|
Recipe Name Basic Croissants |
|
Ingredients: |
|
|
|
| How to Prepare: | |
| Combine yeast and water in medium bowl and stir until yeast
dissolves. Add 3/4C flour with milk and sugar and whisk until smooth. Cover bowl with plastic wrap. Let stand in warm area, about 75Fm 1-1/2 to
2 hours to mature. (An oven preheated to lowest setting 1 minute and
then turned off works well.) About halfway through rising process,
batter will bubble upm then sink down; if preparation is to be
discontinued at this point, stir bubbles out of batter and refrigerate
up to 24 hours; maturing process will continue. Combine remaining 3C flour with the salt in a large bowl. Add well-chilled butter and mix, flattening butter pieces slightly between fingertips and working quickly so butter remains firm. (Refrigerate mixture if yeast batter is nit ready to use.) Pour yeast batter into flour mixture and carefully fold in using large rubber spatula, just moistening flour without breaking up butter pieces; dough will be crumbly. To fold dough: Turn dough out onto lightly floured surface. Pat dough down and roll into an 18" X 12" rectangle; if dough is sticky, sprinkle top lightly with flour. Using metal spatula or pastry sheet, fold right 1/3 of dough toward center, then fold left over to cover (as for business letter); dough will still be slightly rough. Lift folded dough off work surface, scrape surface clean and sprinkle lightly with flour. Repeat patting, rolling and folding dough 3 mor times. (If butter starts to soften and run, immediately wrap dough in plastic and freeze 10-15 minutes; butter pieces must remain layered throughout dough to ensure flaky pastry.) Wrap in plastic and chill at least 45 minutes (or up to 24 hours). To shape croissants: Pat dough into rough rectangle. Cut in half lengthwise through center, then crosswise into thirds, forming 6 equal pieces. Return 5 pieces to the refrigerator. Roll remaining piece out on well-floured surface into 5-1/2" X 14" rectangle. Using pastry cutter or long sharp knife, divide dough in half crosswise to form two 5-1/2" X 7" pieces. Cut each piece diagonally to form a total of 4 triangles. Using rolling pin, gently roll across shortest side of 1 triangle, until dough measures 7" across. Gently roll from longest side to point until dough measures 8" across. Holding the point of the triangle with one hand, loosely roll dough up from base to point with the other hand. Transfer croissants tip side down to ungreased rimmed baking sheet. Curve both ends down slightly, forming crescent. Repeat with remaining dough. Brush croissants with egg mixture. Set aside, uncovered, in warm area (70F-75F) and let rise until doubled in volume, about 1 to 2 hours; reglaze with egg mixture once during rising. To bake: Position rack in center of oven and preheat oven to 450F. Reglaze croissants with egg mixture. Bake until puffed and golden brown, about 12 to 15 minutes. Let cool on rack at least 10 minutes before serving. (Croissants can be cooled completely, wrapped airtight and frozen. Reheat unthawed croissants in 375F oven for 10 minutes.) |
|
|