Croissants Food

CROISSANTS

Steps:

• Make the dough: In a small bowl combine the water and yeast and let proof for 5 minutes. In a food processor combine the flour, sugar and salt and process to combine -- about 30 seconds. Add the butter and process until mixture resembles fine meal. With the motor running add the yeast mixture and the milk, in a stream, and continue to process until a dough is formed. Transfer dough to a lightly floured surface and gently knead for 1 minute. Wrap in plastic and chill for at least 30 minutes, or overnight.
• On a lightly floured surface pat the rested dough into a 10 by 4-inch rectangle. Roll the dough into a 14 by 9-inch rectangle.
• In a bowl with an electric mixer beat the butter with remaining 2 tablespoons flour until it is pliable but still cold and firm. Between sheets of parchment or waxed paper roll the butter into a rectangle large enough to cover two-thirds of the dough with a one-inch border all around.
• Using parchment paper, invert butter onto the bottom two-thirds of the dough, leaving a 1-inch border all around. Fold the top-third of the dough down over the top half of the butter. Fold the bottom third up over the top (like a letter) and pinch edges to seal.
• Turn dough over, seam side down, give it one quarter turn and roll lengthwise into a 20 by 10-inch rectangle. Turn the dough over, seam side up, and fold like a letter. This is one turn. Chill dough, wrapped in plastic, for 30 minutes, or until firm.
• Arrange dough on lightly floured surface, with folded edge to your left, and roll lengthwise into a 20 by 10-inch rectangle. Fold and chill as before. Repeat process two more times, giving the dough four turns in all. After the fourth turn chill dough for at least 3 hours, or overnight.
• Line two baking sheets with parchment paper.
• Form the croissants: On a lightly floured surface roll the dough into a 25 by 14 by 1/4-inch rectangle. Halve the dough lengthwise into two 7-inch strips. Using a pastry wheel or a long chef's knife, cut the strips into triangles, each with a base of 4 to 5 inches. Beginning with the base of each triangle, fold 1/4-inch of the dough over onto itself and begin rolling the triangle up to the point. Gently stretch the dough by pulling on the tip as you roll it. Repeat with the remaining triangles. If dough becomes soft, chill. Transfer the croissants to the baking sheets as they are formed spacing them 2 inches apart.
• Make the glaze: in a bowl whisk together the egg and milk. Brush the croissants with the glaze and let rise, uncovered, in a cool place (about 65 to 75 degrees) for 1 1/2 to 2 hours.
• Let croissants rise in a warmer place (about 75 to 80 degrees) for 1 1/2 hours more, or until almost doubled in size. Brush once more with the glaze and place on the center rack of a preheated 400 degree oven for 15 to 17 minutes, or until golden brown. Transfer to racks to cool.

TRADITIONAL BUTTERY FRENCH CROISSANTS FOR LAZY BISTRO BREAKFASTS

Steps:

• Preheat oven temperature to 200C/400F/Gas 6.
• BREAD MACHINE: Put the milk, water, egg, flour, salt, sugar, 1 oz butter and the yeast into your machine and select dough, normal. This will mix, knead and prove the dough and takes about an hour and a half depending on your machine.
• BY HAND: Put the egg, flour, salt, sugar, 1 oz butter and the yeast in a large mixing bowl. Using a wooden spoon, slowly mix in the warm milk and the warm water until the mixture forms into a pliable dough. Cover and put the dough in a warm place, until it has nearly doubled in size.
• BUTTER DOUGH: Place the dough (both from the bread machine and by hand) on a floured surface and knead well until it feels elastic.Return the dough to the bowl, cover and chill in the refrigerator for 1 hour. Return the chilled dough to your floured work surface and roll it into a rectangular shape, around 50cm X 20cm - 20" X 8".
• Separate the remaining butter into 3 portions and then using one third of the butter, dot the butter over the upper two thirds of the rolled dough, keeping a 1cm/1/2" border around the edges. Fold the dough into three , bringing up the bottom unbuttered part of the dough, and then folding the top buttered part of the dough over.
• Give the dough a half turn so that the open edges are now top and bottom and seal the edges with your rolling pin. Then take your rolling pin and press the dough at intervals to seal the dough and create air pockets. Roll out into a rectangle again, the same size, and then continue as before, two more times until your butter is used up - please see photos as a guide. It is important to return the rolled dough to the fridge in between each rolling to ensure the butter does not melt and the dough does not become too sticky. After the last rolling when all the butter is used, return the dough to the refrigerator to chill for a further 30 minutes.
• Remove from fridge and roll carefully into a big rectangle 50cm/30cm/24inx12in cut in half lengthways, divide each half into 4 to 6 triangles. Take one triangle at a time,and brush the triangle with the egg wash of milk and egg. Then from the widest edge of the triangle, roll up loosely and place in a crescent shape on a tray. Brush with the egg wash over the top for the glaze.
• TO FREEZE: At this point the croissants can be frozen; Open freeze them on a large tray, a baking tray is fine and then pack them into a rigid container or freezer bags when they are frozen. For use, remove from freezer the number required for breakfast, put onto baking tray and leave overnight. Put into a hot oven and cook for about 20 minutes until browned and risen.
• TO BAKE: Place the shaped croissants on baking trays lined with silicone baking parchment and leave to rise for 30 minutes to 1 hour.Bake for 15 to 20 minutes until golden brown and puffy.

CHEF JOHN'S CROISSANTS

Steps:

• Place warm water in the bowl of a stand mixer. Sprinkle with yeast. Let yeast dissolve for 10 minutes. Add sugar and bread flour. Sprinkle with salt; add 6 tablespoons butter. Attach the bowl to the stand mixer. Mix dough with the dough hook just until butter is completely kneaded in and the dough forms a ball and pulls away cleanly from the sides of the bowl, 3 or 4 minutes.
• Transfer dough to a work surface and form into a semi-smooth ball. Place dough back in the mixer bowl; cover. Let rise in a warm spot until doubled, about 2 hours.
• Transfer dough to a lightly floured work surface. Push and press dough to deflate it, and form it into a rectangle. Fold into thirds by lifting one end over the middle third, and folding the other side onto the middle. Wrap in plastic wrap. Place on a rimmed baking sheet lined with a silicone mat. Refrigerate until chilled through, about 1 hour.
• Cut 2 sticks butter in half lengthwise and place slightly apart from each other on a length of parchment paper long enough to fold over the butter. Fold the parchment paper over the butter. Press butter down. Roll out with a rolling pin to a square about 8x8 inches. Refrigerate until a little chilled and just barely flexible, 10 or 15 minutes.
• Roll dough out into a rectangle slightly wider than the butter slab and just over twice as long. Place butter on one half of the dough leaving about 1 inch margin from the edge of the dough. Fold the other half of the dough over the butter. Dust work surface and dough with flour as needed.
• Press rolling pin down on dough to create ridges. Then roll out the ridges. Repeat this process. Keep pressing and rolling until dough is about the same size rectangle as you had before you folded it in half, dusting with just a bit of flour as necessary.
• Starting from the short side, fold one-third of dough over middle third. Then fold the other end over to form a small rectangle. Flatten out just slightly with rolling pin. Transfer to the silicone-lined baking sheet; cover with plastic wrap. Refrigerate until chilled, about 30 minutes.
• Transfer dough back to work surface and repeat pressing and rolling technique until dough is the size of the previous larger rectangle. Fold into thirds again, starting from the short side. Press and roll slightly. Transfer back to lined baking sheet. Cover and refrigerate about 15 minutes.
• Roll back out to a large rectangle. This time, fold dough in half. Then press and roll out into a 1/2-inch thick rectangle, using as little flour as needed to keep dough from sticking.
• Cut dough in half lengthwise using a pastry wheel or pizza cutter. Dust one piece with flour and roll out to a rectangle about 1/4 to 1/8 inch thick. Starting from one corner, cut the dough diagonally crosswise into 8 triangles using a pastry wheel. Starting with the bottom end of each triangle, roll each up toward the tip to form the croissant with the seam at the bottom. If necessary, use a bit of water to seal the tip to the rolled croissant.
• Repeat with the other half of the dough.
• Place shaped croissants on baking sheets lined with silicone mats. Whisk together egg and 1 tablespoon water to make the egg wash. Brush croissants with egg wash. Place in a warm area to allow them to rise, about 45 to 60 minutes.
• Preheat oven to 400 degrees F (200 degrees C). Brush croissants gently but thoroughly again with egg wash.
• Bake in preheated oven until beautifully browned, about 25 minutes. Transfer to a cooling rack. Cool to room temperature before serving.

BUTTER CROISSANTS

Steps:

• Combine the butter and the 3 tablespoons of flour using two knives or a pastry blender.
• Place the butter mixture between two sheets of waxed paper and beat it with a rolling pin until it becomes soft and malleable. Make sure the butter stays cold though. When you're making laminated doughs such as croissant dough, puff pastry dough, or danish pastry dough it's important that the dough stays cold so the butter and the dough form distinct layers.
• Shape the block of butter into a 6- by 8-inch rectangle.
• Place the block of butter somewhere cool or back in the refrigerator while you make the dough. Don't let the butter re-harden though. If the butter re-hardens it will break through the dough when you go to roll it out. You want the butter cold but you also want it to be spreadable.
• For the dough combine the milk, yeast and sugar.
• Let sit 5 minutes or until yeast is dissolved and the surface is all foamy.
• Stir in the salt.
• Stir in the 2 7/8 cups of flour, all at once, until thoroughly combined. You should have a very soft wet dough.
• Cover the bowl of dough and place it in the refrigerator until it's chilled. If the dough is warm it might cause the butter to melt.
• Using a shaker or a sifter, generously flour your work surface. By generously I don't mean a simple dusting. You want a good substantial layer of flour. If you can see the counter top or table top underneath the flour then you need to sprinkle on more. This dough is very wet and if you don't use enough flour on your work surface the dough is going to stick. Don't add anymore flour to the dough itself because the flour you use to roll out the dough is only going to be on the surface of the dough, and it's going to be brushed away.
• Roll the dough into a 10- by 14-inch rectangle. Brush away the excess flour on the surface of the dough with a pastry brush.
• Place the block of butter on one side of the dough and fold the other side over and seal the edges.
• Turn the dough so that the fold is on the left and the part that opens is on the right (like the way a book opens).
• Roll the dough into a 9- by 17-inch rectangle. Be sure to check that it's not sticking to the table. When you you roll out the dough you want to use smooth even strokes and make sure you don't roll over the edge of the dough. If you do you'll crush the layers you're trying to make.
• Use a pastry brush to brush away ALL excess flour off the surface of the dough. This step is important because if you don't it will keep the dough from forming the layers properly.
• Fold 1/3 of the dough on to itself.
• Brush away the flour.
• Fold the other third of the dough on top of that so that the dough resembles a folded business letter. Be sure to keep the edges and corners lined up. This is what's called a "turn". A turn gets its name because each time you roll out the dough you have to turn it a quarter turn so the position of the dough is always the same each time you roll it out.
• Roll out the dough and fold the dough in thirds as you did before.
• At this point you should wrap the dough up and refrigerate it for 45 minutes to an hour.
• Repeat the rolling and folding in thirds like a business letter two more times. Refrigerate the dough for an hour between each turn. Before rolling out the dough each time make sure you always position the dough so that the top flap has the fold on the left and the part that opens on the right. After the 4th turn the dough needs to be refrigerated for at least 3 hours or overnight if it's more convenient.
• Roll the dough into a 10- by 20-inch rectangle. Be sure the corners are square.
• Cut the dough into eight squares by cutting it half lengthwise and then cutting each half into 4 squares. A pizza cutter is a great tool for this job.
• Cut each square into two triangles.
• Take one of the triangles and stretch it until the two short sides are as long as the long side ( the hypotenuse in case you've forgotten your geometry).
• Roll up the triangle and curve the ends in slightly to form a crescent shape.
• Repeat with the rest of the triangles of dough.
• Place the croissants at least 2 inches apart on baking sheets that have been lightly sprayed with cooking spray or covered with parchment paper.
• Cover the croissants with towels and place somewhere where it's not too warm. You don't want the butter in them to become soft remember.
• Let croissants rise until they're nearly doubled in size. This may take a few hours. Be patient. I've let them rise for as long as 5 to 6 hours. After about 2 hours the surface of the croissants may start to dry out. If this happens cover them with a damp paper towel and then put another towel on top of that.
• Combine the egg and the teaspoon of water.
• Brush a light coating of egg wash on each croissant. If the croissants are exceptionally puffy you'll need to be extra gentle when you brush on the eggwash. Another option is to put the eggwash in a spray bottle and spray the eggwash on the croissants.
• Bake the croissants in a preheated 425° F oven for 12 to 15 minutes until they're golden brown.

CROISSANTS

Steps:

• Make the dough: Stir yeast, water, and 1 teaspoon sugar in a bowl. Let stand until foamy, about 5 minutes. Butter a large bowl; set aside. Put bread flour, all-purpose flour, remaining 3 tablespoons plus 2 teaspoons sugar, and the salt into the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the dough hook; mix on low speed until combined. Add yeast mixture, milk, and butter; mix until dough just comes together.
• Knead dough: Scrape dough out onto a lightly floured work surface. Using lightly floured hands, knead until smooth, about 3 minutes. Transfer to buttered bowl, turning to coat.
• Let dough rise: Cover dough with plastic wrap; transfer to the refrigerator. Let rise until doubled in bulk, about 2 hours (dough should not spring back when you press it with your finger).
• Make the butter package: About 45 minutes after the dough begins rising, put flour and butter into the clean bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment. Mix on medium speed until well combined, 3 to 4 minutes. Scrape butter mixture out onto a piece of parchment paper; shape into a rectangle. Top with parchment, and roll out to an 8-by-10-inch rectangle. Transfer to a baking sheet, and refrigerate 30 minutes.
• Roll out dough: Turn out dough onto a lightly floured work surface; shape into a rectangle. Roll out to a 10 1/2-by-16-inch rectangle, about 1/2 inch thick, with short side facing you.
• Place butter package on dough: The butter package should be cool but pliable; your finger should leave an indentation but the butter should still hold its shape. If too soft, continue to refrigerate; if too firm, let stand at room temperature briefly. Place horizontally on bottom half of dough; remove parchment. Fold top half of dough over butter package, and pinch edges of dough to seal.
• Roll in butter: Turn dough so that a short side is facing you and the seam is on the right. Roll out to a 10-by-20-inch rectangle, about 1/2 inch thick (keep the corners as square as possible).
• Fold dough into thirds: Remove any excess flour with a pastry brush. Starting at the far end, fold rectangle in thirds as you would a business letter (this completes the first of 3 "turns").
• Mark dough: Mark the dough with your knuckle (later, this will help you remember how many turns have been completed). Wrap dough in plastic, and refrigerate 1 hour.
• Repeat process: Remove from refrigerator, and press the dough; it should be pliable but have some resistance. If too soft, return to refrigerator; if too firm, let stand at room temperature, 5 minutes. Repeat the preceding three steps to complete two more turns (make 2 marks for the second turn and 3 marks for the third turn); always start with a short side facing you and the seam on the right, rolling lengthwise before crosswise. After the second turn, wrap dough in plastic, and refrigerate 1 hour. After the third and final turn, wrap dough in plastic, and refrigerate 8 hours (or overnight).
• Roll out and chill dough: Turn out dough onto a lightly floured work surface, and roll out to a 30-by-16-inch rectangle. If dough becomes unmanageable, cut in half crosswise, and roll out two 15-by-16-inch rectangles (refrigerate 1 piece as you work with the other). Chill in freezer 15 minutes. Remove dough, and remeasure: It should match original dimensions; if not, roll out again. If dough becomes too warm or elastic, chill in freezer, 15 minutes.
• Cut dough: Cut dough into two 30-by-8-inch rectangles (or four 15-by-8-inch rectangles). Stack rectangles, lining up edges (if you have four smaller rectangles, make two stacks).
• Trim dough and cut into triangles: Using a pastry or pizza wheel and cutting at a 20-degree angle, trim a small wedge from one short side to create an angled side. Cut dough into triangles, each with a 4 1/2-inch base. You should have about 20 total.
• Cut slits: Cut a 1-inch slit in the middle of the base of each triangle. Separate the stacks, transferring half the triangles to a parchment-lined baking sheet; cover, and refrigerate.
• Begin shaping croissants: Working with one triangle at a time and keeping remaining triangles covered with a clean kitchen towel, hold the two corners of the base, and stretch to lengthen it slightly. Grasp inner corners formed by the slit in the base, and lift and stretch them toward the outer sides of the triangle; press to seal.
• Roll croissants: Using your fingertips, roll the base of the triangle up and away from you, stretching the dough slightly outward as you roll to elongate the point (when finished, the point should be tucked under the croissant).
• Finish shaping croissants: Bend the two ends toward you to form a crescent shape (the ends should almost touch). Transfer to parchment-lined baking sheets, spacing croissants 2 inches apart. Repeat with remaining triangles. Cover loosely with plastic wrap, and let stand in a warm place until croissants have doubled in bulk and are very soft, 1 1/2 hours to 2 1/4 hours, depending on the temperature of room.
• Brush with egg: Preheat oven to 400 degrees, with racks in upper and lower thirds. Brush tops of croissants with egg. Bake, rotating sheets halfway through, until croissants are puffed and golden brown, 20 to 25 minutes. Let cool slightly on sheets on wire racks. Serve warm or at room temperature.

CROISSANTS

Steps:

• Put the flour, salt and sugar in a mixing bowl. Measure 300ml cold water into a jug, add the yeast and stir. Make a well in the flour and pour in the liquid. Mix, then knead on your work surface for 10 mins. Shape into a ball, put in a lightly oiled bowl, cover and chill for at least 2 hrs.
• Put the butter between 2 sheets of baking parchment. Using a rolling pin, bash and roll it into a rectangle about 20 x 15cm. Leave wrapped in the baking parchment and chill.
• Transfer the chilled dough to a floured surface and roll into a 40 x 20cm rectangle. Place the unwrapped slab of butter in the centre of the dough, so that it covers the middle third.
• Fold one side of the dough up and halfway over the butter.
• Fold the other side of the dough up and over the butter in the same way, so that the two edges of the dough meet in the centre of the butter.
• Fold the dough in half so that the point where the ends of the dough meet becomes the seam. Wrap in cling film and chill for 30 mins.
• Repeat the rolling, folding and chilling process (steps 3-6) twice more in exactly the same way - rolling the pastry while it's still folded - without adding more butter. Wrap and chill overnight.
• The next day, roll the dough out on a floured surface into a large rectangle, measuring about 60 x 30cm. Using a sharp knife or pizza cutter, trim the edges to neaten.
• Cut the dough in half lengthways so that you have 2 long strips, then cut each strip into 6 or 7 triangles with 2 equal sides.
• Take each triangle in turn and pull the two corners at the base to stretch and widen it.
• Starting at the base of each triangle, begin to gently roll into a croissant, being careful not to crush the dough.
• Continue rolling, making sure the tip of each triangle ends up tucked under the croissant to hold in place. If adding any fillings (see tips, below), place across the widest part of the triangle before rolling up.
• Bend the ends of the croissants inwards, then transfer to baking trays lined with baking parchment, spaced well apart. Cover with lightly oiled cling film and leave to rise for 2 hrs, or until doubled in size.
• Heat oven to 200C/180C fan/gas 6. Mix the beaten egg with a pinch of salt and use to generously glaze the croissants. Bake for 15-18 mins until risen and golden brown, then cool on wire racks.

CROISSANTS

Steps:

• Place dough on a lightly floured work surface; cover and let stand until butter is slightly softened, 5 to 10 minutes.
• Roll dough out to a about a 10-by-18-inch rectangle. Cut rectangle in half crosswise. Wrap one half with plastic wrap and transfer to refrigerator. Place remaining half on a large (about 18-by-25-inches) piece of parchment paper. Roll into a 16-by-20-inch rectangle, stopping to chill dough as necessary if butter becomes too soft; transfer to a large baking sheet and cover with plastic wrap. Transfer baking sheet to refrigerator and chill until firm, about 30 minutes. Repeat process with remaining piece of dough.
• Transfer one piece of dough to a lightly floured work surface so that one of the longer sides is facing you. Halve dough lengthwise to make two 8-by-20-inch rectangles.
• Using a pizza cutter, trim a scant 1/8 inch from top and bottom of each rectangle of dough. Working quickly, use the pizza cutter to mark 5-inch increments along the bottom (side closest to you) edge of each dough half. Working from left to right, measure 2 1/2 inches on the top of each half and make a mark using the pizza cutter. Continue along the top edges, marking at 5-inch increments until you reach the end of the dough.
• Using a ruler, cut dough into triangles with a 5-inch base, reserving any dough that is not in a triangle shape. You should have 14 triangles total plus additional scrap dough. Gently stretch triangles to make them 1 1/2 times their length.
• Working with 1 triangle of dough at a time, position dough triangle on work surface so that the point is furthest from you. Starting at the base, gently roll dough away from you, stretching the point as you go, with fingers or a rolling pin; secure point underneath roll. Curve ends away from you to make a crescent shape.
• Line baking sheets with parchment paper; place 4 crescents on each prepared baking sheet. In a small bowl, whisk egg together with 1 teaspoon water. Brush tops of crescents with egg mixture, reserving remaining egg mixture. Place 3 narrow drinking glasses, upside-down, between crescents; cover well with plastic wrap, making sure plastic does not touch dough. Let stand in a warm place until doubled in size and crescents feel hollow when gently touched, 2 1/2 to 3 hours.
• Preheat oven to 425 degrees.
• Uncover and remove glasses from baking sheets; brush croissants lightly with remaining egg mixture (reserving remaining for second piece of dough). Transfer to oven and bake until puffed and golden, about 15 minutes. Transfer to a wire rack to cool. Repeat steps 3 through 9 with remaining piece of refrigerated dough.

CROISSANTS

Steps:

• Twenty-four hours before serving, start the détrempe: In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the dough hook, combine the flour, sugar, salt and yeast, and stir to combine. Create a well in the center, and pour in the water and milk. Mix on low speed until a tight, smooth dough comes together around the hook, about 5 minutes. Remove the hook and cover the bowl with a damp towel. Set aside for 10 minutes.
• Reattach the dough hook and turn the mixer on medium-low speed. Add the butter pieces all at once and continue to mix, scraping down the bowl and hook once or twice, until the dough has formed a very smooth, stretchy ball that is not the least bit sticky, 8 to 10 minutes.
• Form the dough into a ball and place seam-side down on a lightly floured work surface. Using a sharp knife, cut two deep perpendicular slashes in the dough, forming a "+." (This will help the dough expand into a square shape as it rises, making it easier to roll out later.) Place the dough slashed-side up inside the same mixing bowl, cover with plastic wrap and let rise at room temperature until about 1 1/2 times its original size, 45 minutes to 1 hour. Transfer the bowl to the refrigerator and chill for at least 4 hours and up to 12.
• As the dough chills, make the butter block: Place the sticks of butter side-by-side in the center of a large sheet of parchment paper, then loosely fold all four sides of the parchment over the butter to form a packet. Turn the packet over and use a rolling pin to lightly beat the cold butter into a flat scant 1/2-inch-thick layer, fusing the sticks and making it pliable. (Don't worry about the shape at this point.) The parchment may tear. Turn over the packet and unwrap, replacing the parchment with a new sheet if needed. Fold the parchment paper over the butter again, this time making neat, clean folds at right angles (like you're wrapping a present), forming an 8-inch square. Turn the packet over again and roll the pin across the packet, further flattening the butter into a thin layer that fills the entire packet while forcing out any air pockets. The goal is a level and straight-edged square of butter. Transfer the butter block to the refrigerator.
• Eighteen hours before serving, remove the dough from the refrigerator, uncover and transfer to a clean work surface. (It will have doubled in size.) Deflate the dough with the heel of your hand. Using the four points that formed where you slashed the dough, stretch the dough outward and flatten into a rough square measuring no more than 8 inches on one side.
• Place 2 pieces of plastic wrap on the work surface perpendicular to each other, and place the dough on top. Wrap the dough rectangle, maintaining the squared-off edges, then roll your pin over top as you did for the butter, forcing the dough to fill in the plastic and form an 8-inch square with straight sides and right angles. Freeze for 20 minutes.
• Remove the butter from the refrigerator and the dough from the freezer. Set aside the butter. Unwrap the dough (save the plastic, as you'll use it again) and place on a lightly floured surface. Roll the dough, dusting with flour if necessary, until 16 inches long, maintaining a width of 8 inches (barely wider than the butter block). With a pastry brush, brush off any flour from the surface of the dough and make sure none sticks to the surface.
• You're going to enclose the butter block in the dough and roll them out together. To ensure they do so evenly, they should have the same firmness, with the dough being slightly colder than the butter. The butter should be chilled but able to bend without breaking. If it feels stiff or brittle, let sit at room temperature for a few minutes. Unwrap the butter just so the top is exposed, then use the parchment paper to carefully invert the block in the center of the dough rectangle, ensuring all sides are parallel. Press the butter gently into the dough and peel off the parchment paper. You should have a block of butter with overhanging dough on two opposite sides and a thin border of dough along the other two.
• Grasp the overhanging dough on one side and bring it over the butter toward the center, then repeat with the other side of the dough, enclosing the butter. You don't need the dough to overlap, but you want the two sides to meet, so stretch it if necessary, and pinch the dough together along all seams so no butter peeks out anywhere. Lift the whole block and dust a bit of flour underneath, then rotate the dough 90 degrees, so the center seam is oriented vertically.
• Orient the rolling pin perpendicular to the seam and lightly beat the dough all along the surface to lengthen and flatten. Roll out the dough lengthwise along the seam into a 24-inch-long, 1/4-inch-thick narrow slab, lightly dusting underneath and over top with more flour as needed to prevent sticking. Rather than applying pressure downward, try to push the dough toward and away from you with the pin, which will help maintain even layers of dough and butter. Remember to periodically lift the dough and make sure it's not sticking to the surface, and try your best to maintain straight, parallel sides. (It's OK if the shorter sides round a bit - you're going to trim them.)
• Use a wheel cutter or long, sharp knife to trim the shorter ends, removing excess dough where the butter doesn't fully extend and squaring off the corners for a very straight-edged, even rectangle of dough. Maintaining the rectangular shape, especially at this stage, will lead to the most consistent and even lamination. If at any point in the process you see air bubbles in the dough while rolling, pierce them with a cake tester or the tip of a paring knife to deflate and proceed.
• Dust any flour off the dough's surface. Grasp the short side of the rectangle farther from you and fold it toward the midline of the dough slab, aligning the sides. Press gently so the dough adheres to itself. Repeat with the other side of the dough, leaving an 1/8-inch gap where the ends meet in the middle. Now, fold the entire slab in half crosswise along the gap in the center. You should now have a rectangular packet of dough, called a "book," that's four layers thick. This is a "double turn," and it has now quadrupled the number of layers of butter inside the dough.
• Wrap the book tightly in the reserved plastic. If it is thicker than about 1 1/2 inches, or if it's lost some of its rectangularity, roll over the plastic-wrapped dough to flatten it and reshape it. Freeze the book for 15 minutes, then refrigerate for 1 hour.
• Let the dough sit at room temperature for about 5 minutes. Unwrap and place on a lightly floured surface. Beat the dough and roll out as before (Step 10) into another long, narrow 3/8-inch-thick slab. It should be nice and relaxed, and extend easily. Dust off any excess flour.
• Fold the dough in thirds like a letter, bringing the top third of the slab down and over the center third, then the bottom third up and over. This is a "simple turn," tripling the layers. Press gently so the layers adhere. Wrap tightly in plastic again and freeze for 15 minutes, then refrigerate for 1 hour.
• Let the dough sit at room temperature for about 5 minutes, then unwrap and place on a lightly floured surface. Beat the dough and roll out as before, but into a 14-by-17-inch slab (15-by-16-inch for pain au chocolat or ham and cheese croissants). The dough will start to spring back, but try to get it as close to those dimensions as possible. Brush off any excess flour, wrap tightly in plastic, and slide onto a baking sheet or cutting board. Freeze for 20 minutes, then chill overnight (8 to 12 hours). If making pain au chocolat or ham and cheese croissants, see recipes.
• Four and a half hours before serving, arrange racks in the upper and lower thirds of the oven. Bring a skillet of water to a simmer over medium-high heat. Transfer the skillet to the floor of the oven and close the door. (The steam released inside the oven will create an ideal proofing environment.)
• As the steam releases in the oven, line two rimmed baking sheets with parchment paper and set aside. Let the dough sit at room temperature for about 5 minutes. Unwrap (save the plastic for proofing), place on a very lightly floured surface, and, if necessary, roll out to 17-by-14 inches. Very thoroughly dust off any excess flour with a pastry brush. Use a wheel cutter or long knife and ruler to cut the shorter sides, trimming any irregular edges where not all the layers of dough fully extend and creating a rectangle that's exactly 16 inches long, then cut into four 4-by-14-inch rectangles.
• Separate the rectangles, then use the ruler and wheel cutter to slice a straight line from opposite corners of one rectangle to form two long, equal triangles. Repeat with the remaining rectangles to make 8 triangles. Trim the short side of each triangle at a slight angle, making them into triangles with longer sides of equal length.
• Working one triangle at a time, grasp the two corners of the shorter end, the base of the crescent, and tug gently outward to extend the points and widen the base to about 3 inches. Then, gently tug outward from about halfway down the triangle all the way to the point, to both lengthen the triangle and thin the dough as it narrows. Starting at the base (the short end), snugly roll up the dough, keeping the point centered and applying light pressure. Try not to roll tightly or stretch the dough around itself. Place the crescent on one of the parchment-lined baking sheets, resting it on the point of the triangle. If the dough gets too soft while you're working, cover the triangles and freeze for a few minutes before resuming rolling. Space them evenly on the baking sheets, four per sheet. Very loosely cover the baking sheets with plastic wrap, so the croissants have some room to expand.
• Three and a half hours before serving, open the oven and stick your hand inside: It should be humid but not hot, as the water in the skillet will have cooled. You want the croissants to proof at 70 to 75 degrees. (Any hotter and the butter will start to melt, leading to a denser croissant.) Place the baking sheets inside the oven and let the croissants proof until they're about doubled in size, extremely puffy, and jiggle delicately when the baking sheet is gently shaken, 2 to 2 1/2 hours. Resist the urge to touch or poke the croissants as they proof: They're very delicate. Try not to rush this process, either, as an underproofed croissant will not be as light and ethereal.
• Remove the baking sheets from the oven and carefully uncover them, then transfer to the refrigerator and chill for 20 minutes while you heat the oven. Remove the skillet from the oven and heat to 375 degrees.
• In a small bowl, stir the yolk and heavy cream until streak-free. Using a pastry brush, gently brush the smooth surfaces of each crescent with the yolk and cream mixture, doing your best to avoid the cut sides with exposed layers of dough.
• Transfer the sheets to the oven and bake for 20 minutes. Rotate the baking sheets and switch racks, and continue to bake until the croissants are deeply browned, another 10 to 15 minutes. Remove from the oven and let cool completely on the baking sheets.

CROISSANTS

Steps:

• Make the croissant dough. Dissolve the yeast in the warm milk. Sift the all-purpose flour, then incorporate the sea salt, sugar, very soft butter, dry milk powder, two-thirds of the warm still mineral water, and the yeast dissolved in milk. Knead the mixture briefly. Add more of the remaining water if the dough appears to be too firm. Transfer the dough to a bowl, cover it with plastic wrap, and keep it at room temperature (ideally at 72°F [20°C]) for between 1 and 1 1/2 hours, or until the dough has doubled in volume.
• Punch down the dough to its initial volume and cover it with plastic wrap again. Refrigerate for 1 hour. Punch it down again and place in the freezer for 30 minutes.
• Remove the dough from the freezer. Pound half the cold butter with a rolling pin to soften, then knead butter with hands forming a rectangle. Sprinkle a work surface with flour and roll out a long rectangle of dough; it should be three times longer than it is wide. Place the butter against the lower edge of the dough. With the palm of your hand, pull the butter over the dough until it covers two-thirds of it. Wrap the remaining third of the dough over the two-thirds covered in butter. Fold the lowest third of the buttered part over the other third, then wrap the upper third over it. Place the dough in the freezer for 30 minutes, then refrigerate for 1 hour.
• Roll out the dough as before and proceed in the same way with the other half of the butter. Place the dough in the freezer again for 30 minutes, then refrigerate for 1 hour.
• Sprinkle a work surface with all-purpose flour, and roll out the dough to a thickness of 1/8 inch (3 mm). Using a sharp knife, cut out isosceles triangles 8 inches (20 cm) high and with a base measuring 4 1/2 (12 cm) inches. Place each triangle on the work surface with the base pointing toward you. Roll it up on itself, then curve the ends into a crescent, or croissant, shape. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper. As you finish shaping the croissants, place them on the lined sheets, spacing them 2 inches (5 cm) apart. Set them aside at room temperature to proof for about 1 1/2 hours.
• Preheat a convection oven to 410°F (210°C).
• Make the glaze. Whisk together the egg yolk, eggs, and salt in a bowl. Using a pastry brush, coat the croissants with the glaze. Place the croissants in the oven and immediately reduce the oven temperature to 350°F (180°C). Bake for 20 minutes. Remove from the oven and transfer the croissants to wire racks to cool.

CROISSANTS

Steps:

• In a mixer with a dough hook, place the yeast, flour, sugar, salt and the milk and mix for 2 minutes until a soft moist dough forms on the hook. If most of the flour isn't moistened with this quantity of milk, add more, a tablespoon at a time until it is moistened and smooth, using up to 4 tablespoons. Turn mixer on high and mix for another 4 minutes until very smooth and elastic.
• Turn the dough out of the bowl onto a floured board, cover with a damp tea towel and allow it to rest for 15 minutes to relax the gluten. Remove the towel and, using a French rolling pin, roll the dough into a 10 by 9-inch rectangle 5/8-inch thick. Wrap in plastic then chill for 1 hour and up to overnight.
• Ten minutes before the dough is done resting in the refrigerator, prepare the butter. Beat it with your rolling pin on a floured surface to soften it and form a rectangle 6 by 8 1/2 inches. Place it between parchment paper or plastic wrap and set aside.
• Remove the dough from the refrigerator and roll it on a floured work surface into a 10 by 15-inch and 1/4-inch thick rectangle. Brush any excess flour off the dough. Place the shorter side of the dough parallel to the front of your body on the work surface. Place the butter in the middle, long-ways. Fold the bottom up over the butter and brush off any excess flour and then fold the top down over the butter to overlap and encase the butter. Press down lightly with the rolling pin to push all the layers together and make sure they have contact.
• Continue rolling the laminated (layered) dough to form a new 10 by15-inch rectangle, patching any holes with a dusting of flour where butter may have popped through. Fold into thirds, like a letter, brush off any excess flour and mark it with an indentation made by poking your finger once at the corner of the dough meaning you have completed the first "turn".
• Wrap well in plastic and chill 1 hour and up to overnight. Do this again three more times (some people only do 3 turns total, some do 6, some do 3 plus what's called a "wallet" turn for the last one which is a 4 fold turn that's folded into itself like a book jacket) marking it accordingly each time and chilling in between each turn.
• After the fourth turn, you can let the dough chill overnight, or, for 1 hour, or, roll it out to a 13 by 24-inch square that is a little less than 1/4-inch thick and cut out your croissants and shape them.
• I roll out my dough and cut it with a sharp large knife into 6-inch strips then cut them into triangles, 4 inches wide at the base of the triangle (or for a more curved croissant cut the triangles 6 inches wide). Stretch these triangles again 9 inches long, then place on the work surface and put a piece of scrap dough in the center of the wide end to enclose, which will plump up the center. Roll the triangles up towards you starting at the wide end and place them 2 inches apart on a parchment lined sheet pan with the tip tucked under and the ends slightly curved in to make a crescent shape. You may freeze the croissants at this point, or, in a small bowl, whisk together the egg and milk and brush the croissants with this egg wash.
• To proof the croissants, place them in an oven that is warm but not turned on, with a pan of hot water in the bottom to create a moist environment like a proof box. Set aside to proof for 1 1/2 to 2 1/2 hours until puffed up and spongy to the touch. Remove from the oven.
• Spritz a preheated 425 degree F oven with water, close the door, and get the croissants. Place the croissants in the oven and spritz again, close the door and turn the oven down to 400 degrees F. After 10 minutes, rotate your pan if they are cooking unevenly and turn the oven down to 375 degrees F. Bake another 5 to 8 minutes until golden brown.

CROISSANTS

Steps:

• Combine yeast, warm water, and 1 teaspoon sugar. Allow to stand until creamy and frothy.
• Measure flour into a mixing bowl. Dissolve 2 teaspoons sugar and salt in warm milk. Blend into flour along with yeast and oil. Mix well; knead until smooth. Cover, and let rise until over triple in volume, about 3 hours. Deflate gently, and let rise again until doubled, about another 3 hours. Deflate and chill 20 minutes.
• Massage butter until pliable, but not soft and oily. Pat dough into a 14x8-inch rectangle. Smear butter over top two thirds, leaving 1/4-inch margin all around. Fold unbuttered third over middle third, and buttered top third down over that. Turn 90 degrees, so that folds are to left and right. Roll out to a 14x6-inch rectangle. Fold in three again. Sprinkle lightly with flour, and put dough in a plastic bag. Refrigerate 2 hours. Unwrap, sprinkle with flour, and deflate gently. Roll to a 14x6-inch rectangle, and fold again. Turn 90 degrees, and repeat. Wrap, and chill 2 hours.
• To shape, roll dough out to a 20x5-inch rectangle. Cut in half crosswise, and chill half while shaping the other half. Roll out to a 15 x 5 inch rectangle. Cut into three 5 x 5 inch squares. Cut each square in half diagonally. Roll each triangle lightly to elongate the point, and make it 7 inches long. Grab the other 2 points, and stretch them out slightly as you roll it up. Place on a baking sheet, curving slightly. Let shaped croissants rise until puffy and light. In a small bowl, beat together egg and 1 tablespoon water. Glaze croissants with egg wash.
• Bake in a preheated 475 degrees F (245 degrees C) oven for 12 to 15 minutes.