Homemade Croissants

Name: Homemade Croissants
Yield: 12 croissants
Cuisine: British
Ingredients: 500 g strong white bread flour plus extra; 10 g salt; 80 g caster sugar; 10 g instant yeast; 300 ml cool water; 300 g chilled unsalted butter; 1 medium egg

Alessandra @alessa

I don’t often make croissants at home because they are not very healthy and they need a lot of commitment! But they are satisfying to make. I’ve found it’s best to do when you’re relaxed and can enjoy the process. There’s something satisfying about the time and effort it takes. And it’s lovely to smell them baking and then eat them warm with apricot jam 😋
I skipped the final prove today so they turned out small. This recipe is inspired by a Paul Hollywood one.

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Ingredients

12 croissants

500 gstrong white bread flour plus extra
10 gsalt
80 gcaster sugar
10 ginstant yeast
300 mlcool water
300 gchilled unsalted butter
1medium egg

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Steps

1

Use the dough hook on your mixer. Put the flour into the mixer bowl and add the salt, sugar, yeast and water. Mix on a slow speed for 2 minutes then on a medium speed to 6 minutes.
2

Take the dough out of the mixer and put onto a lightly floured surface shape it into a ball dust with flour put into a plastic bag and chill in the fridge for an hour.
3

After an hour on a lightly floured surface roll out the dough to a rectangle roughly about 60 x 20 cm.
4

Take your butter and flatten it into a rectangle by bashing it with a rolling pin. Make the rectangle about 40 x 19 cm.
5

Put the butter on the dough so that it covers 2/3 of the dough. The shape of my worktop means i have the long side on top. Width-way it should come almost to the edges.
6

Fold the dough by folding one third of the dough to the centre and then for the other third over the top. Pinch the edges slightly to seal in the butter. Put it back in the plastic bag or cover in some way and chill in the fridge for an hour.
7

Take the dough out of the bag and put it on a lightly floured surface. Roll into a rectangle again about 60 x 20 cm and do the fold again. Cover it again and back in the fridge for an hour. Do that step two more times.
8

After the final fold put the dough back in the fridge overnight or at least 8 hours.
9

Line 2 or 3 baking trays with baking paper.
10

Take the dough out of the fridge. Put it on a lightly floured surface and roll another rectangle. This time make it about 40 x 30 cm. Trim the edges with a really sharp knife or a pizza cutter.
11

Then cut the rectangle lengthways into two strips. I then cut each strip into three squares. Then cut each square into two triangles. You can use your hands to shape the triangles.
12

At the wide base of the triangle make a tiny cut and then, starting at the wide end, roll up into a croissant. If you want the crescent shape, curl the ends in.
13

Put the croissants on the trays. They need some space so 4-6 per tray. Then the final proove - cover and leave in a cool room for a couple of hours. I skipped this today so today’s croissants are mini 😁
14

Preheat your oven to 200°C. Lightly whisk the egg with a pinch of salt to make an egg wash.
15

Use this to brush the tops and sides of the croissants. Bake for 15 to 20 minutes until golden brown. Cool slightly but be sure to enjoy warm 😋