Croissants are French viennoiserie pastries that are actually from Austria (Vienna). They are made of a layered yeast leavened dough. traditionally, the dough is layered with butter, rolled and folded several times in succession and then again rolled into a sheet. Later on cut into triangles to form croissants.
Ingredients:
· All-purpose flour - 400 gms
· Milk - 260 ml
· Butter - 180-200 gms
· Sugar - 4 Tbsp
· Salt – ¼ tsp
· Active Dry Yeast – 1 tsp
· For egg wash - Beat 1 egg+1 tsp milk
· Chocolates for filling (optional)
Method:
· To prepare the dough activate the dry yeast by dissolving warm milk, sugar and active dry yeast. Mix it well and keep it aside for 5 minutes.
· Take a large mixing bowl add salt into all-purpose flour. Now mix the yeast mixture to the flour. Blend together the wet and the dry ingredients until we get a homogenous evenly hydrated dough.
· First Proofing: Let the dough sit and rise for 1 ½ to 2 hours or until the dough get doubled in size.
· Degas the dough and divide the dough into 12 equal pieces.
· Roll each piece of dough into the shape of a disc which is approximately 15-18 cm in diameter and not more than 2 mm in thickness.
· Spread butter on each disc. Place the disc on a plastic film and repeat the same process for the next piece and stack them over the previous disc and continue the same with rest of the divided dough pieces.
· As butter is very soft now, we need to freeze them for 30- 35 minutes. This will help us to work with the dough.
· After 30 mins roll them into long rectangular sheet. With the help of a knife or a pizza cutter, cut them into smaller triangles.
· Shape them into croissants. Take one triangle, give a small slit on the broader side of the triangle. At this stage you can keep a chocolate piece and roll it.
· Proof the shaped croissants for almost 2 hours until they puff up a little.
· Give egg wash and bake it at 210-degree c for 10 minutes and then reduce the temperature to 190-degree c and bake for another 8-12 minutes.
· Serve it warm or at room temperature for breakfast, brunch or snacks.
