Caseros-Croissants: In a large bowl, mix flour, yeast, sugar and malt powder. Then add the salt. Using your fingertips, mix the butter into the dry ingredients until the butter is finely chopped and coated with flour. Make a well in the middle of the dry ingredients and pour in the water and milk. Using a spatula or wooden spoon, gradually mix the flour into the liquid, making sure the dry ingredients are moistened. Then use your hands to work the batter into the batter for a minute or two, making sure all of the dry ingredients are fully wetted. At this point the dough will be a sticky dough. Cover the container loosely with plastic wrap and allow to ferment (helps develop flavor and aroma) at room temperature (75 to 78 degrees F) (24 to 26 degrees C) for about an hour.
After an hour, transfer the dough to a lightly floured surface and press or roll the dough into a 14 x 10 inch (35 x 25 cm) rectangle. Place on a lightly floured baking sheet, lightly flour the top of the dough, cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least six hours (or overnight).
About 15 minutes before you want to laminate the dough,Take a sheet of parchment paper and draw a 10 x 7 inch (25 x 18 cm) rectangle on the paper. Turn the paper over. Take your cold butter and cut it into six pieces. Place the cold butter in the lines you drew on your parchment paper and enclose them in the parchment. Beat the cold butter with the rolling pin to soften it a little. Then fold the parchment paper into a 10 x 7 inch rectangle (like an envelope) and roll in the butter until it fits that size. Make sure the butter is an even thickness. At this point, the butter should be cold but still pliable. It must be the same temperature as the dough. If it's too soft, put it in the fridge for about 15 minutes.
Stretching the dough (laminating):The temperature of the dough is important when stretching it. The best thing is that your kitchen is cool. However, I have found that you can cool your countertop by running an ice pack over the surface before rolling it up.
Take the pastry sheet and its butter out of the fridge. Remove the parchment paper from the butter and place the butter in the center of your dough. Wrap the edges of the dough over the butter so they meet in the middle. Press lightly to seal the edges. (The edges of the dough and butter should be even.)
First round: Transfer the batter to a lightly floured surface, with the seared edges standing upright. Gently tap out the dough with your rolling pin, then roll out vertically into a 55cm x 20cm rectangle. Lift the dough frequently as you roll to keep it from sticking. flour as needed. Roll them end to end, not side to side, making sure the dough is an even thickness. When it's the right length and width, fold the dough in thirds lengthwise, as if you were folding a letter. Make sure the edges of the dough are straight and even. Now you have your first move.
second round: Rotate the dough 90 degrees so the folded edge is to your left (like a book binding). Repeat the process of rolling out the dough to 55 x 20 cm (22 x 8 inches) and again fold the dough in thirds. This is now your second turn. Place the dough on a lightly floured baking sheet, lightly flour the top of the dough, cover with plastic wrap and place in the fridge to chill for an hour.
third round: Take the cold dough and repeat rolling and thirds again. This is your third move. Place your dough back onto a floured baking sheet, flour the top of the dough, cover and place in the fridge for an hour.
plates: On a lightly floured surface, roll out the dough into a 40 x 23 cm (16 x 9 inch) rectangle. Place back on a lightly floured baking sheet, lightly flour the top, cover and refrigerate for 30 to 60 minutes (at this point the dough can be refrigerated overnight).
Form Croissants: Line two baking sheets with parchment paper. From a piece of hard plastic or cardboard, make a triangle template that is about 3.75" wide at the bottom and about 9" tall. On a lightly floured surface, roll out the dough into a 61 x 23 cm (24 x 9 inch) rectangle. Be sure to lift the dough often to prevent it from sticking and shrinking as a result. Then trim the long edges of the dough with a sharp knife or pizza wheel. Using the template as a guide, cut the dough into 11 triangles.
Working one triangle at a time, hold the wide end of the triangle in one hand and use your other hand to gently run the length of the dough to lengthen it. Then lay the triangle on your surface and cut a small slit down the middle of the wide end of your dough. Starting at the wide end, roll the dough into a crescent shape. Do this carefully as you don't want to compress the layers. Place on the baking sheet and repeat with the remaining triangles.
In a small bowl, beat the egg with the yolks. Using a pastry brush, lightly brush the top and sides of each croissant. Place each baking sheet in a large plastic bag and allow to rise at room temperature (24 to 26 degrees C) for about 1 1/2 to 2 hours. You'll know the croissants have risen when you gently shake the baking sheet, the croissants will move. The croissants will also feel soft.
Preheat your oven to 400 degrees (200 degrees C). Place oven racks in the top and bottom thirds of your oven.
Brush the croissants again with the beaten egg. Place the two croissant baking trays in the preheated oven and bake10 mins. Turn your baking sheet over and front to back. Reduce the oven temperature to 190 degrees C (375 degrees F) and bake an additional 10 minutes.or until golden brown and firm to the touch.
Remove from the oven and place on a wire rack to cool. Croissants taste best the day they are made.
Tutabout 11 Halbmondes.
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Croissant-Masa:
475 grams (3 2/3 cups) all-purpose flour
6 grams (1 3/4 teaspoons) SAF Gold instant yeast Available at Amazon
65 grams (1/3 cup) white granulated sugar
2 grams (2/3 teaspoons) dry (diastatic) malt powder Available at Amazon
10 grams (2 1/2 teaspoons) salt
25 grams (2 tablespoons) without saltButter, at room temperature
240 grams (1 cup) water at room temperature
30 grams (3 tablespoons) cream at room temperature
225 grams (1 cup) cold, unsalted European-style "cultured" butter
Glaze:
2 large egg yolks (about 35 grams)
1 large egg (50 grams)
FAQs
How many layers is a good croissant? ›
A classic French croissant has 55 layers (27 layers of butter), achieved with a French fold followed by 3 letter folds. Less layers will mean a different texture (less tender, more chewy, with more defined layers).
What is the best flour for croissant? ›Most French croissant recipes use pastry flour (T45) to produce a croissant with a light, delicate texture. Bread flour or All Purpose can be used to produce a chewier, more sturdy croissant.
How many times should you fold croissant dough? ›Make the Croissant Dough
It must be done a minimum of 4 times. The first folding is a little tricky because the dough is crumbly and the butter is chunky. After the first folding, the process becomes easier.
Traditionally croissants were laminated by covering 1/2 of the dough with butter, (known as the French lock in method of fat incorporation) and then giving three single folds or commonly referred to as three half turns.
What temperature should croissants be proofed at? ›Croissants always look small when I bake them.
If you are using a proofer, check to make sure the temperature is set between 85-88° F and the humidity is between 83-86%. Croissants will take 1-1/2 hours to fully proof.
Your croissants were probably under-proofed. Just let them proof a bit longer so they get wobbly and increase visually in size. When under-proofed the butter tends to leak out from in between the layers and you end up with a butter puddle.
Do the French put butter on their croissants? ›The French are sniffy about adding butter to the croissant on the basis that it already contains lots of butter.
Can you use skim milk in croissants? ›You can substitute low fat or skim milk in just about any recipe that calls for milk, but because the recipe was probably designed to work with a little more fat in it, you should mix carefully so that your product doesn't become tough from overmixing.
What makes a croissant crispy? ›Once your croissants look like they are a more dark brown color remove them from the oven and let them cool for several minutes. Cooling a bit is important to help the outer crust harden to give it a crispy texture. The croissants are best served slightly warm.
Can I use lard instead of butter in croissant? ›So most croissants (and, by extension, xioxos) would contain lard instead of butter, or perhaps a mix of the two fats. This isn't as odd as it may sound to come ears, since good quality lard — i.e. leaf lard — stands in very well for butter. It has more or less the same consistency, and about the same melting point.
Why is French butter better for croissants? ›
French butter (or European-style butter) has less water than our Canadian version. The higher the water content, the harder the butter, which causes tears in croissant layers, while French butter carries more butterfat, which creates flakier croissants.
What gives croissants their flavor? ›When it bakes, the butter melts and creates steam because butter has a good percentage of water. The steam gets trapped in the individual layers and that causes the flakiness, tender layers. Butter is melting and the dough is absorbing that melting butter, attributing to the delicious flavor of the croissant.
Should croissant dough rest overnight? ›Giving the dough time to rest will develop a superior flavor and texture, so not making croissants all in one day is actually better for the final product (not just our sleeping patterns!).
Do you have to leave croissant dough overnight? ›After shaping leave your croissants to proof for one hour at room temperature to kick start the proofing process. Then place them in the fridge overnight. Make sure no air can reach the croissants, otherwise they will dry out!
Why does croissant dough have to rest so long? ›The resting time is important for gluten, if you do the turns without rest then the dough becomes too elastic and it's almost impossible to roll it. During the rest you want to avoid the butter becoming too hard or too soft. Too hard and the dough will break.
What happens if you proof croissants too long? ›If product is over-proofed the yeast will eat the sugar in the dough and it will not brown correctly. Generally, there will be honeycomb holes in the dough or a cavity will form in the center of croissants. Over-proofed products will often fall in the oven.
How do you keep a croissant from burning on the bottom? ›Preheat oven to 180 C. Move the oven rack one position above the center. This prevents the bottom from burning while the top bakes or use double trays. If frozen, bring croissants to room temperature.
How long should you proof croissants? ›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 425°F.
How long should croissants go in the oven? ›I like to bake the croissants in my conventional oven at 375°F / 190°C for about 30 minutes, until the croissants are puffed up and a beautiful, golden brown in color. You can also bake them at about 400°F / 205°C for about 7 minutes, and then reduce temp. to 350°F / 180°C and bake for a further 15 – 20 minutes.
What oven is best for croissants? ›For laminated doughs like croissants and puff pastry, a convection oven really helps out. It's a lot easier to get a consistent color and puff which is what you're looking for in that type of product. Other things like cookies or brownies can handle the heat of a deck oven better and even benefit from it in some ways.
How wet should croissant dough be? ›
The dough should be slightly sticky after mixing. If it's very wet, knead it just until workable. Rolling the butter between 2 pieces of parchment makes it easier to form it into a precise rectangle.
Why do my croissants fall when I take them out of the oven? ›Overproofing Dough
Overproofed dough will not expand much in the baking process. This causes the dough to deflate and be super dense in texture. When it is overproofed, the gluten strands become weak and too much gas is released causing it to collapse.
"A perfect croissant, it's a very crispy croissant with a lot of puff pastry, and it smells a good taste of butter inside," Duchêne says. "A bad croissant is very soft, like a brioche, and you can't have a very good smell of butter, it's not creamy inside.
Do you put egg wash on croissants? ›Egg wash is used in puff pastry, croissants, apple pie, and other baked goods to create an appetizing golden color.
Why add flour to butter block for croissants? ›The flour helps to make the butter more stable and easier to handle when you shaped into block and laminate it into the dough.
Do the French eat croissants everyday? ›Croissants and other buttery pastries are more often a special treat, reserved for weekends and holidays. Adults and children might grab something to go at the bakery on the way to work or school, but as a general rule, this is not an everyday occurrence.
Is 3 croissants too much? ›Optimum number of croissants
One is never enough, three is far too many.
- Shape - Curvaceous crescent shape, almost sensual.
- Color - Upper crust, strong, vibrant golden brown color; ridges, pale golden shade; ...
- Aroma - Rich, sweet butter, toasty nuts from the long fermentation, and caramelized. ...
- Weight – Light, feather-like.
- Touch - Crisp, flaky crust.
It should be puffy! A beautiful, perfect croissant is puffy because it is “feuilleté”. This means that the dough has been folded over and over again to create perfect buttery layers with air in between. The perfect croissant is not stiff and lifeless.
How can you tell the quality of a croissant? ›Chewiness: a good baked croissant is chewy without being tough. Fluffiness: not a good sign, the dough was poorly kneaded. Flavor: should be buttery with only a whiff of yeast. Having the right, generous amount of butter is key.
Why are croissants so unhealthy? ›
Certain types of croissants are relatively high in calories, sodium, and saturated fat, which some people may need to limit. Some types may also contain trans fat, which can have harmful effects on health.
Why are croissants so much better in France? ›It's The Butter That Makes Them Taste So Good
Maybe it's because the demand for croissants is higher in France than anywhere else so they're more likely to be fresher and hotter and so, way more tasty.
Croissant has more Vitamin A RAE, Vitamin B12, and Vitamin B5, however White Bread is richer in Iron, Vitamin B3, Vitamin B1, Calcium, and Manganese. Croissant covers your daily need of Saturated Fat 55% more than White Bread. Croissant has 10000000 times more Vitamin A RAE than White Bread.
Should you butter a croissant? ›Yes, we know that a croissant is already filled with butter, but adding a generous smear of cold salted butter is absolutely delicious. A dab of a really good quality jam is divine too.
What is the most popular croissant? ›| Popularity | ||
|---|---|---|
| #1 | Croissant - Turkey Sausage, Egg White & Cheese Jimmy Dean | 290 Calories |
| #2 | Croissant Sandwiches, Sausage, Egg & Cheese Jimmy Dean | 400 Calories |
| #3 | Croissant - Sausage, Egg & Cheese Sandwiches Jimmy Dean | 410 Calories |
| #4 | Butter Croissants Kirkland Signature | 330 Calories |
"A perfect croissant, it's a very crispy croissant with a lot of puff pastry, and it smells a good taste of butter inside," Duchêne says. "A bad croissant is very soft, like a brioche, and you can't have a very good smell of butter, it's not creamy inside.
How can you tell if a croissant is over proofed? ›If product is over-proofed the yeast will eat the sugar in the dough and it will not brown correctly. Generally, there will be honeycomb holes in the dough or a cavity will form in the center of croissants. Over-proofed products will often fall in the oven.
What size do I cut a croissant? ›If you want to do the cutting yourself, use a guideline of 21 x 8 cm (3 mm thickness) for full size croissants and 12 x 8 cm (2.5 mm thickness) for smaller croissants.