Eatso-Facto Ep. 1: The Croissant

“The Kwa-Sahn”

CROISSANT RECIPE

(pdf download here)

It’s a long one, gang, but most of the steps are repetitions of previous steps. I just hate when I read a recipe and it says something like, “repeat steps 9-13,” and I’m stuck reading backwards. Rarely do people get croissants on the first try. So don’t be discouraged if yours don’t turn out with that perfect honeycomb interior, just keep giving it a go, and soon you’ll be the croissant king or queen of your neighborhood. My trick, if you can call it that is to use a 1 gallon Ziploc bag for the butter block and a 2 gallon Ziploc for the dough. It keeps your shapes tidy. And tidy shapes equals even layers.

INGREDIENTS:

Poolish:

292g bread flour

292g water

0.3g yeast

Dough:

670g bread flour

228g milk

124g sugar

19g salt

9g yeast

38g unsalted butter at room temperature

Butter Block:

455g (1 lb.)of good, unsalted butter

STEPS:

Make the Poolish:

Combine all of the ingredients for the poolish in a mixing bowl, mix well, and cover for 24 hours.

Make the Dough:

Combine all of the ingredients for the dough except the butter into the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a dough hook attachment.
Add the poolish.
Mix on low (speed 1) for 2-3 minutes until everything is combined.
Increase the speed to 3 and mix for 7-9 minutes until the dough has a nice shine and is quite elastic.
Add the room temperature butter in about 3-4 additions, not adding the next addition until the previous is fully incorporated.
Turn the dough out of the mixing bowl into a 2 gallon Ziploc bag.

7. Place the bag with the dough on the counter. Using a rolling pin, roll the dough into a rectangle, making sure to get it to all four corners of the bag.

8. Place the bag on a flat surface in the fridge for at least 30 minutes.

Make the Butter Block:

Place the 455g of butter in to a 1 gallon Ziploc bag.
Place the bag with the butter on the counter. Using a rolling pin, roll the dough into a rectangle, making sure to get it to all four corners of the bag.
Place the bag on a flat surface in the fridge for at least 30 minutes.

Lamination:

Take the dough out of the fridge, and remove it from the bag, and onto a lightly floured work surface. Try to retain the rectangle as best you can. I do this by turning the bag inside out as I remove the dough.
If needed, shape the dough into a tidy rectangle. The tidier your are with your shapes, the more evenly flaky your croissants will be.
Remove the butter block from it’s Ziploc bag and place over the upper half of the dough. You may have to use scissors, to cut it out of the bag. But try to retain its square shape as best you can.
Fold the lower half of dough over the upper half seal around the edges.
Rotate the dough 1/4 turn clockwise.
Roll out the dough to a large rectangle.
Perform the 1st double turn (see pictures).
Loosely wrap the dough in plastic, or place in 2 gallon ziploc bag.
Chill on a flat surface in the fridge for at least 30 minutes.
Lightly flour your work surface, and roll out the dough to a large rectangle.
Perform the 2nd double turn.
Loosely wrap the dough, and chill for at least 30 minutes.
Lightly flour your work surface and roll out the dough into a large rectangle.
Perform a single fold (see pictures).
Loosely wrap the dough, and chill for at least 30 minutes.
Lightly flour your work surface, and roll out the dough into a large rectangle.
Using a large sharp knife or a pizza wheel, cut across the dough in diagonal lines to make several large triangles (see picture). You should get between 10 and 12.
Take the dough out of the fridge, and remove it from the bag, and onto a lightly floured work surface. Try to retain the rectangle as best you can. I do this by turning the bag inside out as I remove the dough.
If needed, re-shape the dough into a tidy rectangle. The tidier your are with your shapes, the more evenly flaky your croissants will be.
Remove the butter block from its Ziploc bag and place the butter over the upper half of the dough. You may have to use scissors, to cut it out of the bag, but try to retain its square shape as best you can.
Fold the lower half of dough over the upper half seal around the edges.
Rotate the dough 1/4 turn clockwise.
Roll out the dough to a large rectangle.
Perform the 1st double turn (see pictures).
Wrap and chill the dough for at least 30 minutes.
Lightly flour your work surface, and roll out the dough to a large rectangle.
Perform the 2nd double turn.
Wrap and chill the dough again for at least 30 minutes.
Lightly flour your work surface, and roll out the dough into a large rectangle.
Perform a single fold (see pictures).
Loosely wrap the dough a final time for at least 30 minutes.
Lightly flour your work surface, and roll out the dough to a large rectangle.

Shaping:

Using a large sharp knife or a pizza wheel, cut across the dough in diagonal lines to make several large triangles (see picture). You should get between 10 and 12.
At the base of each triangle make an ~ 1” slit toward the top.
With the top pointed toward you, roll up each croissant from base to tip, and place on a parchment-lined baking sheet. You will most likely need two baking sheets.
Loosely cover the croissants in plastic wrap and proof at room temperature for 2-4 hours depending on how warm your house is.

Baking: