Same-Day Homemade Croissants

Ingredients

• 520 g bread flour (11.5% protein recommended)
• 10 g salt
• 50 g white granulated sugar
• 8 g instant dried yeast
• 135 ml water (lukewarm)
• 135 ml milk (lukewarm)
• 40 g unsalted butter (softened, room temperature)
• 250 g butter (for butter block, at least 82% fat)
• 1 egg (for egg wash)

Steps

1. 1

   In a large mixing bowl, combine the bread flour, white granulated sugar, instant dried yeast, and salt. Mix well.

2. 2

   Combine the lukewarm milk and lukewarm water, then add the liquid mixture to the dry ingredients.

3. 3

   Mix the dough until it comes together, then add the 40g of softened unsalted butter.

4. 4

   Knead the dough until it is smooth and elastic. Shape it into a ball and let it rest.

5. 5

   Prepare the butter block by placing 250g of butter between sheets of baking paper and rolling it into a 40cm x 20cm rectangle. Place the butter block in the fridge to chill.

6. 6

   After the dough has rested for one hour, shape it with your hands and fold it over. Place it on a tray with baking paper and chill in the fridge for 30 minutes.

7. 7

   Roll the chilled dough out until it is about a third bigger than the butter block.

8. 8

   Place the butter block on the dough and perform the first fold: cut the dough into thirds, place the middle section over the bottom, and then the top section over that to enclose the butter.

9. 9

   Roll the dough out to about 60cm in length, perform a book fold, and place it on a tray in the fridge for 20 minutes.

10. 10

    Roll the dough again until it reaches approximately 30cm x 20cm. Repeat the folding process, cover, and return to the fridge for 15 minutes.

11. 11

    Gently roll the dough out to a final dimension of 50cm x 30cm. Trim off the uneven edges.

12. 12

    Cut the dough into triangles, gently stretch each one, and roll them up into croissant shapes.

13. 13

    Cover the shaped croissants and let them proof for about 90 minutes.

14. 14

    Preheat your convection oven to 200°C (390°F). Brush the croissants with egg wash.

15. 15

    After 20 minutes of preheating, apply a second coat of egg wash to the croissants.

16. 16

    Bake at 200°C for 7 minutes, then lower the temperature to 180°C (350°F) and bake for an additional 13 minutes until golden brown.

Notes

For 'melanin' (darker/well-done) croissants, preheat the convection oven to 220°C and bake for 18-20 minutes. The author notes these are slightly more 'brioche-y' than traditional multi-day croissants but excellent for home baking.

Nutrition per serving

• bakery
• pastry
• breakfast
• baked
• croissants
• bread flour