* Exported from MasterCook *
Croissants, Baker's
Recipe By :King Arthur Baking Co
Serving Size : 24 Preparation Time :0:00
Categories : Bread-Bakers Mailing List Muffins/Rolls
Posted
Amount Measure Ingredient -- Preparation Method
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Dough
2 large eggs
warm water -- See directions
1/4 cup sugar -- divided, (50g)
5 1/2 cups Unbleached All-Purpose Flour -- (to 6C/659g to 723g)
2 1/4 teaspoons instant yeast
2 tablespoons butter -- melted, (28g)
1/2 cup nonfat dry milk -- or Baker's Special Dry
Milk, (56g), optional
1 tablespoon salt -- scant
1 teaspoon vanilla extract -- optional; for sweet pastry
Butter
30 tablespoons unsalted butter -- cool to the touch, (425g)
3/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup Unbleached All-Purpose Flour -- (60g)
Known in France as croissants de boulanger, this yeasted dough is
layered with butter and given a succession of folds that create the
distinctive profile of classic croissants. Light and airy and
shatteringly crisp, with a deeply caramelized buttery flavor, these
croissants are a labor of love that's absolutely worth the time.
PREP: 45 mins
BAKE: 30 to 40 mins
TOTAL: 4:30
YIELD: 4 pounds
For the dough: Add warm water to the eggs to make 2C (454mL). Put the
eggs and water in a large mixing bowl. Add 1 tablespoon of the sugar,
3 cups (362g) of the flour, and the yeast. Mix until well blended;
set aside to let the sponge work.
For the butter: Cut the butter into 1" chunks and combine with the
salt and flour at low speed in a stand mixer just until smooth, with
no lumps. Be careful not to beat too much; you don't want to
incorporate any air.
Spread the butter on a piece of plastic wrap and shape into an 8"
square. Wrap and refrigerate for 30 minutes.
Finish the dough: Add the melted butter to the sponge. Whisk together
the remaining sugar, 2 1/2 cups (298g) of the flour, the dry milk,
and salt and add to the sponge. Mix until the dough forms. Knead for
5 minutes; touch the dough lightly with your finger. If it's still
sticky, add the remaining flour 2 tablespoons at a time until the
dough is the desired consistency. Once the dough is smooth and
elastic, pat it into a 9" square, then wrap and refrigerate for 30 minutes.
Perfect your technique: To laminate the dough: Remove the chilled
dough from the refrigerator and gently roll it to a 12" square.
Unwrap the butter square and place it in the center of the dough at a
45 angle, so it looks like a diamond in a square. Pull the corners of
the dough into the center of the butter diamond. Moisten the edges
with a little water and pinch the seams together well to enclose the
butter. Dust the top with flour and turn the packet over.
Tap the dough all over with a rolling pin, encouraging it into a
rectangular shape. Once it's pliable, roll it to a 20"x 10"
rectangle, picking it up and dusting lightly with flour as needed.
When you've reached the proper size, use a dry brush to sweep off any
excess flour and fold the dough in thirds, like a business letter.
Take care to keep the edges straight and line them up directly over
each other. If the dough slides around, use a little water at the
corners to tack them in place. This is your first turn.
Rotate the dough out so it looks like a book about to be opened. Roll
the dough out once more to 20" x 10" and fold it as before. This is
the second turn. Wrap the dough and refrigerate it for 30 minutes to
allow the gluten in the dough to relax.
Give the dough two more turns after its rest, then wrap the dough
well and refrigerate for at least 1 hour or overnight before using.
You can also freeze the dough at this point.
To shape the croissants: Cut the packet of dough in half. Wrap and
refrigerate or freeze one half.
Roll the other half to a 13" x 18" rectangle. Trim the edges about
1/4" all the way around with a ruler and pizza cutter. This removes
the folded edges that would inhibit the dough's rise.
Cut the dough in thirds lengthwise and in half down the center. This
will give you six 4"x 9" pieces. Cut these pieces in half diagonally
and arrange them so the points are facing away from you. Stretch them
gently to make them a little longer, then cut a 1" notch in the
center of the base of each triangle.
Take the two inside corners of the notch and roll them up toward you,
building a curved shape as you roll the base of the dough toward the
tip. Make sure the tip ends up under the bottom of the croissant.
Place the shaped pastry on a parchment-lined baking sheet, curving
the ends toward each other. Refrigerate for 30 minutes.
Take the croissants out of the refrigerator, and let them warm and
rise for 60 to 90 minutes at room temperature. They should expand
noticeably, and when you gently press one with your finger, the
indentation should remain.
Towards the end of the rise time, preheat the oven to 425F. Brush
each croissant with an egg beaten with 1 tablespoon water. Bake for
15 minutes, then reduce the oven's temperature to 350F and bake for
10 to 15 minutes more, until deep golden brown and no raw dough is
visible where the layers overlap. Remove from the oven and let cool
on the pan on a rack for 20 minutes before serving.
Tips: Bubbles and leaks: It's not unusual to have air trapped inside
your laminated dough. If this happens, simply pop the bubble with a
toothpick and press the dough down to lie flat. If there's a bare
spot where butter is coming through, dust the leak with flour,
pressing down lightly so it sticks, and continue on with the fold.
Refrigerate the dough as soon as the fold is done, to firm it up.
Adding flour to the butter inlay helps to stabilize it, so the butter
won't flow out the seams of the dough as it's being rolled.
As you work, keep the dough, work surface, and your rolling pin well
dusted with flour. Turn over the dough from time to time. As you
roll, you tend to expand the top layers more than the bottom. By
flipping the dough over, you'll even that out. Before folding the
dough over on itself, use your pastry brush to sweep off excess
flour. This will help the dough stick to itself after folding, so the
layers don't slide around.
Have a little water on hand; don't be afraid to brush the corners of
the dough with it, to tack the dough in place.
When rolling the dough, especially for the first time, be sure the
dough and butter are at the same consistency; this will make rolling
much smoother and the layers will be more even.
To make Danish from this dough, add 1/2 teaspoon ground cardamom, 1/4
teaspoon nutmeg, and 1/8 teaspoon of ground cloves to the dough when
mixing. Proceed with the rest of the recipe as shown until the dough
is finished.
You can make rectangular, filled croissants, too. Fill croissants
with ham and cheese, spinach, or use our pain au chocolate sticks for
a special treat.
Cal 228, Fat 14g, Carb 22g, Sod 254mg, Fiber 1g, Pro 4g
S(Internet address):
https://www.kingarthurbaking.com/recipes/bakers-croissants-recipe
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Per Serving (excluding unknown items): 274 Calories; 16g Fat (52.8%
calories from fat); 5g Protein; 27g Carbohydrate; 1g Dietary Fiber;
60mg Cholesterol; 365mg Sodium. Exchanges: 1 1/2 Grain(Starch); 0
Lean Meat; 0 Non-Fat Milk; 3 Fat; 0 Other Carbohydrates.
NOTES : 2020 - 1025