Aaha Oho: February 2013

Croissant is a flaky buttery bread roll made from yeast-leavened dough and they are a staple in French bakeries. Well, making croissants are a bit time consuming but well worth it eod. As the dough has to be rolled and folded several times, it takes around 10 hrs from start to finish including refrigeration and freezing time. So i divided the process by laminating the first day and shaping the next day. Also make sure you have a measuring ruler and not tape, this way you can shape the rectangles with straight edges. Measuring as you roll is the key to perfect croissants so go ahead sink your teeth into these flaky rolls. Here goes the recipe,

Ingredients:

4 1/4 cups All purpose flour
3 tbsp + 24 tbsp Unsalted Butter, very cold
1 3/4 cups Milk
4 tsp Rapid rise/Instant yeast (or 5 tsp Active dry yeast)
1/4 cup Sugar
2 tsp Salt

1 large Egg
1 tsp cold Water

How to:

Melt 3 tbsp of butter in a saucepan over low heat, remove and immediately stir in the milk. Whisk in yeast and transfer the mixture to a bowl of stand mixer, add the flour, sugar and salt.

Using dough hook in a stand mixer, knead on low speed for 2-3 mins or until dough starts to come together. Increase speed to medium-low and knead for a min. Wrap the bowl and let sit for 30 mins.

Transfer dough to parchment paper–lined rimmed baking sheet and shape into 10 by 7-inch rectangle about 1 inch thick.

Wrap tightly with plastic and refrigerate for 2 hours.

Making Butter block:

While dough chills, fold 24-inch length of parchment in half to create 12-inch rectangle. Fold over 3 open sides of rectangle to form 8-inch square with enclosed sides. Crease folds firmly.

Place 24 tablespoons cold butter directly on counter or the parchment and beat with rolling pin for about 60 seconds until butter is just pliable but not warm, then fold butter in on itself using bench scraper. Beat into rough 6-inch square.

Unfold parchment envelope and transfer butter to center of parchment, refolding at creases to enclose.

Turn packet over so that flaps are underneath and gently roll until butter fills parchment square, taking care to achieve even thickness.

Refrigerate the rolled butter for at least 45 minutes.

Laminating the dough:

Transfer dough to freezer. After 30 minutes, transfer to lightly floured counter and roll into 17 by 8-inch rectangle with long side parallel to edge of counter.

Unwrap butter and place in center of dough. Fold sides of dough over butter so they meet in center. Press seam together with fingertips. With rolling pin, press firmly on each open end of packet.

Roll out lengthwise into 24 by 8-inch rectangle. Starting at bottom of dough, fold into thirds like business letter into 8-inch square. Turn dough 90 degrees counterclockwise. Roll out lengthwise again into 24 by 8-inch rectangle and fold into thirds.

Place dough on sheet, wrap tightly with plastic, and return to freezer for 30 minutes.

Transfer dough to lightly floured counter so that top flap opens on right. Roll out dough lengthwise into 24 by 8-inch rectangle and fold into thirds. Place dough on sheet, wrap tightly with plastic, and refrigerate for 2 hours or up to 24 hours. (I refrigerated overnight.)

Shaping the dough:

Transfer dough to freezer. After 30 minutes, transfer to lightly floured counter and roll into 18 by 16-inch rectangle with long side of rectangle parallel to edge of counter.

Fold upper half of dough over lower half. Using ruler, mark dough at 3-inch intervals along bottom edge with bench scraper (you should have 5 marks).

Move ruler to top edge of dough, measure in 11/2 inches from left, then use this mark to measure out 3-inch intervals (you should have 6 marks).

Starting at lower left corner, use sharp pizza wheel or knife to cut dough from mark to mark. You will have 12 triangles and 5 diamonds; discard scraps. (Actually i did not discard the scraps but rolled'em and baked for a lesser time. Yields 4 mini croissants.)

Unfold diamonds and cut into 10 triangles (making 22 equal-size triangles in total).

Position 1 triangle on counter. (Keep remaining triangles covered with plastic.) Cut 1/2-inch slit in center of short side of triangle.

Grasp triangle by 2 corners on either side of slit and stretch gently, then stretch bottom point. Place triangle on counter so point is facing you. Fold down both sides of slit. Roll top of triangle partway toward point.

Gently grasp point 1 hand and stretch again. Curve ends gently toward each other to create crescent. Repeat with the remaining triangles.

Place 12 croissants on 2 parchment-lined rimmed baking sheets at least 21/2 inches apart.

Lightly wrap with plastic and let stand at room temperature until nearly double in size, 2 1/2 to 3 hrs.

(Shape the croissants ahead and refrigerate for up to 18 hours. Remove from refrigerator to rise and add at least 30 minutes to rising time.)

After croissants have been rising for 2 hours, adjust oven racks to upper-middle and lower-middle positions and heat oven to 425 degrees.
In small bowl, whisk together egg, water, and pinch salt.

Brush croissants with egg wash. Place croissants in oven and reduce temperature to 400 degrees.
Bake for 12 minutes, then switch and rotate baking sheets. Continue to bake until deep golden brown, 8 to 12 minutes longer. (Every oven is different, i baked mine for a total of 16 mins rotating halfway.)