French Croissants Recipe
First of all let me thank my neighbor for sharing this excellent Croissants recipe. I tried this recipe for Croissants the other day and was totally bowled over. Tell me how you enjoyed my Croissants. Feedback helps to keep me going and experimenting more.
Ingredients
Pinch of sugar
1 cup (250 ml) warm milk (110°F, 43°C)
2 pkgs. active dry yeast
3-2/3 cups (550 g) all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon salt
1 cup (225 g) butter
1 egg
1 egg yolk, beaten
Directions
Stir sugar into milk and sprinkle with yeast.
Let stand 5 minutes or until frothy.
Stir gently to moisten any dry particles remaining on top.
Sift 4 cups (500 g) flour and salt into a large bowl.
Melt 4 tablespoons (50 g) butter; cool slightly.
Lightly beat butter and whole egg into yeast mixture.
Pour into flour mixture, combining to make a dough.
On a floured surface, knead dough until smooth.
Cover and let rise in a warm place 1 hour.
Knead risen dough lightly and roll out to an 14x8-inch (35x20-cm) rectangle.
Work the rest of the flour into remaining butter; refrigerate until firm.
Divide butter and flour mixture into 3 portions.
Mark dough rectangle into 3 sections by drawing lines parallel to short sides.
Dot a third of butter mixture over top two-thirds of dough leaving a border around the edge.
Fold bottom third of dough over middle third and bring top third down over that.
Press edges together.
Give dough 1 turn in a clockwise direction.
Roll out to original size.
Refrigerate 30 minutes.
Repeat folding, rolling and refrigerating process twice more with remaining butter mixture.
Repeat twice more without butter mixture.
Roll out dough to a 20-inch (50-cm) square.
Cut into sixteen 5-inch (12.5-cm) squares.
Roll up each square diagonally, going from 1 corner to the opposite corner; curve into crescents.
Place on baking sheets.
Brush with egg yolk.
Let rise in a warm place 30 minutes.
Preheat oven to 425°F (220°C).
Bake croissants 5 minutes then reduce heat to 375°F (190°C) and bake 15 minutes longer or until golden.
Let stand 5 minutes or until frothy.
Stir gently to moisten any dry particles remaining on top.
Sift 4 cups (500 g) flour and salt into a large bowl.
Melt 4 tablespoons (50 g) butter; cool slightly.
Lightly beat butter and whole egg into yeast mixture.
Pour into flour mixture, combining to make a dough.
On a floured surface, knead dough until smooth.
Cover and let rise in a warm place 1 hour.
Knead risen dough lightly and roll out to an 14x8-inch (35x20-cm) rectangle.
Work the rest of the flour into remaining butter; refrigerate until firm.
Divide butter and flour mixture into 3 portions.
Mark dough rectangle into 3 sections by drawing lines parallel to short sides.
Dot a third of butter mixture over top two-thirds of dough leaving a border around the edge.
Fold bottom third of dough over middle third and bring top third down over that.
Press edges together.
Give dough 1 turn in a clockwise direction.
Roll out to original size.
Refrigerate 30 minutes.
Repeat folding, rolling and refrigerating process twice more with remaining butter mixture.
Repeat twice more without butter mixture.
Roll out dough to a 20-inch (50-cm) square.
Cut into sixteen 5-inch (12.5-cm) squares.
Roll up each square diagonally, going from 1 corner to the opposite corner; curve into crescents.
Place on baking sheets.
Brush with egg yolk.
Let rise in a warm place 30 minutes.
Preheat oven to 425°F (220°C).
Bake croissants 5 minutes then reduce heat to 375°F (190°C) and bake 15 minutes longer or until golden.
