Croissants
  • 1 tsp instant yeast
  • 1 cup milk (not cold)
  • 1/2 oz salt (3 tsp.)
  • 1.5 oz sugar
  • 1.5 oz butter
  • Approx. 14.5 oz bread flour

Roll in:
  • 8 oz cold butter
  • ½ oz. Bread flour


Steps:
-make the dough (détrempe) and refrigerate overnight
-roll the dough to 3/8” for encasing the butter
-roll the package to ¼” and give one double turn
-roll the package again to ¼” and give one single turn
-tightly wrap the package with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least one hour , or overnight before shaping
-roll to 1/8” for shaping croissants and a little thicker for shaping pains-au-chocolat
-on a lightly-floured surface, hand roll the rectangles of dough for croissants as thin as possible before cutting triangles for shaping
(After encasing the butter, croissant dough is given 1 double and 1 single turn for a total of 3 turns.)

Directions
  1. Add milk (not cold) to yeast, salt, sugar, butter and bread flour.  Mix only slightly past the point where the dough comes together because the gluten will get further developed during the roll in process. -Let the dough rest in the refrigerator for six hours or overnight. This is the stage the French call “détrempe.” 
  2. The next day, on a lightly floured surface, prepare the butter by pounding it, and shaping it into a pliable rectangular package, about 1/2 inch thick. Or, combine ingredients using the paddle and mix only until the butter and flour are combined.  Excessive mixing will heat up the butter too much.  A "plastic" texture is needed for rolling in.
  3. Remove the dough from the refrigerator, punch down and allow to rest 10 - 20 minutes in the refrigerator. Roll it out on a well-floured surface to a rectangle ¼” thick, about 7-8 inches wide and 12-15 inches long.  
  4. Spread the butter evenly over the top two thirds of the dough, using an offset spatula.  
  5. Fold the bottom third of dough up to the center.  
  6. Then fold the top (buttered) third down to close the package. 
  7. Tap the package with the rolling pin to seal it and flatten it slightly. Turn the dough so that it opens like a book to begin rolling.  
  8. Flour the rolling surface and roll it out to a rectangle 6-7 inches wide, and 12-15 inches long.
  9. Give the dough one double turn:  fold the top of the rectangle down and the bottom of the rectangle up so that they meet in the center.  Fold the dough in half to close the package and turn it 90 degrees so that it opens like a book.  Tap the package to seal it.  
  10. Chill it for 30 minutes.  
  11. Finish the dough with one single turn:  roll the dough out again on a floured surface into a rectangle about 12-15 inches long.  
  12. Fold the rectangle in thirds (like a business letter) and turn it 90¡.  
  13. Allow the dough to relax in the refrigerator in-between rolls as necessary and before shaping into croissants.
  14. Chill the dough for 20 minutes after the third and final turn.   
  15. The dough may be frozen at this point for 3 weeks.  (If frozen, pull the dough from the freezer the night before using, and let  it thaw in the refrigerator.)
 
Shaping and Baking
  1. Preheat the oven to 425.  
  2. To shape the croissants, roll out the dough to a rectangle, about 1/8” thick.  
  3. Cut the rectangle into triangles of desired size, taking care to cut cleanly and not to pull on the dough.  
  4. For small croissants, cut 3 x 6-inch triangles, for medium, cut 4 x 8-inch triangles, and for large croissants, cut 5 x 10-inch triangles.  
  5. Slash a cut no more than 1 inch deep into the center of the base of each triangle.  
  6. Pull the points of the triangles to elongate them.  
  7. Fold the base of the triangle over, and tightly roll the base up towards the point with one hand.  
  8. Set the croissants on a parchment-lined baking sheet, and leave them straight, or curve into crescents.  
  9. Brush lightly with egg glaze, and let rise in a warm, draft-free place until almost doubled in bulk, and spongy to the touch.  
  10. It will take 20-45 minutes depending on the warmth of the room.  
  11. Bake in the  oven for 5-10 minutes;  turn  down the heat to 375¡, and continue baking until browned, about 15-25 minutes.  
  12. Remove from the oven, and cool on a wire rack.  
  13. Sometimes croissants are brushed with simple syrup while they are still hot from the oven.