California Croissant Recipes

CROISSANTS

Steps:

• In a mixer with a dough hook, place the yeast, flour, sugar, salt and the milk and mix for 2 minutes until a soft moist dough forms on the hook. If most of the flour isn't moistened with this quantity of milk, add more, a tablespoon at a time until it is moistened and smooth, using up to 4 tablespoons. Turn mixer on high and mix for another 4 minutes until very smooth and elastic.
• Turn the dough out of the bowl onto a floured board, cover with a damp tea towel and allow it to rest for 15 minutes to relax the gluten. Remove the towel and, using a French rolling pin, roll the dough into a 10 by 9-inch rectangle 5/8-inch thick. Wrap in plastic then chill for 1 hour and up to overnight.
• Ten minutes before the dough is done resting in the refrigerator, prepare the butter. Beat it with your rolling pin on a floured surface to soften it and form a rectangle 6 by 8 1/2 inches. Place it between parchment paper or plastic wrap and set aside.
• Remove the dough from the refrigerator and roll it on a floured work surface into a 10 by 15-inch and 1/4-inch thick rectangle. Brush any excess flour off the dough. Place the shorter side of the dough parallel to the front of your body on the work surface. Place the butter in the middle, long-ways. Fold the bottom up over the butter and brush off any excess flour and then fold the top down over the butter to overlap and encase the butter. Press down lightly with the rolling pin to push all the layers together and make sure they have contact.
• Continue rolling the laminated (layered) dough to form a new 10 by15-inch rectangle, patching any holes with a dusting of flour where butter may have popped through. Fold into thirds, like a letter, brush off any excess flour and mark it with an indentation made by poking your finger once at the corner of the dough meaning you have completed the first "turn".
• Wrap well in plastic and chill 1 hour and up to overnight. Do this again three more times (some people only do 3 turns total, some do 6, some do 3 plus what's called a "wallet" turn for the last one which is a 4 fold turn that's folded into itself like a book jacket) marking it accordingly each time and chilling in between each turn.
• After the fourth turn, you can let the dough chill overnight, or, for 1 hour, or, roll it out to a 13 by 24-inch square that is a little less than 1/4-inch thick and cut out your croissants and shape them.
• I roll out my dough and cut it with a sharp large knife into 6-inch strips then cut them into triangles, 4 inches wide at the base of the triangle (or for a more curved croissant cut the triangles 6 inches wide). Stretch these triangles again 9 inches long, then place on the work surface and put a piece of scrap dough in the center of the wide end to enclose, which will plump up the center. Roll the triangles up towards you starting at the wide end and place them 2 inches apart on a parchment lined sheet pan with the tip tucked under and the ends slightly curved in to make a crescent shape. You may freeze the croissants at this point, or, in a small bowl, whisk together the egg and milk and brush the croissants with this egg wash.
• To proof the croissants, place them in an oven that is warm but not turned on, with a pan of hot water in the bottom to create a moist environment like a proof box. Set aside to proof for 1 1/2 to 2 1/2 hours until puffed up and spongy to the touch. Remove from the oven.
• Spritz a preheated 425 degree F oven with water, close the door, and get the croissants. Place the croissants in the oven and spritz again, close the door and turn the oven down to 400 degrees F. After 10 minutes, rotate your pan if they are cooking unevenly and turn the oven down to 375 degrees F. Bake another 5 to 8 minutes until golden brown.

HOMEMADE CROISSANTS

Steps:

• Combine the flour, milk, sugar, yeast, salt, 3 tablespoons room-temperature butter and 1/2 cup cold water in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the dough hook. Mix on low speed until the dough starts to come together, about 2 minutes. Increase the speed to medium and continue to mix until completely combined and gathered into a ball that is no longer sticky to the touch, about 5 minutes. Transfer the dough to a lightly floured baking sheet, dust the top with flour and wrap in plastic wrap. Refrigerate overnight.
• The following day, put the remaining cold butter pieces (2 1/2 sticks) in the middle of a piece of parchment and dust with a generous pinch of flour. Top with another piece of parchment. With a rolling pin, pound the butter to form a 7-inch square, using a bench scraper or ruler to help even out the sides. Refrigerate while you roll out the dough.
• To roll and fold the dough: Unwrap the dough and lay it on a lightly floured work surface. Roll into a 12-inch square, dusting with flour as needed. Peel the parchment off the butter square and position the butter in the middle of the dough. Fold the top flap of dough over the butter towards you, stretching it slightly so that it reaches just past the center of the butter. Repeat with the opposite flap so they overlap by a couple inches. Turn the dough so that one of the open ends is closest to you.
• Using the rolling pin, gently pound the dough so the butter is spread out evenly in the middle of the dough. Then, roll the dough to an 8-by-24-inch rectangle. Pick up one short end of the dough and fold it back over the dough, leaving one-third of the other end of dough exposed. Then fold the exposed dough over the folded side (like folding a letter). Put the dough back on the baking sheet, cover with plastic wrap and chill so the dough relaxes and the butter firms slightly, 20 to 30 minutes.
• Lay the dough on a lightly floured work surface folded-side down. Roll in the direction of the 2 open ends, until the dough is about an 8-by-24-inch rectangle. Fold the dough in thirds again like a letter, put back on the baking sheet, cover and chill for another 20 minutes.
• Give the dough a third rolling, then fold one side to the middle of the dough and fold the other side to meet it in the middle. Fold the dough in half so it resembles a book. Put the dough on the baking sheet and cover with plastic wrap, tucking the plastic under all sides. Refrigerate for 2 hours and up to overnight.
• To divide the dough: Unwrap the dough and lightly flour the top and bottom. Roll the dough into a 10-by-35-inch rectangle. Lay the dough in front of you so the long sides are horizontal. Position a ruler lengthwise along the bottom side of the dough (the side closest to you) and mark with a paring knife every 5 inches along the length of the dough. Move the ruler to the top side of the dough (the side farthest from you) and make a mark on the dough at 2 1/2 inches. Move the ruler to the 2 1/2-inch mark, then make marks every 5 inches along the length of the dough from that point.
• Using a pizza cutter or long sharp knife, make a diagonal cut from the bottom left corner to the first mark on the top edge (at 2 1/2 inches), then cut diagonally down from that mark to the first 5-inch mark on the bottom edge of the dough, to make a triangle. Continue cutting diagonally from bottom mark to top mark and back again to create 15 triangles total (2 will be from the ends and a little smaller but still useable).
• Line 2 baking sheets with parchment. Lay one triangle on the work surface with the short side closest to you. Gently pull to extend the tip at the top. With one hand on each side of the short end of the triangle, start to roll the dough away from you towards the pointed end. Press down on the dough with enough force to make the layers stick together. Arrange the croissant on one of the lined baking sheets with the tip of the dough on the bottom. Repeat with the remaining dough triangles.
• Whisk the egg with a splash of water in a small bowl until combined. Lightly brush some of the egg wash on each croissant. (Refrigerate the remaining egg wash for later.) Put the croissants in a warm spot to proof, until puffy looking and about 1 1/2 times larger, about 2 hours.
• Position oven racks in the upper and lower thirds of the oven and preheat to 425 degrees F.
• Brush the croissants again with the egg wash. Bake for 10 minutes, then rotate the sheets from front to back and top to bottom. Continue baking until dark golden, another 8 to 10 minutes. Let cool on the baking sheets on wire racks.

PAIN AU CHOCOLAT (CHOCOLATE-FILLED CROISSANT)

Steps:

• Pour the water into a bread machine pan; add the flour. Sprinkle the milk powder over the flour. Place the sugar, salt, and 2 tablespoons of softened butter into the corners of the pan. Make a small indent in the top of the dry ingredients and put the yeast in the indent. Run the bread machine on the basic dough setting.
• Meanwhile, lay out a sheet of waxed or parchment paper. Shape the remaining 1/2 cup of butter into a 3x5 inch rectangle on the waxed paper; wrap and chill until ready to use.
• Remove the butter from the refrigerator and allow to soften while you roll out the dough. Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface. Roll the dough into a 8x12 inch rectangle. Place the butter on half of the dough, leaving a 1/2 inch border of dough on 3 sides. Fold the other half of the dough over the butter and press the edges firmly to seal.
• Roll the dough out to a 6x14 inch rectangle. Fold the dough in thirds from the long ends, as you would fold a business letter. Cover the dough loosely with plastic wrap and refrigerate for 20 minutes.
• Remove the dough from the refrigerator. Place it onto a lightly floured surface so that the folded edge faces you. Roll the dough out again into a 6x14 inch rectangle, and fold into thirds. Cover with plastic and chill for 20 minutes.
• Repeat step 5, chilling for 30 minutes.
• In a small bowl, beat together the egg yolk and milk; set aside. Grease two baking sheets.
• Roll the dough out into a 12x21 inch rectangle. Cut the dough into thirds in both directions, to make 9 rectangles. Divide the chocolate among the rectangles. Lightly brush the egg yolk mixture around the edges of each piece. Starting at a short end, roll each piece of dough around the chocolate as if you were rolling a cigar. Press the edges together to seal.
• Place the pastries onto the prepared baking sheets; cover with greased plastic wrap and allow to rise in a warm place until they have doubled in size, about 30 minutes.
• Preheat oven to 400 degrees F (200 degrees C).
• Brush the top of the pastries with the remaining egg yolk mixture.
• Bake in the preheated oven until golden brown, about 15 minutes. Cool for 5 minutes on the baking sheets, then transfer pastries to wire racks. Serve warm or at room temperature.

BASIC CALIFORNIA ROLL

Steps:

• Slice the ends off of the cucumber, then cut into quarters lengthwise. Thinly slice each quarter lengthwise to make spears.
• Stir chopped crab sticks and mayonnaise together in a small bowl.
• Lay 1 sheet of nori on a bamboo mat. Pat a thin, even layer of rice over the nori with wet hands, leaving a 1/3-inch edge at the bottom. Sprinkle rice with sesame seeds. Carefully flip over.
• Add 1 tablespoon of the crab mixture in a line across the sheet about 1/3 of the way from the top. Layer with 1 to 2 cucumber spears and 1 to 3 slices of avocado.
• Using the bamboo mat, roll the sheet tightly into a cylinder, starting at the top edge. Moisten the uncovered edge with water and finish rolling once you reached the bottom. Repeat with the remaining ingredients.
• Slice each roll into 3/4-inch pieces. Garnish each piece with 1/8 teaspoon tobiko.

CALIFORNIA CROISSANT

Steps:

• Layer the smoked turkey, cheese, tomato, red onion bacon and lettuce on bottom half of croissant.
• Top with a small bunch of sprouts.
• Spread guacamole on the top half of croissant, place face down on sandwich and serve.

HOW TO MAKE CLASSIC CROISSANTS AT HOME RECIPE BY TASTY

Steps:

• Make the dough: In a large bowl, combine the milk and water. Add the flour, sugar, salt, yeast, malt and butter and use your hands to combine until the dough resembles a shaggy mass, then bring together into a rough ball (we do not want to develop gluten here, we just want to hydrate the flour and create a unified dough). Cover the bowl with plastic wrap or a kitchen towel and allow the dough to rest at room temperature until it rises to 1½ times its original size and has a slightly puffy texture, about 1 hour depending on the temperature of your kitchen.
• Punch down the dough, then turn the dough from the bowl onto a large piece of plastic wrap. Gently press the dough into a rough 8-inch square. Wrap the dough tightly with the plastic wrap, then refrigerate for at least 3 hours, preferably overnight.
• Make the butter block: Place a 12 x 15-inch (30 x 38 cm) sheet of parchment paper on a work surface with a long side nearest to you. Slice the butter lengthwise into ¼-inch-thick (6 mm) pieces, then arrange the slices in a single layer like tiles in the center of the parchment. Fold the edges of the parchment over to encase the butter, then flip the packet over so the seam is facing down. Let the butter packet rest at room temperature until it is pliable, but not greasy, about 30 minutes depending on the temperature of your kitchen.
• Roll a rolling pin over the packet to distribute the butter in an even layer all the way to the edges and corners with no spaces between tiles. Place the butter packet in the refrigerator to chill until ready to use.
• Laminate the dough: Remove the butter block from the refrigerator and let it soften at room temperature until bendy, but still cool, 10-20 minutes depending on the temperature of your kitchen (the butter and dough should be about the same temperature and have the same texture when you hold them in your hands).
• Lightly dust a clean surface with flour and place the refrigerated dough on top. Lightly dust the top of the dough with flour, then roll the dough out to a rectangle about 20 inches (50 cm) by 6 inches (15 cm), roughly 1 inch (2.54 cm) wider and twice the length of the butter block. Orient the dough so a short side is nearest to you.
• Open the butter packet and flip the parchment over to place the butter at the bottom of the dough rectangle, with about ½ inch (1.24 cm) of dough exposed around the sides and bottom of the butter block. Gently peel back the parchment paper from the butter and discard.
• Fold the top half of dough over the butter, stretching gently so that the edge of the dough reaches the exposed edges beneath the butter. Use the palm of your hand to gently press the side and bottom edges of the dough together to seal the packet closed and lock in the butter. Turn the dough 90°; it should look like a closed book with the left edge the "spine" side and the right edge the "page" side. Use the rolling pin to firmly (but not aggressively) press the dough, creating indents to help spread the butter between the layers. Use a serrated knife to cut down the middle of the spine to expose the butter and release the tension from folding the dough. Turn the dough 90° again so the split spine is nearest to you. Gently begin to roll the dough away from you, stretching the dough vertically and moving the dough frequently to prevent sticking, until it is about 12 inches (30 cm) long, then continue until the dough is about ¼ inch (6 mm) thick; the dimensions of the dough should be about 24 inches (60 cm) x 12 inches (30 cm).
• Fold the bottom third of the dough up and the top third down, similar to folding a letter. Make sure that all of the corners of the dough meet to make a uniform block. (If the dough feels like it has become too elastic and bounces back when you try to roll it, or if the dough and butter feel like they are too warm and the butter might begin to melt and seep out from the block, cover the packet with plastic wrap and refrigerate until the dough has had time to relax and the butter has chilled slightly, 10-20 minutes.) Making sure the opening of the "letter" is nearest to you, roll the dough out again to about ¼ inch thick, 24 inches (60 cm) long, and 12 inches (30 cm) wide. Use the serrated knife or pastry wheel as needed to trim about ½ inch (1.24 cm) from the edges of the dough to create an even rectangle.
• Rotate the dough 90° so a long edge is nearest to you. Fold the left two-thirds of dough over to just past the center of the dough. Then, fold the right third of the dough over towards the left so the edges meet. Gently press the two ends together to make a seam that resembles an offset book spine. Fold the left side of the dough over to meet the right edge of the dough (this is called a four-fold). Cover the dough with plastic wrap and refrigerate to let the gluten relax and butter chill, 30-40 minutes.
• Shape the croissants: Line 2 18 x 13-inch (45 x 33 cm) baking sheets with parchment paper.
• Place the rested dough on a very lightly floured surface with a long edge nearest to you. Roll the dough out to about ¼ inch (6 mm) thick, 24 inches (60 cm) long, and 12 inches wide (30 cm). Use the serrated knife or pastry wheel to trim about ¼ inch (6 mm) of the dough on all sides to make a clean and straight-edged rectangle.
• Use a ruler to measure 3 inches (7 cm) to the right from the top left corner. Use a pastry wheel to cut from this point to the bottom left corner to create a triangle. Measure 3 inches (7 cm) to the right from the bottom left corner and cut straight up to create another triangle. Continue cutting the rest of the dough; you should have 10-12 dough triangles total.
• Use the pastry wheel or a paring knife to cut a ½-inch (1.24 cm) slit at the center of the base of each triangle, then tightly roll the dough up from the base to the tip, without applying too much pressure. Place the croissants on a prepared baking sheet with the tips tucked underneath, spacing evenly on the pans, 5-6 per sheet.
• Pour boiling water into 2 small ramekins or bowls. Place a ramekin on each sheet pan, then lightly cover the pans completely with plastic wrap (this will create a humid environment for the croissants to proof). Let the croissants proof until the dough is soft and puffed and slightly wobbles when you shake the pans, 2-3 hours.
• Position the oven racks to the upper and lower thirds of the oven. Preheat the oven to 350°F (180°C). Place a pan of boiling water at the bottom of the oven; this will help create steam as the croissants bake.
• Brush the croissants with the beaten egg, then place in the oven. Bake, swapping the pans from the top to bottom rack and rotating 180° halfway through, until the tops are a deep golden brown, about 30 minutes.
• Transfer the croissants to a wire rack and let cool completely before serving, about 20 minutes.
• Enjoy!