Learn how to make a classic French croissant dough then bake these Parisian style buttery flaky croissants
Ingredients
- 500 g good bread flour
- 140 ml water
- 140 ml milk
- 55 g sugar
- 40 g soft butter
- 10 g instant yeast or 30g fresh yeast or 60g starter
- 12 g fine sea salt
- 280 g unsalted butter (cold)
- 1 egg for glazing
Instructions
- Day 1 Place all dry ingredients into a bowl and mix together. Make a well and add the butter and liquid. Bring together then place onto a floured surface. Work the dough lightly for about 3 minutes. You don’t want to over work the dough as it will be harder to incorporate the butter on the next day. Push the dough down to form a flat disk place onto a lightly floured tray, cover and place into the fridge for at least 8 hours and up to 12.
- Day 21 hour before you take the dough from fridge. Get your butter and pound it with a rolling pin to make it nice and flat. For the easiest method, place the butter between two pieces of parchment paper and gently pound until square and flat about 1/4″. Place back into the fridge.
- Take your dough out of the fridge and place onto a lightly floured surface. Pin out to form a square. Then pin each side out so you have an envelope, 4 thin corners and a slightly raised centre piece.
- Place the butter in the centre of the dough. Then pull in each corner to totally enclose the butter in the dough. Pin the dough out into a long rectangle shape. Brush off any flour and fold into 3. This is called a half fold. Place back into the fridge and rest for 1 hour.
- Again take the dough from the fridge onto a lightly floured surface, pin out to a long rectangle and give another half fold, place in the fridge for another hour. Repeat one more time so your croissant dough would have had 3 half folds.
- Place in fridge on a lightly floured tray, cover and leave for a good 12 hours.
- This will help hold the layers you have created and make it easier for the final stage.
- Day 3Take dough from fridge. Place onto a lightly floured surface. Pin out again to a good rectangle shape about 4mm in-depth. With a sharp knife you want to cut your dough into 12 equal triangles. At the top of each triangle and in the centre cut a little about 1/4″.
- Fold the corners down, hold the tail and roll up your croissant making sure the tail is on the bottom of the rolled up croissant. Place onto a parchment paper lined tray. Ensure they are evenly spaced out.
- Whisk your egg up and brush over each croissant. You now need to leave your croissant to rise.
- They need to be in a warmish place ideally about 24c for about two hours.
- In this time they will double in size and you will be able to see the layers you have so lovingly created. If they are not ready after two hours give them a bit longer it will be worth the wait.
- Pre heat your oven to 190c. Place the croissant into the oven, bake for 15-18 mins they will be a nice golden colour and slightly crispy on the outside.
- Take out and enjoy!
