How To Make Croissants
Croissants have as much history as they do flaky, buttery, golden layers. It doesn’t get more French than the croissant. But what if we told you that the croissant isn’t of French origin but actually the brilliant idea of the Austrians? It’s as true as true can be! It wasn’t until the mid-1800s when an Austrian baker opened up a shop in Paris that the croissant, or as it was called then, kipferl, became a household name. Versions of it spread like wildfire across the country and the name “croissant” after its crescent shape was born. The croissant went from being considered “fancy bread” to something that sat on kitchen tables every single morning. The croissant is so impressive, in fact, that it went from not existing in France to being written into a Charles Dickens novel in just a short 40-year span. But you don’t need to convince us of how amazing it is. Crunchy on the outside and warm and gooey in the middle, the croissant is unique, incomparable and unforgettable.
In this tutorial with our baking & pastry arts expert, we show you how to make the classic croissant. If you feel like it, stuff them with almond paste, chocolate, jam or Nutella to give them a little extra pep!
Croissants
8 oz. milk
0.5 oz sugar
0.25 oz. salt
1.5 oz. butter softened
14 oz. bread flour
0.2 oz. instant yeast
8 oz. butter
- Apply the straight dough method.
- Warm the milk, place all sugar, salt, 1.5 oz. butter and yeast in a bowl , add the milk and mixt just until the mixture is smooth. Ferment for 1-1/2 hours at room temp., punch down and spread on a pan and refrigerate for 30 minutes.
- Roll the dough about an inch thick in a rectangle shape, spread the butter over 2/3 of the dough make a single three fold. Turn the dough 90 degrees and roll making one more single three fold. Rest in the refrigerator for 30 minutes, repeat 2 more time and then leave the dough rest over night in the refrigerator.
- Roll the dough 1/8 inch thick and cut triangle shapes, slit the center of the wide end and roll and for the croissant shape. A variety of fillings can be added before the croissant is rolled. Cut a 3”x 4” square and fill with chocolate and make one roll and add more chocolate – then continue rolling. Egg wash the croissant and then proof until they double in size and bake at 400 degrees until golden brown color for about 15-20 minutes depending on the size.
