Croissants

Croissants

A lot of work and patience, but totally worth it! :)

Add sugar, the salt, and the yeast packets into the mixer.

Heat milk over low heat and make sure it is between 120 and 130 degrees, as to not deactivate the yeast.

If too hot, get the milk off the heat and let it cool a bit-- checking still with a thermometer very frequently.

Add the liquid ingredients to the dry ingredients into the mixer and mix up.

Add 1/2 cup flour and mix well.

Then,, add about 1 cup more of flour and mix until you get a sticky dough.

Spread dough on floured surface and knead dough for 10 minutes (yes, 10 minutes!), adding more flour as needed (about 1 1/2 more cups, until it is not sticky anymore.

Form kneaded dough into a ball and place in a greased bowl.  Cover and let rise in warm place until doubled, about 1 1/2 hours.

Roll out butter (it's easier when it's soft, room temperature) between 2 pieces of wax paper to a 10" by 7" rectangle.  Chill butter in  refrigerator until firm again.

Once dough is ready, roll dough on a floured surface (using wax paper is also very helpful) to a 18" by 9" rectangle.  Hard, but don't give up!

Once rolled out, get chilled butter sheet from refrigerator and place it on one side of the dough, leaving a 1" margin on each side, except one long piece or dough left.

Fold extra dough over the butter (there will be some butter left uncovered), then fold the dough in half back over the fold (fold the whole piece into thirds).  This will make a 9" by 6" rectangle.

Press on the edges of the dough to seal them.  Carefully roll dough out into another 18" by 9" rectangle, making sure butter does not ooze out or start to melt.  Mine did, so I threw it back into the refrigerator for about 2 hours.

Once at 18", mark the dough into thirds, then fold dough in thirds.

This makes a 9" by 6" rectangle.  Sprinkle with flour and chill for another 2 hours.  (Like my Christmas nails? haha)

Once ready, roll, fold, and chill twice more.

After third and final fold, leave the dough to chill overnight in the refrigerator.

Once ready, split dough in half.  While working with one half, chill the other in the refrigerator.

Roll out one piece to a 21" by 10" rectangle.

Make marks on the dough in thirds once again (7 inches between each mark).  Also mark the top of the dough, in between each of the 7" marks.

Cut out triangles from each mark, then roll them up from the base of the triangle, to the tip.

Place on pans lined with parchment paper, or pans covered with aluminum foil, sprayed with non-stick spray.

For the two end pieces, just join them together.  When baked, my end piece croissants fell apart because I didn't join the seam well enough, so make sure you do.  Use the roller to help with this, too.

Beautiful! 6 croissants down!

Cover lightly with plastic wrap and repeat all of these last steps of rolling, cutting, and shaping, for the other half of the dough.

I put mine near the fireplace. :)  Let rise for about 1 hour (I did 2 hours), until they are doubled.  Make sure the butter doesn't melt in extreme heat.  If it does, but the croissants back in the refrigerator.

Once ready, preheat oven to 425 degrees and beat egg with water.  Brush croissants with egg mixture.

Bake on middle racks for about 15 minutes (check, check, check (at 12 minutes)!!!! Don't burn after all this work!!!)

Ahhhhh-- beautiful and delicious!  So French! :)

Croissants

Cooking time:  15 minutes
Prep time:  3 days
Total time:  3 days, 15 minutes :)
Servings:  12 croissants

Nutrition info per serving (1 croissant):
Calories: 243 calories
Fat: 15 g
Sodium: 146 mg
Carbs: 22 g
Fiber: 1 g
Protein: 4 g

Ingredients:
2 tablespoons sugar
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
2 packages dry yeast
about 2 1/2 to 3 cups all-purpose flour
1 1/4 cup milk
1 cup butter (preferably softened)
1 egg
1 tablespoon water (temperature doesn't matter much)

Directions:
1.  Combine sugar, salt, and yeast in mixer.
2.  Heat milk in saucepan over low heat to between 120 and 130 degrees (if too hot, let cool and keep checking it with thermometer, goes very quickly).
3.  Add wet ingredients to dry ingredients in mixer and mix.
4.  Add 1/2 cup more flour to dough, mix thoroughly, then add 1 cup more flour to make sticky dough.
5.  Place dough on floured surface and knead for 10 minutes (yes, 10 minutes!!), adding more flour as needed (add about 1 to 1 1/2 cups more flour, until the dough is not very sticky anymore).  Roll into ball, place in greased bowl, cover, and let rise until doubled, about 1 1/2 hours.
6.  Roll out butter (it's easier if it's softened) to a 10" by 7" rectangle between two sheets of wax paper.  Chill in refrigerator until firm.
7.  Once dough is ready, roll out on floured surface (wax paper also helps) to an 18" by 9" rectangle.  Once butter is completely chilled, place butter onto the dough on one half of the dough, leaving a 1" margin on three sides.
8.  Fold the extra large piece of dough over the butter, then fold the butter piece in half over the fold (fold the piece in thirds).  This will make a 9" by 6" rectangle.
9. Press the edges of the dough to seal.  Roll out dough to another 18" by 9" rectangle, making sure that the butter does not ooze out or start to melt.  Mine did, so I covered the dough with wax paper and chilled for another two hours.
10.  Fold dough in thirds (marks help), to make another 9" by 6" rectangle.  Sprinkle with flour, wrap in wax paper, and chill for about 2 hours.
11.  Repeat steps 9 and 10 2 more times, folding the dough in thirds three times, chilling after each fold.  After final fold, chill overnight.
12.  Cut each piece of dough in half.  Chill other piece.  Roll one piece out into a 21" by 10" rectangle.  Using marks, cut out triangles with 7" bases from the dough.  Roll from the base to the tip, and place on pans lined with parchment paper, or pans covered with aluminum foil, sprayed with non-stick spray.  For the end pieces, just press them together to make one croissant.  On the pans, curve the pieces to make crescent shapes.
13.  Repeat step 12 with other half of dough.  Preheat oven to 425 degrees.  Cover each pan lightly with plastic wrap.  Let rise until doubled, about 1 1/2 hours in a warm place.  Make sure the dough is not so hot that the butter starts to melt.  If it does, put the croissants into the refrigerator to chill.
14.  Beat egg with water in a small bowl and brush over the croissants.  Bake on middle racks for about 15 minutes (check them after about 12 minutes!), and you've got croissants!  Wow!

**Adapted from The Good Housekeeping Illustrated Cookbook's Croissants recipe:  http://books.google.com/books?id=TucnTDr5qdAC&pg=PA448&lpg=PA448&dq=the+good+housekeeping+illustrated+cookbook+croissants&source=bl&ots=upYUKeK2Dp&sig=KQuX3EKB6LqL0bw6tcrfToLDPsM&hl=en&sa=X&ei=HNu-Uvi5F5HNsQSRz4H4DQ&ved=0CC4Q6AEwAA#v=onepage&q=the%20good%20housekeeping%20illustrated%20cookbook%20croissants&f=false  **

A lot of work, but very worth it!!