Homemade croissants

 

Why do people like croissants so much?

A perfect croissant, it is a very crispy croissant with a lot of puff pastry, and it smells a good taste of butter inside. I have never once eaten a croissant in Paris before. Let us indulge in some fiction and imagine walking around the streets of France in the morning, eating croissants that are still warm from the oven, and each mouthful is bursting with butter aroma. A picture of croissant breadcrumbs and coffee milk shape may have been left in the corner of the mouth by accident.

In France, having crispy and tasty croissants with a cup of coffee in the morning is as natural as having soy milk with fritters for breakfast in Asia.

Is it hard to make croissants? Well, I found this to be an extremely difficult challenge but making the croissant is not a difficult recipe. All it takes is a little concentration and patience.  There are numerous processes involved, including plenty of chilling, measuring, rolling, and folding. I have been putting off making croissants because it is a time-consuming recipe, but it is well worth it. You will be blown away by the outcome, the result is gorgeous flaky and buttery croissants with a glossy crispy outside and a soft and rich inside.

I am not claiming to be an expert in croissant making; I have tried a few recipes and methods and come up with my own set of adjustments that I will share with you, but I have to say these are better than store-bought croissants and most coffee cafes.

Made-from-scratch croissant. There is no shortcut to a delicious croissant. I am sorry to just must break it to you. These take time to complete. To be more precise, two to three days. Most of that time is spent doing nothing, so you can go do whatever you need to do that day while you wait. It is not a big deal.  If you are looking for freshly baked croissants, this is what you are going to do.

WHY DO YOU FERMENT BREAD OR DOUGH IN THE OVEN?

Place a glass of boiling water in the oven while bread or dough is being proofed. Shut the door and leave the bread or dough on the top or middle rack. A warm, steamy atmosphere will be created for the dough or bread to rise due to the heat and steam from the boiling water. Every 30 to 45 minutes, hot water can be replenished to keep things working.

DO I HAVE TO ADD ALL THE LIQUID TO THE DOUGH?

The common practice is to add a little if the dough feels too dry. In fact, holding back a little of the water from the recipe, and adding it in incrementally, going by feel rather than the measurement, is the preferred way to get a perfect dough.

DO I NEED TO WINDOWPANE TEST THE DOUGH?

You are not making bread dough. So, you do not have to do a windowpane test with the dough. As far as the dough all comes together into a scraggly dough.

HOW DO I KNOW THE CROISSANTS ARE PROOFED?

The croissants would not double in size as typical bread dough would. When you gently shake the baking sheet, the croissants will wiggle, and the croissants will be soft to touch.

INGREDIENTS

475g      high protein flour

2 tsp      instant yeast

65g        sugar 

25g        salted butter at room            temperature            

1 cup     lukewarm milk                                                     

225g      cold salted butter

 

Egg wash

1          egg yolk

2 tbsp   milk

 

Honey Syrup (glossy topping)

1 tbsp    honey

1 tsp      water

 

METHODS

1. In the bowl of a standing mixer fitted with a dough hook, add all the ingredients for the dough and knead on medium speed for a few minutes or until the dough comes together. You may stir with a spatula or spoon to mix it into a scraggly dough.

2. Take the dough out of the mixer bowl and knead it on a work surface until smooth – about 4-5 minutes. You should not have to put too much effort into kneading here because we are not making bread dough. Place the dough back in the mixing bowl and cover it with plastic wrap and keep it in the fridge overnight. The dough will not rise much like bread dough, rise until doubles in size, that is how it is supposed to be.

3. Slice the butter into thin strips and place them in the center of a piece of parchment paper, place another piece of parchment paper on top of the butter and using a rolling pin, roll the butter into a 7” square size. Place the butter in the fridge.

4. Roll out the dough to a 10" square on a work surface that has been lightly dusted with flour and brush off any excess flour from the surface of the dough.  Place the cold square of butter in the center of the dough. Wrap the dough's edges around the butter so that they meet in the middle. To seal the edges, gently press.

 

5. First Turn. With the sealed edges running vertically, transfer the dough to a surface that has been lightly dusted with flour. Roll the dough vertically into a 22" x 8" rectangle after giving it a little tap with the rolling pin. While rolling the dough, lift it regularly to prevent sticking. Roll the dough from end to end, not side to side, using as much flour as necessary to ensure a uniform thickness. Like you would fold a letter, fold the dough in thirds lengthwise. Place it on a parchment paper-lined baking sheet, cover with plastic wrap and keep in the fridge for 30 minutes.

6. Second Turn. Turn the dough 90 degrees so that the folded edge is on your left. Roll the dough again to 22" x 8" and fold it into thirds once more. Chill in the fridge for 30 minutes.

7. Third Turn. Repeat rolling and folding into thirds with the chilled dough. Once more, placed the dough on the baking sheet, cover it, and chill it for an hour.

8. Roll out the dough into a rectangle of 16 x 9" on a surface that has been lightly dusted with flour. Place on a baking sheet, cover, and chill for 30–60 minutes or overnight.

9. Roll out the dough into a 24"x9" rectangle on a surface that has been lightly dusted with flour. With the help of a pizza wheel, cut the dough's long edges. Cut this rectangle into 6 equal pieces, each measuring 4" x 9", and then use a pizza cutter to cut each piece into a right-angle triangle to make the tiny croissants. Working with one triangle at a time.

10. Lay a triangle on the table, cut a small slit in the center of the wide end, and roll the dough into a crescent. Repeat with the remaining triangles, then put them on the baking sheet.

11. Keep the baking sheets covered with a kitchen towel in the oven without turning it on. Place a glass of boiling water in the oven to assist the croissants to rise. The croissants should be given an hour or two to prove, but they will not double in size like typical bread dough.

12. Set the oven to 200 degrees Celsius and get ready to bake. Place the baking sheet on the middle oven rack and bake the croissants for 20 to 25 minutes, or until golden brown, on the tops.

13. After the croissants are finished baking, take them from the oven and let them cool for 10 minutes. To give them a glossy appearance, brush on a layer of sugar syrup.

Even though it takes a bit more time and work, making homemade croissants is not difficult. Sometimes I even think to myself, "Wow, I can make a croissant that looks like this." It is amazing! I will pat myself on the back. And you should pat yourself on the back as well.