Croissants

August 25, 2008 32 comments

Buttery, flaky croissants. Wow. These are every it as incre!i le as " ho#e! they woul! e. These were the $aring Bakers challenge in %anuary 200&, which was a out si' (onths efore " )oine!. " have een wanting to go ack an! atte(#t the challenges that " (isse! as well as the ones that were !ifficult for (e *" think "+ll e a##en!ing all of these to (y current ,-y .00/ list0, so when 1rin aske! if "+! e intereste! in (aking these croissants with her " )u(#e! at the o##ortunity. "t was also great ti(ing ecause " knew that (y gran!#arents were co(ing to visit an! " ha! alrea!y #lanne! on (aking chicken sala!, an! what etter to eat chicken sala! on than a croissant2

These are !efinitely not so(ething that you can )ust whi# u# without so(e su stantial #lanning ahea!. There are a few #laces in the reci#e where the !ough can e refrigerate! for a long #erio! of ti(e an! " took a!vantage of this so as not to overloa! (yself while " #re##e! the rest of the foo! for our lunch. " starte! the #refer(ent on Thurs!ay evening an! let it rest in the refrigerator overnight, then worke! on (i'ing an! la(inating the !ough on 3ri!ay, an! after another rest in the free4er5refrigerator, " sha#e!, #roofe!, an! ake! the croissants on 6atur!ay (orning. " !i!n+t run into any issues while working on these, an! " was really ha##y with how they turne! out. This was only (y secon! ti(e working with la(inate! !ough *the first was the $anish challenge for $B ack in %une0. " su##ose " coul! have een a it (ore li eral with the a##lication of the egg wash on to# of the croissants, ut all in all " coul!n+t e ha##ier with the result. 7ne note 8 these are 9:;1. <ike, insanely ig. -y (o( calle! the( ,colossal/. " ake! 8 croissants on a .3=.8 #an an! they were all touching y the ti(e they ca(e out of the oven. We+ll )ust refer to that as the gour(et5 akery look

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yield: 8 croissants prep time: . hour 30 (inutes *active0 .& hours *inactive0 cook time: 20 (inutes total time: 2 to 3 !ays

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Arefer(ent@ B cu# nonCfat (ilk *D o45.50 (l0 . ta les#oon active !ry yeast *.5(l0 . .53 cu# allC#ur#ose flour *D E o45.&5g0 $ough@ . ta les#oon F . teas#oon active !ry yeast *20(l0 .B cu# whole (ilk *.G o45G25 (l0 D cu#s all #ur#ose flour *28 o45800g0 .53 cu# sugar *2H o45&0g0 . ta les#oon F . teas#oon salt *20 (l0 . ta les#oon unsalte! utter, (elte! *.5(l0 >ollCin utter@ 2B cu# unsalte! utter *22 o45D25g0 1gg wash@ G large egg yolks *2 o45D0 (l0 E cu# heavy crea( #inch salt

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.. To -ake the Arefer(ent@ "n a s(all sauce#an, war( the (ilk to take the chill off * etween 80I to J0 I30. Aour the (ilk into a (i'ing owl, s#rinkle the yeast over the (ilk, stir to !issolve the yeast with a woo!en s#oon, an! then a!! the flour, (i'ing with a woo!en s#oon until a s(ooth atter for(s. Cover the owl with cheesecloth an! let the (i'ture rise until al(ost !ou le in volu(e, 2 to 3 hours at (o!erate te(#erature or overnight in the refrigerator. 2. To -ake the $ough@ 3irst (easure out all your ingre!ients an! kee# the( near at han!. Transfer the #refer(ent an! then the yeast to the large owl of a stan! (i'er fitte! with the !ough hook. -i' on low s#ee! until the yeast is incor#orate! into the #refer(ent atter, which will take a (inute or two. 6to# the (i'er as nee!e! an! use a s#atula to clean the otto( an! si!es of the owl, fol!ing the loosene! #ortion into the (i'ture to incor#orate all the ele(ents fully. When the (i'ture has co(e together into an even, wellC(i'e! (ass, increase the s#ee! to (e!iu(, an! (i' for a cou#le of (inutes. 6lowly a!! half of the (ilk an! continue to (i' until the (ilk is fully incor#orate!. 3. >e!uce the s#ee! to low, a!! the flour, sugar, salt, (elte! utter, an! the rest of the (ilk, an! (i' until the (ass co(es together in a loose !ough, a out 3 (inutes. Turn off the (i'er

an! let the !ough rest for .5 to 20 (inutes. This resting #erio! hel#s to shorten the final (i'ing #hase, which co(es ne't. G. 1ngage the (i'er again on low s#ee! an! (i' until the !ough is s(ooth an! elastic, a (a'i(u( of G (inutes. "f the !ough is very fir(, a!! a little (ilk, . ta les#oon at a ti(e. Take care not to over(i' the !ough, which will result in a tough croissant that also turns stale (ore Kuickly. >e(e( er, too, you will e rolling out the !ough several ti(es, which will further !evelo# the gluten structure, so though you want a s(ooth !ough, the less (i'ing you !o to achieve that goal, the etter. Cover the owl with cheesecloth an! let the !ough rise in a cool #lace until the volu(e increases y half, a out .CH hours. 5. <ightly flour a work surface. Transfer the !ough to the floure! surface an! #ress into a rectangle 2 inches thick. Wra# the rectangle in #lastic wra#, or sli# it into a #lastic ag an! seal close!. Alace the !ough in the refrigerator to chill for G to D hours. D. To -ake the >ollCin utter@ A out . hour efore you are rea!y to start la(inating the !ough, #ut the utter that you will e rolling into the !ough in the owl of the (i'er fitte! with the #a!!le attach(ent. -i' on (e!iu( s#ee! until (allea le ut not war( or soft, a out 3 (inutes. >e(ove the utter fro( the owl, wra# in #lastic wra#, an! #lace in the refrigerator to chill ut not resoli!ify. &. <a(inating the !ough@ <ightly !ust a cool work surface, an! then re(ove the chille! !ough an! the utter fro( the refrigerator. :nwra# the !ough an! #lace it on the floure! surface. >oll out the !ough into a rectangle 28 y .2 inches. With the long si!e of the rectangle facing you, an! starting fro( the left si!e, s#rea! an! s#ot the utter over twoCthir!s of the length of the rectangle. 3ol! the uncovere! thir! over the utter an! then fol! the leftChan! thir! over the center, as if fol!ing a usiness letter. The resulting rectangle is known as a #laKue. With your fingers, #ush !own along the sea(s on the to# an! the otto( to seal in the #laKue. 8. 6econ! turn@ ;ive the #laKue a Kuarter turn so the sea(s are to your right an! left, rather than at the to# an! otto(. Again, roll out the !ough into a rectangle 28 y .2 inches, an! fol! again in the sa(e (anner. Wra# in #lastic wra# or sli# into a #lastic ag an! #lace in the refrigerator for . H to 2 hours to rela' the gluten in the !ough efore you (ake the thir! fol!, or LturnL. J. Thir! turn@ Clean the work surface, !ust again with flour, an! re(ove the !ough fro( the refrigerator. :nwra#, #lace on the floure! surface, an! again roll out into a rectangle 28 y .2 inches. 3ol! into thir!s in the sa(e (anner. Mou shoul! have a #laKue of !ough (easuring a out J y .2 inches, a out the si4e of a Kuarter sheet #an, an! . H to 2 inches thick. Wra# in #lastic wra# or sli# into the #lastic ag, #lace on a Kuarter sheet #an, an! i((e!iately #lace in the free4er to chill for at least . hour. "f you inten! to (ake the croissants the ne't (orning, leave the !ough in the free4er until the evening an! then transfer it to the refrigerator efore retiring. The ne't (orning, the !ough will e rea!y to roll out an! for( into croissants, #roof, an! ake. 7r, you can leave the !ough in the free4er for u# to . weekN )ust re(e( er to transfer it to the refrigerator to thaw overnight efore using. .0. -aking the croissant@ When you are rea!y to roll out the !ough, !ust the work surface again. >oll out the !ough into a rectangle 32 y .2 inches an! 358 inches thick. :sing a #i44a

wheel or chefOs knife, cut the !ough into long triangles that (easure .0 to .2 inches on each si!e an! a out G inches along the ase. ... <ine a half sheet #an *a out .3 y .8 inches0 with #arch(ent #a#er. To sha#e each croissant, #osition a triangle with the ase facing you. Aositioning your #al(s on the two outer #oints of the ase, carefully rolling the ase towar! the #oint. To finish, gra the #oint with one han!, stretching it slightly, an! continue to roll, tucking the #oint un!erneath the rolle! !ough so that the croissant will stan! tall when you #lace it on the sheet #an. "f you have #ro#erly sha#e! the croissant, it will have D or & ri!ges. .2. As you for( the croissants, #lace the(, wellCs#ace!, on the #re#are! halfCsheet #an. When all the croissants are on the #an, set the #an in a !raftCfree area with relatively high hu(i!ity, an! let the #astries rise for 2 to 3 hours. The i!eal te(#erature is &5 I3. A it cooler or war(er is all right, as long as the te(#erature is not war( enough to (elt the layers of utter in the !ough, which woul! yiel! greasy #astries. Cooler is #refera le an! will increase the rising ti(e an! with it the flavor !evelo#(ent. 3or e'a(#le, the ho(e oven *turne! off0 with a #an of stea(ing water #lace! in the otto( is a goo! #lace for #roofing leavene! ake! ite(s. To (ake sure that no skin for(s on the #astries !uring this final rising, refresh the #an of water halfway through the rising. .3. $uring this final rising, the croissants shoul! at least !ou le in si4e an! look noticea ly #uffy. "f when you #ress a croissant lightly with a fingerti#, the in!entation fills in slowly, the croissants are al(ost rea!y to ake. At this #oint, the croissants shoul! still e slightly Lfir(L an! hol!ing their sha#e an! neither s#ongy nor starting to slouch. "f you have #ut the croissants into the oven to #roof, re(ove the( now an! set the oven to G25 I3 to #reheat for 20 to 30 (inutes. .G. A out .0 (inutes efore you are rea!y to ake the croissants, (ake the egg wash. "n a s(all owl, whisk together the egg yolks, crea(, an! salt until you have a #ale yellow (i'ture. :sing a #astry rush, lightly an! carefully rush the yolk (i'ture on the #astries, eing careful not to allow the egg wash to !ri# onto the #an. <et the wash !ry slightly, a out .0 (inutes, efore aking. .5. Alace the croissants into the oven, i((e!iately turn !own the oven te(#erature to G00 I3, an! leave the !oor shut for the first .0 (inutes. Then working Kuickly, o#en the oven !oor, rotate the #an .80 !egrees, an! close the !oor. This rotation will hel# the #astries to ake evenly. Bake for D to .0 (inutes longer, rotating the #an again !uring this ti(e if the croissants !o not a##ear to e aking evenly. The croissants shoul! e !one in .5 to 20 (inutes total. They are rea!y when they are a !ee# gol!en rown on the to# an! otto(, cris# on the outsi!e an! light when they are #icke! u#, in!icating that the interior is cooke! through. .D. >e(ove the croissants fro( the oven an! #lace the( on a wire rack to cool. As they cool, their (oist interiors will set u#. They are est if eaten while they are still slightly war(. "f they have )ust coole! to roo( te(#erature, they are fine as well, or you can rewar( the( in a 3&5I3 oven for D to 8 (inutes to recris# the( efore serving. Mou can also store leftover croissants in an airtight container at roo( te(#erature for . !ay, an! then afterwar! in the refrigerator for u# to 3 !ays. "f you have store! the(, recris# the( in the oven efore serving.

(Source: Tartine by Elisabeth M. Prueitt and Chad Robertson)