a rectangle again and this time fold it only in 3, this is a single fold. Put back in the fridge for 30 minutes more.

Roll out the dough for the last time, 20 x 60 cm, 3 to 5 mm thick. Cut triangles 12 cm x 20 cm.

Make an incision (1 or 2 cm) in the base of each triangle. Stretch delicately each piece of dough with your hands to make it +/- 3 cm bigger.

Then shape the croissant as in the animation below... Keep the tip of the triangle underneath the croissant. You can check the weigh if you want with your scale. A raw croissant weigh +/- 65 gr!

Place the croissants over an oven tray covered with a silicon mat or a baking paper. Glaze the top of the croissants with a mixture of egg, water and a bit of salt. Allow to rise for 2 hours.