CROISSANTS

Hello ☺

Baking has been very big league and lovable course of mine among all other cooking courses. This time thought to bake CROISSANTS. It is considered as a French breakfast meal and are named for their crescent shape. They are buttery and flaky pastry made from yeast leavened dough and rolled on several times with buttery laminations in between thin flakes.

 

 Croissants are sometimes plain and sometimes with added fillings As of chocolates, pumpkin, chicken..it’s upon you…as many variable fillings you would like to have. In 500 gms of APF, I made 24 croissants in all. 6 of plain flavour, 6 with chilly flakes and Italian seasoning, 6 with homemade cherry jam and white chocolate and 6 of almond chocolate.

Yeah….it requires lots of labour!!!!! In other words you can say, it is made from labour of love.

The ingredients are very few in number and the hardword is not sort of getting involved throughout. I made the dough a day before making. Only you need is patience and dedication. Just do the required scheduled tast required and continue with your regular tasks.

Now get into the recipe.

This recipe yields 24 croissants.

RECIPE:

4 Cups + 3 tbsp or 500 gms APF (Maida)

250 gms salted butter

1 tbsp active dry yeast

1/4 cup sugar

1 tsp salt

1 tsp vegetable oil for greasing a deep bowl

1 cup milk

1/2 cup water

some flour for dusting

1 egg and 2 tbsp cream for brushing before baking to give glossy shine

METHOD:

Method may seem lil bit perplexed to you. But please read it 2-3 times and pics are uploaded to help you out. Most importantly, follow the measurements given below at various stages. Approximate will do but it shoul be nearest to the measurements mentioned below.

Take a bowl and add milk, water and sugar. Heat till lukewarm and yeast into it. Set it aside for 15 minutes until frothy. It may take couple of more minutes, but it should be frothy.

Take another bowl. Put APF, salt and mix them properly. Make a well in the middle and pour the frothy mixture into the well. Mix all well and transfer the dough onto the kitchen counter. Knead well till it becomes a smooth ball. You can sprinkle 2-3 tsp of flour if tge dough seems very sticky. It takes hardly 2-3 minutes.

Now take a deep bowl and grease it with oil. Put tge dough into it and roll the dough so that it gets greased from all sides. Now cover the bowl with cling film and place it in the refrigerator for an hour.

Now take 2 parchment paper. On one parchment paper place the butter. It should not be at room temperature neither frozen. It should be soft as you can roll pastry roller on it or dab it with same. Now place the another parchment paper on it. Dab it with roller pin till gets the measurement of 8″×5″. With the help of knife or scraper cut the uneven sides and keep on adding to the top of butter brick. Place it in freezer for 20 minutes until hard.

After an hour, take out the doubled dough from the refrigerator. Sprinkle some flour on kitchen counter and roll the dough in rectangular till it gets the measurement of 16″×10″. Take out the frozen butter and just pull apart the butter paper. Place the butter on 1/3 rd of rolled dough and fold it like business letter.

Now sprinkle some flour on both sides of the dough and roll it till it measures 15″×10″. Fold it again like business letter (1st fold). Wrap the dough in cling film. Refrigerate for 1 hour.

After 1 hour take the dough out and again sprinkle flour on both sides of it. Roll it to 15″×10″ (2nd fold). Refrigerate for 1 hr. Repeat for more 2 times at an interval of an hour. In all, there should be 4 folds. This foldings gives the buttery flakes and if in between rolling the dough, you fell butter sticking onto the roller pin, just stop there and place the dough in refrigerator for 20-25 minutes. After the last fold, place it in refrigerator for 12-14 hours. I left for overnight.

Unwrap the dough and cut them in quarters.

Here you can see the flaky layers😁.

Here you have to be very quick especially in summer. Room temperature for the below task should be at 20 degree celcius. If not then be quick? Take one quarter on kitchen counter and place all the other 3 quarters in the freezer. As much the butter gets hard, it’ ll be easy for you to roll them.

Roll the taken quarter until 16″×6″. Cut into thirds. Cut each of these rectanglesin half diagnally forming 6 triangles.

Take one triangle on counter and place the other 5 triangles in freezer.

Strech the base of the triangle a bit as you can see in the pic. If making plain, just roll it and pin at the end. Join both the ends together. If you want to do filling just spread the filling and roll and pin. Join the ends. repeat the same witn all quarters and triangles leftover. Place them in a tray. Refrigerater for 3-4 hours.

After four hours, preheat oven at 210 degree celcius line baking tray with parchment paper.

Mix cream and egg well till blended well.

Take out the doubled croissants. Place them on baking tray at 2″ apart. Brush them with egg mix. I baked in 3 batches. Place the tray in oven and minimize the temperature to 200 degree celcius. Bake for 10 minutes. Now minimize the temperature to 180 degree celcius.

Bake for another 10-15 minutes until golden brown. Once done, transfer the baked croissants on wire rack. Do the same for remaining croissants.

Once cooled, transfer all into an airtight container and store. Enjoy !!!!!😊

In my next blog will post the croissant caramel pudding with the same baked in this blog.

Till then keep cooking and baking☺.