Croissants
This recipe is a real labour of love but they are so worth it. There is nothing better really, than having homemade freshly baked croissants for breakfast! I have been making and perfecting these croissants for the last seven years …
Ingredients:
250g strong white bread flour (I always use Shipton Mill’s No. 4 White Flour)
20g caster sugar
5g (1 tsp) salt
1 1/2 tsp active dry yeast
125ml warm water
150g butter
1 egg, lightly beaten for the egg wash
The night before, mix the dry ingredients together: flour, sugar and salt, and in another bowl, mix the yeast and water until the yeast has dissolved. Mix the dry ingredients into the wet mixture until all is properly combined and you no longer have any dry, floury bits. Cover and let it rest for 10 minutes.
Knead the mixture for about 10-15 minutes until the dough relaxes and it no longer resists. Shape into a boule, cover and leave the dough to rise on the side for 30-45 minutes, before putting in the fridge overnight.
The next morning, remove the dough from the fridge and flatten it out into a rough rectangle on an un-floured work surface until the dough is a couple of centimetres thick.
Next cut up the butter (150g) so that it is roughly the same thickness as the dough and place it in the middle of the dough. Now you will need to stretch the dough over the butter so that it is fully incorporated.
Once the butter is fully encased you can start rolling it out lengthwise, so that the butter is evenly distributed throughout. Roll the dough to about 1cm thick, folding the dough into thirds to form a nice, neat block of dough. Wrap the dough in cling film and place in the fridge for 20 minutes. Repeat this step twice more and you should have a nicely laminated dough, having done three ‘turns’. After the third turn place the dough in the fridge for 40 minutes.
Remove the dough from the fridge and lightly flour the work surface. Roll out the dough until you have a large rectangle measuring roughly 24 x 38 cm. But please make sure not to roll the dough out too thin, otherwise you will ruin all of your layers! Cut the rectangle into long, thin triangles, which should make about 8-9 depending on your dough. Roll each triangle up to form a croissant.
Place them on a prepared baking sheet and let them rest for 30-45 minutes allowing them to rise and then lightly brush over the egg wash (or milk will work just as well). Preheat the oven to 220C and place a roasting pan at the bottom of the oven.
Place the croissants in the oven and pour a cup of water in the now hot roasting tray, creating steam and helping to achieve a crispy croissant crust. Bake the croissants for 15-20 minutes until golden brown.
