One thing I miss from time to time is a good Croissant. But being a classic French pastry I always thought it was way out of my realm of possibilities.
But after watching the Paul Hollywood's The Weekend Baker it looked possible for a self taught baker and I thought I would give it a go. Armed with the book from the series I had a go, with a few changes as I just cant help myself.
150g plain flour
10g salt
80g caster sugar
10g instant yeast
300ml water
250g butter unsalted
1 egg to glaze
Then add the sugar and salt and the yeast to the bowl and mix again for a minute to distribute all the ingredients. With the mixer on slow add the water and the dough will come together. Increase the speed if using a mixer and mix for about 6 minutes. This will take longer if making the dough by hand.
2. Form the dough into a ball and put in a clean bowl then clingfilm. Put the bowl in a fridge overnight. if you can not get your bowl in the fridge then find some where 12°C or lower and leave it there.
3, Take two pieces of baking paper about 30cm strips in size. Place the butter in the middle of one and put the other piece on top. Using a rolling pin lean on the butter in the middle and both sides so you are slowly flattening it. As it gets lower start rolling it out and try to get it about the size of a bit of A4 paper. Don't go too thin as you have to lift this on to the dough later. Put the flattened butter into the fridge on a baking tray to keep flat.
4. Take out the dough from the fridge you need a good sized surface for this so make yourself some space. Lightly flour the surface and roll out the dough to ideally twice the size of your flattened butter. But don't worry about making it perfect. Use more flour if required, you don't want your dough sticking to the roller or the surface!
5. Take the butter out of the fridge and put it on your dough on the one side. Practice folding the uncovered dough over the butter is it big enough? If not roll it out a bit more. then cover the butter with the dough sealing up the edges. Put on a tray and put it back in the fridge to harden up, you need to keep it flat.
6. After an hour take out the dough butter slab and roll it out to double the size or more if you can.
What you want now is to build up the layers, to make it flaky. Fold one third over on itself then the single height third on top of the other two creating three more layers. Roll out the dough again and repeat. If the dough gets too warm put it back in the fridge to cool the dough.
7. Repeat above to get more layers, its worth it
8. Pre heat the oven to gas mark 6, 200°c. Roll out the dough on a lightly floured surface so the dough is a rectangular shape to about 1/2 cm thick. Cut out long triangles from the dough using a sharp knife or dough cutter/scraper. Stretch the point of the triangle slightly and roll the large width up towards the point. When rolled up, push down slightly on the croissant to stop it unrolling.
9. Glaze the dough all over with the egg yolk. Place on a tray and cook in a hot oven for 15 minutes until golden brown. N.B. In the pictures I lined the tray with baking paper but the bottom of the croissant does not crisp up
Or store the croissants for a later date, place all croissants to store on a tray which will fit flat in your freezer. Store the tray in the freezer until they are fully frozen then place all of them in a freezer bag and put it back in the freezer. To cook from frozen place the frozen croissants on a baking tray and leave in the oven overnight to defrost. Cook as per 9. Above.
This dough takes a while to make but they are very easy to store for enjoying later.
See my how to make Pain au chocolate article to add chocolate to a croissant ;)
But after watching the Paul Hollywood's The Weekend Baker it looked possible for a self taught baker and I thought I would give it a go. Armed with the book from the series I had a go, with a few changes as I just cant help myself.
Ingredients
350g strong white bread flour150g plain flour
10g salt
80g caster sugar
10g instant yeast
300ml water
250g butter unsalted
1 egg to glaze
Method
1. Mix the flours in a bowl, either mixer or by hand, if using a mixer use the dough hook.Then add the sugar and salt and the yeast to the bowl and mix again for a minute to distribute all the ingredients. With the mixer on slow add the water and the dough will come together. Increase the speed if using a mixer and mix for about 6 minutes. This will take longer if making the dough by hand.
2. Form the dough into a ball and put in a clean bowl then clingfilm. Put the bowl in a fridge overnight. if you can not get your bowl in the fridge then find some where 12°C or lower and leave it there.
3, Take two pieces of baking paper about 30cm strips in size. Place the butter in the middle of one and put the other piece on top. Using a rolling pin lean on the butter in the middle and both sides so you are slowly flattening it. As it gets lower start rolling it out and try to get it about the size of a bit of A4 paper. Don't go too thin as you have to lift this on to the dough later. Put the flattened butter into the fridge on a baking tray to keep flat.
4. Take out the dough from the fridge you need a good sized surface for this so make yourself some space. Lightly flour the surface and roll out the dough to ideally twice the size of your flattened butter. But don't worry about making it perfect. Use more flour if required, you don't want your dough sticking to the roller or the surface!
5. Take the butter out of the fridge and put it on your dough on the one side. Practice folding the uncovered dough over the butter is it big enough? If not roll it out a bit more. then cover the butter with the dough sealing up the edges. Put on a tray and put it back in the fridge to harden up, you need to keep it flat.
6. After an hour take out the dough butter slab and roll it out to double the size or more if you can.
What you want now is to build up the layers, to make it flaky. Fold one third over on itself then the single height third on top of the other two creating three more layers. Roll out the dough again and repeat. If the dough gets too warm put it back in the fridge to cool the dough.
7. Repeat above to get more layers, its worth it
8. Pre heat the oven to gas mark 6, 200°c. Roll out the dough on a lightly floured surface so the dough is a rectangular shape to about 1/2 cm thick. Cut out long triangles from the dough using a sharp knife or dough cutter/scraper. Stretch the point of the triangle slightly and roll the large width up towards the point. When rolled up, push down slightly on the croissant to stop it unrolling.
The rectangles are for Pain au chocolate post
9. Glaze the dough all over with the egg yolk. Place on a tray and cook in a hot oven for 15 minutes until golden brown. N.B. In the pictures I lined the tray with baking paper but the bottom of the croissant does not crisp up
Or store the croissants for a later date, place all croissants to store on a tray which will fit flat in your freezer. Store the tray in the freezer until they are fully frozen then place all of them in a freezer bag and put it back in the freezer. To cook from frozen place the frozen croissants on a baking tray and leave in the oven overnight to defrost. Cook as per 9. Above.
This dough takes a while to make but they are very easy to store for enjoying later.
See my how to make Pain au chocolate article to add chocolate to a croissant ;)
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