These Croissants are something that I have been practising over the past few months. It has taken me several attempts to try and get the perfect Croissants and now I think I have finally baked Croissants that you would find in a French Bakery! If you do want to make your own Croissants keep in mind it is a very lengthily process which can take 2-3 days. I get better results when I do it over 3 days but you can easily do it over 2 days.
Throughout my many attempts some tips that are really important are: To make sure your dough is chilled, this will prevent your butter from melting and oozing out of the dough and my other tip is to prove your Croissants for at least 3 hours, this will create that open amazing looking honeycomb structure in your Croissants.
Ingredients:
Croissant Dough:
250g Strong White Flour
130g Warm Water
30g Caster Sugar
25g Melted Butter
6g Fast Action Yeast
5g Table Salt
1 x Egg Yolk
Beurrage (Butter Block):
140g Butter
Egg Wash:
1 x Egg Yolk
1 Tbsp Milk
1. On Day 1 to make the dough for the Croissants, add the flour, warm water (around 25C), sugar, melted butter, egg yolk, yeast and salt into a large mixing bowl. Make sure that the yeast and salt are not on top of each other, otherwise, this will kill the yeast).
2. Mix the ingredients together until a dough forms and then knead until the dough becomes smooth and elastic. By hand, this will take around 10-15 minutes of kneading but in a stand mixer with a dough hook it will take 8-10 minutes.
3. Place the dough into a bowl and cover it in cling film and leave in the fridge to prove for 12-24 hours.
4. On Day 2, start by making your Beurrage also known as a Butter Block! Cut slices of your block of butter so you have 140g in totally. Next, arrange the butter slices on a piece of baking parchment to make a 4 x 4 inch 10 x 10 cm) square. Place another piece of baking parchment onto of your butter block and roll so you have an even thickness of butter throughout the butter square. The place in the fridge for 30 minutes.
5. Take that the Croissant dough out of the fridge, it should have doubled in size. Lightly dust your work surface with flour and tip the dough onto the work surface. Then knock back the dough to remove the large air bubbles in the dough.
6. Roll the dough into a 8 x 8 inch (20 x 20 cm) square.
7. Next roll out the corners of the dough so that they are slightly elongated.
8. Take the Beurrage out of the fridge and place it onto the dough. Make sure that the corners do not line up with the corners of the Croissant dough.
9. Pull the elongated corners of the Croissant dough over the top of the Beurrage so it becomes encased. Make sure the Beurrage is fully sealed in the Croissant dough out the butter will leak out when you start rolling the dough.
10. Dust the work surface with flour if needed and then flip the dough. With the roll pin lightly tap and pressed out the dough. This will help to create the layer of dough, butter, dough and make it easier to roll out. Then start to roll the dough to form an 18inch (45cm) rectangle. When rolling try to roll in 1 direction, this will help you evenly roll out the dough.
11. Fold ¾ of the dough over each other and then fold the other ¼ so it touches the other ¾ . Then fold the dough in half and press down the layers lightly so they are stuck together.
12. Leave the fridge to chill for 1 hour.
13. Once chilled place the dough onto the work surface make sure the longest edge is facing towards you. Next, roll the dough out again into an 18inch (45cm) rectangle. Then fold 1/3 of the dough over its self. Next over the other 2/3 over the top of the other 1/3. Press down the layers lightly so they are stuck together.
14. Leave to chill in the fridge for at least 1-24 hours.
15. On Day 3 (or Day 2) once the dough has proved, dust your work surface with flour. Roll out the dough into a 40 x 28 cm rectangle. Then on every 8 cm interval mark the dough and then on the other side mark the dough on 4cm and then mark every 8cm.
16. Use a ruler to join up the marks to create triangles.
17. With a sharp knife cut out the triangles.
18. Roll the triangles up from the base to the tip to create the Croissant shape.
19. Place your rolled up Croissants onto a tray lined with baking parchment, make sure that the tip of the Croissant is on the base of the baking tray otherwise they will unravel while they prove and bake. Cover the tray with a plastic bag, this will stop a skin to form.
20. Leave Croissant to prove for at least 3 hours. Around when there are 30 minutes left in the proving process preheat the oven to 200C/400F/Gas Mark 5. Once proved the dough will be aerated and almost gelatinous like.
21. To create the egg wash, add the egg yolk and milk into a bowl and mix.
22. Glaze the Croissants with the egg wash using a pastry brush.
23. Bake the Croissants in the oven for 15-20.
24. Once the Croissants are a golden glossy brown colour remove them from the oven and leave then to cool on a wire rack.
