About the Recipe
Baking croissants is by no means an easy feat, but boy is it rewarding. Even if you do not bake these to perfection, they will still taste amazing. Since they do require a bit of lengthy prep time before the bake, make sure you give yourself enough time. Working with pastry dough is not only temperature sensitive, but also time sensitive! Be sure you follow each step carefully!
Ingredients
Dough
5 cups AP flour
1/3 cup granulated sugar
1 tbsp plus 1/2 tsp salt
2 1/4 tsp instant dry yeast (1 packet)
3/4 cup plus 2 tbsp water (room temp)
1/2 cup milk (room temp)
1/4 cup cold and cubed unsalted European style butter
Butter
4 sticks of cold unsalted European style butter
Egg Wash
1 egg
Splash of milk
Preparation
Step 1
Mix together the flour, sugar, salt, yeast, water, and milk in large bowl to form a smooth dough.
Step 2
After mixing until a dough forms, add your cold and cubed butter to the mixture. Knead for about 8-10 minutes with a mixer or by hand.
Step 3
Let the dough rest for about one hour to double in size. Cover the bowl with a damp towel and place in a warm spot.
Step 4
While proofing the dough, prepare the butter. Roll out the butter to an 8-8 inch square in parchment paper. Keep cold! If it starts to melt, place in the fridge for a few minutes and begin again. Once done, leave in the fridge.
Step 5
Next, roll out your proofed dough to a 17in x 4in strip.
Step 6
Grab and add your butter layer on top and fold the dough to meet into the center. Then over again like a booklet. Turn, wrap with saran wrap, and keep cold in freezer for 10min and then 45min in the fridge.
Step 7
Roll out to a long strip and repeat the folding step until you have done 2 more turns. Keep in the fridge overnight for the last turn.
Step 8
Roll out to an 18in x 4in strip and cut into 4in rectangles.
Step 9
Cut across corners to create a triangle. Roll this up into a croissant by applying a little pressure using your palms to roll it.
Step 10
Place the rolled croissants onto a baking pan and let the rolls sit for about 1-2 hours at room temp to proof.
Step 11
Egg wash the croissants and bake at 375F for about 20 minutes or until golden brown. Enjoy!