This article will be simple and straightforward. After much contemplation and significant amounts of painstaking research, I am prepared to make the bold statement that “croissants help us.”
I have discovered croissants help when you are having a bad day. They help when you are having a good day. They help when it is hot or cold, and they definitely help in both the spring and fall. An almond croissant in the morning with a hot cup of coffee is joyful. A chocolate croissant in the afternoon with a cup of tea is perfect any day of the week. A ham and swiss cheese croissant and a glass of fresh squeezed orange juice after a late night, will definitely help. The perfect breakfast? A croissant.
Thinking about lunch? Consider a croissant. It is the perfect vessel in which to hold a scoop of chicken salad or pimento cheese. Smoked turkey and some sprouts could not find a better home.
A croissant is great toasted, but also good at room temperature or even cold. If you have some leftover croissants, (we never do) make croissant bread pudding.
Just like my subtitle stated: Croissants help! They are so good that they help make my day better. When I am at loss, a croissant will help. When I am stressed or sad, a nice flaky croissant is always there. Other people might turn to jogging, or a tough workout, a stiff drink or maybe even a relaxing day on the beach, but a croissant helps me. Nothing against biscuits or bagels, but I am a croissant girl.
It takes time and patience to make a croissant but it is definitely worthwhile. These are a labor of love and they will certainly take some time, but they can easily be frozen once they get shaped and then you can take them out the night before and allow for the rise and bake them for breakfast.
Even if homemade croissants are never in your future, just remember next time you are having a bad day that “a croissant will help.” I have seen so many good options. Almond or chocolate or hazelnut. Ham and Swiss or turkey and Havarti. Apricot jelly and strawberry jam. Butter and clotted cream. All these options get a little bit better when they are tucked in or spread on a croissant.
There are so many great places in our area to purchase a fresh baked croissant, try one and see if it makes your day just a little brighter and when you eat it. It may not explain the French, but it definitely helps me understand why they are so “flaky.” Maybe they are trying to emulate the croissant.
This is a basic croissant recipe but feel free to add in other ingredients. With all the turns and folds and resting time, you can spread this process out over several days. Make the starter and butter block on day one. Make the dough, laminate it as you fold and rest, and cut into shapes on day two. Rise and bake on day three. Enjoy.
Croissants
For the dough starter:
3/4 cup warm water
1/8 teaspoon active dry yeast
2 cups all-purpose flour
For the butter block:
20 tablespoons butter
For the final dough:
1/4 cup warm water
3/4 cup milk
6 tablespoons sugar
2 packages or 4 1/2 teaspoons active dry yeast
2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 tablespoon kosher salt
3 1/2 tablespoons butter, completely softened at room temperature
For the egg wash:
1 large egg and a pinch of sugar and salt
On day 1: Make the starter or sponge for the croissant. This allows the best flavor and is easy to make the night before and allow to rise overnight. It is kind of like a sourdough starter.
To make the starter: In a stand mixer, combine three fourth of a cup of warm water and the yeast for the starter and allow to foam and activate for about two minutes. Add the two cups of flour and mix on low speed for three minutes or by hand for about five. The dough will be sticky and somewhat lumpy. Cover with plastic wrap and let stand at room temperature overnight or for at least 12 hours.
In the meantime, remove the cold butter from the refrigerator and carefully pound with a heavy rolling pin into a 12 x 7” inch rectangle. It may be easier to put the butter sticks in plastic wrap or in a freezer bag to pound. Even out the butter and use your fingers or hands or scraper to keep it in the 12 x 7” shape. Store butter in the refrigerator until ready to use. It needs to be firm and cold for the best flaky layers.
The next morning heat milk until it is just warm or about 100°. In a small bowl, combine the warm water and the milk. Add one teaspoon of the sugar and all the yeast over the warm liquid. Stir to dissolve and allow to sit until it begins to foam or about two minutes.
Once the yeast is activated, pour it into the bowl of a stand mixer and add the flour, the remaining sugar, salt, and the softened butter along with the starter dough. Mix for about 10 minutes. If you kneed by hand, it may take 15 minutes. The dough should be soft and supple. Transfer the dough to a lightly oiled bowl, cover with plastic and allow to rise at room temperature for about an hour. It should double in size.
After about an hour, check to see if the dough has doubled in size. Remove dough from the bowl and on a lightly floured surface, roll into a 12 x 14” rectangle that is about a half an inch thick. Transfer the dough to a baking sheet and brush off any flour. Wrap tightly in plastic wrap and put it in the freezer until it is firm or for about 30 minutes.
Once it is thoroughly chilled, remove the dough back to a lightly floured surface and position the butter rectangle on one side of the dough rectangle. Line it up with the edges, leaving about a a fourth inch margin on the side. Fold the rest of the dough over the butter and pinch the edges to seal in the butter. Fold the pinched edges over.
Position the rectangle with the butter inside and gently roll the dough into a 10x20 rectangle that is about a half inch thick. Be sure that the dough stays sealed as you do not want any butter to come out at this point.
Once the dough is a 10 x 20” fold one third of the dough forward toward the center brushing off any excess flour, then fold the other third over, almost like an envelope. Wrap the dough in plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes to allow the dough and butter to firm up.
After 30 minutes, remove the dough from the refrigerator and position it horizontally and roll it out again to a 10 x 20” rectangle. Fold just as you did before, like an envelope, and re-wrap and chill just as before. Repeat this process at least three times allowing the dough to rest 30 minutes between rolling. This process is called laminating. We are pressing the butter between layers to give it its flaky texture and you should end with about five times folding and turning, chilling between each time.
After the final fold, remove dough from the refrigerator and roll into a 19 x 25” rectangle that is about one inch thick. Trim ragged edges if needed and slice the dough in half horizontally leaving both halves in place.
To make the proper croissant shapes, use a ruler to cut the triangles. On the upper edge of the dough, measuring from the left corner, cut small notches every four and half inches. On the lower edge of the strip, do the same. With a straight edge or ruler, carefully cut the dough diagonal creating triangles. You will continue this process until you get about 20 triangles with some scraps. Cut a small notch in the center of each triangle at the widest base and dot the three corners with egg wash.
Starting at the base of the triangle, pull gently so that the notch separates and fold over and begin to roll somewhat tightly, into a traditional croissant shape. Carefully fold the tip under, and the gently curve the croissants around and pinch the tips together. Brush with egg wash mixture.
Croissants can be refrigerated or frozen at this point. When ready to bake, allow to rise overnight or for about 12 hours or until they have doubled in size.
Preheat the oven to 375°. Bake for 18 to 20 minutes until golden brown. Allow the croissants to rest for a few minutes before digging in.
If all this folding and turning is not in your future, do not worry. Store-bought croissants are readily available and many local bakeries have delicious croissants to make your day better. Discover the power of pastry.
