This is the recipe for the plain croissant dough which is equally yummy as the ones with fillings. But if you'd like to try making flavored croissants, please check out my recipes for
chocolate and
cinnamon-raisin croissants as well. They're basically add ons as they also use this recipe.
Ingredients
4 1/2 teaspoons yeast
1/4 cup sugar
6 tablespoons warm water
2 teaspoon salt
4 tablespoon butter, melted
2 cups cold milk
5 cups flour, plus more for working
2 cups (4 sticks) cold unsalted butter
1 large egg, beaten
Instructions
In
a small bowl or bowl of a stand mixer, dissolve the yeast and a pinch
of the sugar in the warm water. Let stand until foamy, about 5 to 10
minutes.
To
mix the dough by hand, In a large bowl, combine the remaining sugar,
the salt, melted butter, milk, the yeast mixture and 1/2 cup of the
flour, and mix with a wooden spoon until blended. Gradually add the
remaining flour 1/2 cup at a time and mix just until the dough comes
together in a sticky ball.
To mix the dough by stand mixer, In the large bowl of a stand mixer
fitted with the paddle attachment, combine the remaining sugar, the
salt, melted butter, milk and the yeast mixture and mix on medium speed
until combined. Gradually add the flour 1/2 cup at a time and mix just
until the dough comes together in a stick ball.
On
a lightly floured surface, roll out the dough into a rectangle about
1/2 inch thick. Transfer to a large baking sheet and cover with plastic
wrap. Place in the fridge until chilled, about 40 minutes.
While
the dough is chilling make the butter package. I found it was easiest
to place all four sticks of butter together in a gallon size ziplock
bag. Then using a rolling pin, beat the butter on a work surface to
flatten it. Continue to gently beat the butter with the rolling pin to
shape the butter into a 6-by-8-inch rectangle. This part was really kind
of hard, but just keep working it. Once the butter is in the shape of a
rectangle place it back in the fridge to stiffen up again. Don't worry
if your butter is not in a perfect rectangle. It's still going to work.
Now
it is time to laminate the dough, which just means fold the dough with
the butter to create layers. On a lightly floured work surface, roll out
the dough into a 16-by-10-inch rectangle. With a short side facing you,
place the butter in the middle of the dough. Fold the ends up like a
letter. Fold over the upper half to cover the butter and press the edges
together to seal. Then fold over the remaining lower half and press the
edges together to seal. Turn dough again so the short side is facing
you, and use the rolling pin to press down equally on the dough to help
flatten it. Roll dough into a 15 x 10 inch rectangle. Then fold the
dough like a letter again, with a short side facing you, fold the bottom
third up, then fold the top third down. Use your hands to pull the
dough into a rectangle shape. You should now have a roughly 11 x 6 inch
rectangle. This completes the first turn. Wrap in plastic wrap and place
in the fridge to chill for 45 minutes.
Return
the chilled dough to the lightly floured work surface with a folded
side to your left and repeat the process to make 3 more turns, rolling,
folding and chilling the dough each time, for a total of 4 turns. After
the final turn, refrigerate the dough for at least 4 hours or overnight
(I chilled mine overnight).
To
form the croissants, cut the dough in half and place one half in the
fridge while working with the other half. Roll out one half of the
pastry on a lightly floured work surface into a 9-by-18-inch rectangle.
Using a pizza cutter or sharp knife cut the dough in half lengthwise,
and then cut the dough into triangles. Cut a small vertical slit right
into the middle of the straight end, and using both hands, roll
croissant up pushing the sides out to either side. Place on a baking
sheet about 2-3 inches apart, cover with a towel and set in a warm place
to rise for 1-2 hours. The croissants will not double in size like
other yeast doughs do. After one hour position a rack in the middle of
the oven and preheat to 215 ºC.
Lightly brush the tops of the pastries with the egg mixture. Bake the
pastries, 1 sheet at a time, until golden brown, 15-18 minutes. Transfer
to a wire rack and let cool on the pan. Serve warm or at room
temperature. Store in an airtight container at room temperature for up
to 1 day. Makes 25-32 croissants.
To
freeze the croissants before baking, complete the steps through step 8.
Once all the croissants have been rolled place them on a baking sheet
lined with wax or parchment paper. Cover the baking sheets and freeze
for about 2 hours. Remove the pans and place the croissants in a freezer
safe bag and seal. Immediately place back in the freezer and freeze for
up to 6 months. To bake, allow the croissants to thaw overnight in the
fridge and then bake as directed.
Credits: www.halfbakedharvest.com
