Croissants, vous avez dit croissants?

Well after many trial and errors I am pretty satisfied with my croissants texture and taste.

I did a lot of research, read the book of Professor Raymond Calvel "The Taste of Bread" and picked up a lot of good info there.
So I think I am ready to post my croissants recipe at last.

Croissants (for 20 pieces)
Ingredients

500 gr / 3.5 cups flour
260 ml / 1 cup cold water (measure 250 ml and add 10 or a very little more if necessary)
50/60 gr / 1/4 cup + 1 Tbsp sugar
7.5 gr / 2 tsp powdered milk
10 gr / 1 slight Tbsp unsalted butter
12 gr / 2 tsp salt
8.6 gr active dry yeast (2.5 heap tsp) + 20 ml / 1.5 Tbsp tepid water

250 gr per kilo of dough of cold unsalted butter (called "beurre de tourage" for lamination)

Approx. 2 sticks

Tips
* Regarding the powdered milk, I don't usually have any at home so instead I reduce the quantity of water to 200 ml and substitute the missing 60 ml with cold milk (For US fill up 3/4 cup cold water and top up with cold milk).

* Regarding the yeast, it is best to use cake yeast, unfortunately it is not readily available where I live, if you use fresh yeast quantity is 17.5 gr, and in that case you do not dilute it, so you put a total of 280 ml cold water (or water & milk mix).

The ratio of active dry yeast to fresh yeast is half quantity to be diluted in 5 times its weight (10 gr fresh = 5 gr dry + 25 gr water).

When using dry yeast to check if it is active when you dilute it add a little sugar and let it rest for 10 mn or so and it will start bubbling up, if it doesn't discard and get fresher yeast or your dough will not rise.

* Regarding the butter, after numerous experiments I found it most economical and best to use PLUGRA butter from Trader Joe's (as it is very close to French butter, creamier), of course if you find French butter and don't mind the price do go ahead with it.

* It is very important that the butter and the dough are chilled to work with.

Method

Mix/knead on speed one for 4 mn only: flour, water, milk, sugar and 10 gr of butter.

Let this rest at room temperature for 20 to 30 mn.

Resume mixing/kneading on speed 2 for 5 mn only, adding in order the yeast (diluted if dry, not diluted if fresh cake yeast) then the salt.

Form a rectangle and place it in a plastic wrap and chill in the fridge for 2 hours.

While it is chilling flatten the butter, to do so place the mass between 2 sheets of plastic wrap or parchment paper and pound on it with the rolling pin, the total dimension of the flattened butter should be equal to half of the rolled out dough (butter = about 20 cm long by 15 cm wide).

Place back in the fridge.

After the 2 hours rest time of the dough take it out of the fridge as well as the flattened butter, roll out the dough in a rectangle about 50 cm (19.5 inch) long and 20 to 25 cm (8 to 10 inch) wide, place the chilled flattened butter on the center of the dough.

Then fold and slightly overlap the sides of the dough sheet over the butter layer so that it is not possible for the butter to escape (this is very important).

Roll out the dough (with enclosed butter) into a rectangle 7/8 mm thick (1/2 inch), then fold the top third of the rectangle over the middle third and the bottom third over the top third, this forms the first "tour".

Let it chill in the fridge for 10 mn then repeat the rolling and folding process once and chill for another 10 mn. Start rolling the dough with opening seam on the right.

After the 10 mn chilling, roll and fold as described above.

Let it chill for another 15 to 20mn.

It is now time to makeup the croissants ("détaillage").

Roll out the chilled dough in a rectangle of approximately 60 cm (23.5 inches) long by 42 cm (16.5 inches) wide, cut it in 2 width wise and in 5 length wise, then cut out 20 triangles, each measuring approx.12 cm at the base and 21 cm in length.

Make a small dent at the base of each triangle (it will help in the proofing process) and roll out each triangle from the base to the top, leaving the point end on top.

At this stage you can either freeze the uncooked croissants or let them proof for approx. 1 hour 30 mn at room temperature (20 to 25 deg. C) and bake them.

Preheat the oven to 430 F (220 C) (this is for a conventional oven, for a convection oven temperature might need to be reduced a bit).

Bake for 15 mn, rest for a couple of minutes before enjoying with a nice cup of coffee.

If you freeze them, place them on a flat surface (Silpat, baking parchment) and let them rise at room temperature covered with plastic film for at least 1 hour, then place in the freezer and when they are frozen place in a Ziploc bag.

To use take out of the freezer in the morning, place on a baking tray in the oven at 100 F for 30 mn to 1 h, they will thow out and start rising, after they almost double in volume turn up the heat of the oven to 400/410 F (depending on your oven) and set the timer for 15 mn after which time you check them, they will probably need another 5 mn.

When baking them for the first time you might want to keep an eye on them as your oven is different than mine and the outcome might be different.
For an elegant brunch you can use these copper trays.

Bon appétit.