Classic Croissants Recipes

CROISSANTS

Steps:

• Combine yeast, warm water, and 1 teaspoon sugar. Allow to stand until creamy and frothy.
• Measure flour into a mixing bowl. Dissolve 2 teaspoons sugar and salt in warm milk. Blend into flour along with yeast and oil. Mix well; knead until smooth. Cover, and let rise until over triple in volume, about 3 hours. Deflate gently, and let rise again until doubled, about another 3 hours. Deflate and chill 20 minutes.
• Massage butter until pliable, but not soft and oily. Pat dough into a 14x8-inch rectangle. Smear butter over top two thirds, leaving 1/4-inch margin all around. Fold unbuttered third over middle third, and buttered top third down over that. Turn 90 degrees, so that folds are to left and right. Roll out to a 14x6-inch rectangle. Fold in three again. Sprinkle lightly with flour, and put dough in a plastic bag. Refrigerate 2 hours. Unwrap, sprinkle with flour, and deflate gently. Roll to a 14x6-inch rectangle, and fold again. Turn 90 degrees, and repeat. Wrap, and chill 2 hours.
• To shape, roll dough out to a 20x5-inch rectangle. Cut in half crosswise, and chill half while shaping the other half. Roll out to a 15 x 5 inch rectangle. Cut into three 5 x 5 inch squares. Cut each square in half diagonally. Roll each triangle lightly to elongate the point, and make it 7 inches long. Grab the other 2 points, and stretch them out slightly as you roll it up. Place on a baking sheet, curving slightly. Let shaped croissants rise until puffy and light. In a small bowl, beat together egg and 1 tablespoon water. Glaze croissants with egg wash.
• Bake in a preheated 475 degrees F (245 degrees C) oven for 12 to 15 minutes.

CROISSANTS

Steps:

• Put the flour, salt and sugar in a mixing bowl. Measure 300ml cold water into a jug, add the yeast and stir. Make a well in the flour and pour in the liquid. Mix, then knead on your work surface for 10 mins. Shape into a ball, put in a lightly oiled bowl, cover and chill for at least 2 hrs.
• Put the butter between 2 sheets of baking parchment. Using a rolling pin, bash and roll it into a rectangle about 20 x 15cm. Leave wrapped in the baking parchment and chill.
• Transfer the chilled dough to a floured surface and roll into a 40 x 20cm rectangle. Place the unwrapped slab of butter in the centre of the dough, so that it covers the middle third.
• Fold one side of the dough up and halfway over the butter.
• Fold the other side of the dough up and over the butter in the same way, so that the two edges of the dough meet in the centre of the butter.
• Fold the dough in half so that the point where the ends of the dough meet becomes the seam. Wrap in cling film and chill for 30 mins.
• Repeat the rolling, folding and chilling process (steps 3-6) twice more in exactly the same way - rolling the pastry while it's still folded - without adding more butter. Wrap and chill overnight.
• The next day, roll the dough out on a floured surface into a large rectangle, measuring about 60 x 30cm. Using a sharp knife or pizza cutter, trim the edges to neaten.
• Cut the dough in half lengthways so that you have 2 long strips, then cut each strip into 6 or 7 triangles with 2 equal sides.
• Take each triangle in turn and pull the two corners at the base to stretch and widen it.
• Starting at the base of each triangle, begin to gently roll into a croissant, being careful not to crush the dough.
• Continue rolling, making sure the tip of each triangle ends up tucked under the croissant to hold in place. If adding any fillings (see tips, below), place across the widest part of the triangle before rolling up.
• Bend the ends of the croissants inwards, then transfer to baking trays lined with baking parchment, spaced well apart. Cover with lightly oiled cling film and leave to rise for 2 hrs, or until doubled in size.
• Heat oven to 200C/180C fan/gas 6. Mix the beaten egg with a pinch of salt and use to generously glaze the croissants. Bake for 15-18 mins until risen and golden brown, then cool on wire racks.

CROISSANTS

Steps:

• Place dough on a lightly floured work surface; cover and let stand until butter is slightly softened, 5 to 10 minutes.
• Roll dough out to a about a 10-by-18-inch rectangle. Cut rectangle in half crosswise. Wrap one half with plastic wrap and transfer to refrigerator. Place remaining half on a large (about 18-by-25-inches) piece of parchment paper. Roll into a 16-by-20-inch rectangle, stopping to chill dough as necessary if butter becomes too soft; transfer to a large baking sheet and cover with plastic wrap. Transfer baking sheet to refrigerator and chill until firm, about 30 minutes. Repeat process with remaining piece of dough.
• Transfer one piece of dough to a lightly floured work surface so that one of the longer sides is facing you. Halve dough lengthwise to make two 8-by-20-inch rectangles.
• Using a pizza cutter, trim a scant 1/8 inch from top and bottom of each rectangle of dough. Working quickly, use the pizza cutter to mark 5-inch increments along the bottom (side closest to you) edge of each dough half. Working from left to right, measure 2 1/2 inches on the top of each half and make a mark using the pizza cutter. Continue along the top edges, marking at 5-inch increments until you reach the end of the dough.
• Using a ruler, cut dough into triangles with a 5-inch base, reserving any dough that is not in a triangle shape. You should have 14 triangles total plus additional scrap dough. Gently stretch triangles to make them 1 1/2 times their length.
• Working with 1 triangle of dough at a time, position dough triangle on work surface so that the point is furthest from you. Starting at the base, gently roll dough away from you, stretching the point as you go, with fingers or a rolling pin; secure point underneath roll. Curve ends away from you to make a crescent shape.
• Line baking sheets with parchment paper; place 4 crescents on each prepared baking sheet. In a small bowl, whisk egg together with 1 teaspoon water. Brush tops of crescents with egg mixture, reserving remaining egg mixture. Place 3 narrow drinking glasses, upside-down, between crescents; cover well with plastic wrap, making sure plastic does not touch dough. Let stand in a warm place until doubled in size and crescents feel hollow when gently touched, 2 1/2 to 3 hours.
• Preheat oven to 425 degrees.
• Uncover and remove glasses from baking sheets; brush croissants lightly with remaining egg mixture (reserving remaining for second piece of dough). Transfer to oven and bake until puffed and golden, about 15 minutes. Transfer to a wire rack to cool. Repeat steps 3 through 9 with remaining piece of refrigerated dough.

CROISSANTS

Steps:

• Make the dough: Stir yeast, water, and 1 teaspoon sugar in a bowl. Let stand until foamy, about 5 minutes. Butter a large bowl; set aside. Put bread flour, all-purpose flour, remaining 3 tablespoons plus 2 teaspoons sugar, and the salt into the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the dough hook; mix on low speed until combined. Add yeast mixture, milk, and butter; mix until dough just comes together.
• Knead dough: Scrape dough out onto a lightly floured work surface. Using lightly floured hands, knead until smooth, about 3 minutes. Transfer to buttered bowl, turning to coat.
• Let dough rise: Cover dough with plastic wrap; transfer to the refrigerator. Let rise until doubled in bulk, about 2 hours (dough should not spring back when you press it with your finger).
• Make the butter package: About 45 minutes after the dough begins rising, put flour and butter into the clean bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment. Mix on medium speed until well combined, 3 to 4 minutes. Scrape butter mixture out onto a piece of parchment paper; shape into a rectangle. Top with parchment, and roll out to an 8-by-10-inch rectangle. Transfer to a baking sheet, and refrigerate 30 minutes.
• Roll out dough: Turn out dough onto a lightly floured work surface; shape into a rectangle. Roll out to a 10 1/2-by-16-inch rectangle, about 1/2 inch thick, with short side facing you.
• Place butter package on dough: The butter package should be cool but pliable; your finger should leave an indentation but the butter should still hold its shape. If too soft, continue to refrigerate; if too firm, let stand at room temperature briefly. Place horizontally on bottom half of dough; remove parchment. Fold top half of dough over butter package, and pinch edges of dough to seal.
• Roll in butter: Turn dough so that a short side is facing you and the seam is on the right. Roll out to a 10-by-20-inch rectangle, about 1/2 inch thick (keep the corners as square as possible).
• Fold dough into thirds: Remove any excess flour with a pastry brush. Starting at the far end, fold rectangle in thirds as you would a business letter (this completes the first of 3 "turns").
• Mark dough: Mark the dough with your knuckle (later, this will help you remember how many turns have been completed). Wrap dough in plastic, and refrigerate 1 hour.
• Repeat process: Remove from refrigerator, and press the dough; it should be pliable but have some resistance. If too soft, return to refrigerator; if too firm, let stand at room temperature, 5 minutes. Repeat the preceding three steps to complete two more turns (make 2 marks for the second turn and 3 marks for the third turn); always start with a short side facing you and the seam on the right, rolling lengthwise before crosswise. After the second turn, wrap dough in plastic, and refrigerate 1 hour. After the third and final turn, wrap dough in plastic, and refrigerate 8 hours (or overnight).
• Roll out and chill dough: Turn out dough onto a lightly floured work surface, and roll out to a 30-by-16-inch rectangle. If dough becomes unmanageable, cut in half crosswise, and roll out two 15-by-16-inch rectangles (refrigerate 1 piece as you work with the other). Chill in freezer 15 minutes. Remove dough, and remeasure: It should match original dimensions; if not, roll out again. If dough becomes too warm or elastic, chill in freezer, 15 minutes.
• Cut dough: Cut dough into two 30-by-8-inch rectangles (or four 15-by-8-inch rectangles). Stack rectangles, lining up edges (if you have four smaller rectangles, make two stacks).
• Trim dough and cut into triangles: Using a pastry or pizza wheel and cutting at a 20-degree angle, trim a small wedge from one short side to create an angled side. Cut dough into triangles, each with a 4 1/2-inch base. You should have about 20 total.
• Cut slits: Cut a 1-inch slit in the middle of the base of each triangle. Separate the stacks, transferring half the triangles to a parchment-lined baking sheet; cover, and refrigerate.
• Begin shaping croissants: Working with one triangle at a time and keeping remaining triangles covered with a clean kitchen towel, hold the two corners of the base, and stretch to lengthen it slightly. Grasp inner corners formed by the slit in the base, and lift and stretch them toward the outer sides of the triangle; press to seal.
• Roll croissants: Using your fingertips, roll the base of the triangle up and away from you, stretching the dough slightly outward as you roll to elongate the point (when finished, the point should be tucked under the croissant).
• Finish shaping croissants: Bend the two ends toward you to form a crescent shape (the ends should almost touch). Transfer to parchment-lined baking sheets, spacing croissants 2 inches apart. Repeat with remaining triangles. Cover loosely with plastic wrap, and let stand in a warm place until croissants have doubled in bulk and are very soft, 1 1/2 hours to 2 1/4 hours, depending on the temperature of room.
• Brush with egg: Preheat oven to 400 degrees, with racks in upper and lower thirds. Brush tops of croissants with egg. Bake, rotating sheets halfway through, until croissants are puffed and golden brown, 20 to 25 minutes. Let cool slightly on sheets on wire racks. Serve warm or at room temperature.

TRADITIONAL LAYERED FRENCH CROISSANTS

Steps:

• Sprinkle 2 tablespoons of flour over the butter and mix it together with your hands in a mixing bowl or on a work surface. Transfer the butter to a length of foil or parchment paper and pat it into a 6 inch square. Fold up the foil to make a packet and refrigerate until chilled, about 2 hours.
• Combine 2 cups of the flour with the salt and sugar in a mixing bowl. Dissolve the yeast in the lukewarm water (100 degrees F/38 degrees C) and set aside until frothy, about 10 minutes. Meanwhile, warm the milk and the heavy cream to lukewarm. Add the yeast, milk, and cream to the flour mixture and stir well. The dough will have a batter-like consistency.
• Stir in the remaining 2 cups of flour 1/4 cup at a time to form a soft dough. It should no longer be sticky. Turn the dough onto a lightly floured work surface and knead until smooth, about 5 minutes. Place the dough in a mixing bowl and cover with plastic wrap. Refrigerate for 1 hour.
• To begin the rolling and folding process, both the butter and the dough should be at a cool room temperature. [See Cook's Note.] Place the dough on a floured surface and roll it into a 10-inch square. Set the block of butter diagonally on the square dough. Bring each point of dough to the center of the butter square; the edges of the dough should overlap. Pinch the edges together to seal.
• Starting from the center of the square and working outward, use a rolling pin to roll the dough out into a rectangle. The butter should be pliable enough to roll smoothly with the dough; if it's too soft and starts to ooze out the corners, wrap the dough in plastic and refrigerate before proceeding. Roll the dough into a long rectangle, approximately 8 by 18 inches. Fold the length of dough into thirds, like a business letter.
• If the dough is still cool, you can continue with another fold. Otherwise, wrap it in plastic and refrigerate for 45 minutes to 1 hour. Remove the dough from the refrigerator and let it warm up for about 10 minutes before you begin rolling it out again.
• Position the dough so that the open ends are at 12 and 6 o'clock. Roll the dough into a rectangle, working from the center of the dough and pressing outwards. Reposition the dough as necessary to fit your work space. You should have a long rectangle for the "book fold." Fold both ends of the dough into the middle; the ends don't have to be touching, but should be close. Fold the already-folded dough in half; it will look like a thick book. Wrap the dough well with plastic and refrigerate for 1 to 2 hours.
• Remove the dough from the refrigerator and let it rest at room temperature for about 20 minutes. Roll the dough into a rectangle again and fold it into thirds, like a business letter. Wrap it in plastic and refrigerate for 4-6 hours or overnight.
• To shape the croissants, roll the dough into a 10- by 38-inch rectangle on a lightly floured work surface. It should be about 1/4 inch thick. Use a pizza wheel or sharp paring knife to trim the edges of the dough. Divide the rectangle in half so that you have two 5-inch wide strips of dough. Use a clean yardstick to mark each strip into triangles that are 5 inches wide at their bases. Cut the triangles and place them onto parchment-lined baking sheets. Chill for 15 to 20 minutes, if necessary.
• Starting at the base of the triangle, roll the dough up into a log; the tip of the triangle should be under the body of the croissant to prevent it from unraveling. Bend in the corners to form the traditional crescent shape. Repeat with the remaining dough.
• Arrange the croissants on the parchment-lined baking sheets and allow to rise until doubled in size, about 1 to 2 hours.
• Preheat an oven to 425 degrees F (220 degrees C). Beat the egg with the tablespoon of water to make the egg wash. Brush the croissants with egg wash and bake in the preheated oven until deep brown, 22 to 25 minutes. Cool on a rack before serving.

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!