Croissants

Croissants

A little baking challenge for the weekend!

Croissants

Ingredients
  

  • 500 g cake flour
  • 10 ml salt
  • 60 g butter
  • 50 g sugar
  • 15 ml yeast
  • 360 ml milk lukewarm
  • 345 g butter
  • Additional flour for rolling

Egg wash

  • 1 large egg
  • 2 Tablespoons 30ml whole milk

Instructions
 

  • lace the sifted flour and salt into a large bowl and rub in the 60g of butter.
  • Mix the sugar, milk and yeast in a jug and set aside to activate for 5 minutes.
  • Pour the warm milk mixture into a well in the centre of the flour.
  • Mix to form a soft dough. The dough should be soft and pliable (not sloppy or overly stiff to work).
  • Turn the dough out on to a floured surface and knead until smooth, elastic and springy. Or knead in a mixer until the dough comes away from the sides.
  • Shape the dough into a rectangle and rest for 30 minutes in the fridge.
  • Place the remaining butter between two sheets of baking paper and flatten with a rolling pin into a rectangle.
  • Place the flat butter onto the chilled dough and fold around the butter in an envelope formation.
  • Begin the lamination process (minimum of 6 rolls and folds), but rolling out the dough into a long rectangle and then folding it into 3. Turn the dough 90⁰ before rolling again (this in 1 roll and fold).
  • Rest the dough in the fridge between rolls and folds if necessary.
  • Once you have done 6 rolls and folds, rest the dough overnight in the fridge.
  • Roll out the dough and shape the crescents by cutting long triangles and rolling them up
  • Place on a tray and leave at room temperature to rise again for a further 30 minutes, brush with the egg wash and then bake in a hot oven (230°C) until golden and cooked through.