Butter Croissants

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My first encounter with pate feuilletee happened years ago and let’s just say that it didn’t end up with the best results. But it did leave me with the feeling that viennoiserie was just not for me. So for the years to come I completely avoided making any sort of puff pastry thinking that the amount of work involved is not necessarily worth it at the end of the day. But oh boy, how wrong was I! It took 2 days and over half kilogram of butter to make me realize that homemade puff pastry is million times better than any store-bought dough, not just in terms of taste (real butter does wonders in terms of taste, trust me!), but also in terms of texture. Plus, let me say this loud and clear – making pate feuilletee may be time consuming, but it’s incredibly therapeutic as well! I found myself looking forward to checking my dough, to laminating it and checking that beautiful layering. I did tests, checked texture, took temperatures, I felt happy, I felt motivated! Somehow, these croissants managed to light a spark where I thought there was none!

I’ve had my eyes on croissants for a very long time. I kept seeing these gorgeous pictures of croissants on Antonio Bachour’s Instagram account and I felt motivated to give them a try. Sure, mine are miles miles away from his, but hey, it’s my first time actually making croissants from scratch so allow me to be proud of what I’ve achieved. I do look up to him and I won’t stop until my croissants will be just as puffed up and impressive! It’s a promise I’m making to myself today and at the same time a challenge for my pastry skills. I will get there!

Croissants are challenging to make, no doubt about that, but here’s a few tips and tricks to ease your work:

don’t rush the dough – keep count of the time it spends in the fridge and follow the recipe. If the dough or butter are not cold enough, it will be difficult to roll.
allow the dough to rise properly, following the time indicated in the recipe – this is crucial if you want fluffy, airy croissants.
use a mix of bread flour and all-purpose flour to achieve the right amount of gluten – I used a local stronger flour, but some people say that French flour works the best. I have yet to test other types of flour.
the preferment adds not just a better taste to the final dough, but it also makes it more elastic.
detrempe is the term used for the dough (without the addition of butter, before laminating it)
brushing the croissants twice with egg wash will yield a better crust.
the taste and flavor of your butter surely impacts the final taste of the croissants so use a good quality butter.

Recipe adapted after Wayne Gisslen

These buttery croissants are far from perfect, but for a first try, I am happy with them. They are fluffy and just so tasty! For sure more of these will follow as they are addictive!

Servings :30 croissants

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Ingredients

Preferment:

200 g water (see Notes)
40 g fresh yeast (or 16g active dry yeast)
150 g all-purpose white flour

Detrempe:

The preferment from above
80 g white granulated sugar
25 g salt
350 g milk
70 g water
600 g bread flour (high in protein)
350 g all-purpose white flour

Beurrage:

600 g butter (softened (see Notes))

You will also need:

2 eggs
1 tablespoon milk

Instructions

Preferment:

Combine the three ingredients and mix well with a spoon. Cover with plastic wrap and allow to rise at room temperature for 15 minutes.

Detrempe:

Mix the sugar, salt, milk and water in the bowl of your stand mixer until the sugar and salt dissolve completely.
Add the preferment, bread flour and all-purpose flour and mix with a spoon to combine well.
Turn your mixer on and knead on low speed for 2 minutes, then on medium speed for 3 minutes. Don’t mix longer than this – we don’t want to develop too much gluten. If you’re doing this by hand, knead for a maximum of 8 minutes.
Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and allow to rise for 1 hour.
Remove the dough from the bowl on a floured working surface and shape it into a 40cm square for now.
Sprinkle lightly with flour and roll into a rectangle that has between about 1cm thickeness.
Take your softened butter and spread it over two-thirds of the dough, leaving one third clean and exposed for now. Dust off the flour if needed then fold the unbuttered third over the butter. Fold the remaining third (buttered) on top. This is called a simple fold.
Wrap the dough into plastic wrap and place it in the fridge for 1 1/2 hours.
Remove the dough from the fridge and place it on a floured working surface, making sure it’s turned to 90 degrees compared to how it was when you folded the first time.
Roll the dough into a rectangle that has about 1cm thickness. Be gentle while rolling – the risk of tearing the dough apart is high. Always roll in one direction – lengthwise.
Complete one simple fold as described above then place the dough back in the fridge for 1 hour.
Repeat the simple fold process 2 more times, remembering to turn the dough 90 degrees before rolling.
Wrap the dough with plastic wrap and place in the fridge overnight.
The next day, remove the dough from the fridge and place it on a floured working surface.
Roll it into a rectangle that has about 40x110cm. If the dough resists or shrinks back during rolling, fold it and place it in the fridge to relax for 20 minutes then unfold and continue rolling.
Cut the dough into strips of 20cm width then cut it into triangles as shown below.
Roll each triangle into a croissant: start by making a small cut at the bottom of the triangle then roll the two wings obtained by moving your hands outwards from the center. While rolling, gently pull the tip of the triangle to slightly elongate it. Continue rolling until you reach the end.
Place the croissants in a baking tray lined with baking paper, making sure they have enough space to rise and bake.
Mix the eggs with milk then brush the croissants with a thin layer of egg wash – this is only the first coating.
Allow the croissants to rise at room temperature (22-26°C) for about 2 hours. To test if they are proofed enough, gently shake the pan – if the croissants seem to wiggle, they are ready for the oven.
Brush the croissants once again with egg wash – be gentle as they can easily be deflated at this point.
Bake in the preheated oven at 190°C (fan oven on) for 6 minutes, then lower the temperature to 170°C for another 10 minutes. The final croissants should be golden brown and crispy. If they're not, continue baking a few more minutes. The ideal temperature and baking time can only be learnt by trying, especially since every oven is different. If you are just trying your oven, bake just a few of them at first to see what settings you should set your oven at.
They are best eaten fresh, but they can be frozen as well. Simply re-heat them when you want a warm, buttery croissant for breakfast!

Notes

– The water used for the preferment, as well as the milk and remaining water for the detrempe should be room temperature, considering that your room temperature doesn’t go higher than 22°C.
– The butter used for beurrage should be slightly soft, easy to spread, but still a bit cold to the touch. Don’t be tempted to heat it in the microwave!
– Sift the flours before using.

Keyword Butter

Butter Croissants