It's important not to try to halve this recipe. When you need only a half recipe of dough, as for the pains au chocolat, use the rest of the dough for a batch of Parma braids or a princess ring. Or make a double recipe of those irresistible chocolate croissants and share them with friends.
Provided by Nancy Silverton
Categories Bread Mixer Dairy Breakfast Brunch Dessert Chill Pastry Gourmet
Yield Makes about 2 3/4 lb
Number Of Ingredients 11
Steps:
- Make dough:
- Stir together warm milk, brown sugar, and yeast in bowl of standing mixer and let stand until foamy, about 5 minutes. (If it doesn't foam, discard and start over.) Add 3 3/4 cups flour and salt and mix with dough hook at low speed until dough is smooth and very soft, about 7 minutes.
- Transfer dough to a work surface and knead by hand 2 minutes, adding more flour as necessary, a little at a time, to make a soft, slightly sticky dough. Form dough into a roughly 1 1/2-inch-thick rectangle and chill, wrapped in plastic wrap, until cold, about 1 hour.
- Prepare and shape butter:
- After dough has chilled, arrange sticks of butter horizontally, their sides touching, on a work surface. Pound butter with a rolling pin to soften slightly (butter should be malleable but still cold). Scrape butter into a block and put on a kitchen towel, then cover with other towel. Pound and roll out on both sides until butter forms a uniform 8- by 5-inch rectangle. Chill, wrapped in towels, while rolling out dough.
- Roll out dough:
- Unwrap dough and roll out on a lightly floured surface, dusting with flour as necessary and lifting and stretching dough (especially in corners), into a 16- by 10-inch rectangle. Arrange dough with a short side nearest you. Put butter in center of dough so that long sides of butter are parallel to short sides of dough. Fold as you would a letter: bottom third of dough over butter, then top third down over dough. Brush off excess flour with pastry brush.
- Roll out dough:
- Turn dough so a short side is nearest you, then flatten dough slightly by pressing down horizontally with rolling pin across dough at regular intervals, making uniform impressions. Roll out dough into a 15- by 10-inch rectangle, rolling just to but not over ends.
- Brush off any excess flour. Fold in thirds like a letter, as above, stretching corners to square off dough, forming a 10- by 5-inch rectangle. (You have completed the first "fold.") Chill, wrapped in plastic wrap, 1 hour.
- Make remaining "folds":
- Make 3 more folds in same manner, chilling dough 1 hour after each fold, for a total of 4 folds. (If any butter oozes out while rolling, sprinkle with flour to prevent sticking.) Wrap dough tightly in plastic wrap and chill at least 8 hours but no more than 18 (after 18 hours, dough may not rise sufficiently when baked).
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Donald Parker
[email protected]I'm not sure what I did wrong, but my croissants didn't turn out as flaky as I hoped. They were still tasty, but they weren't quite what I was expecting.
Crescent Ezeagu
[email protected]I made these croissants for my family and they loved them! They said they were the best croissants they've ever had.
Farjana Later
[email protected]These croissants are a bit time-consuming to make, but they're definitely worth the effort.
Killer22 Ninj
[email protected]I'm so glad I found this recipe. I've been searching for a good croissant recipe for years, and this one is perfect.
Gana Gana
[email protected]These croissants are so delicious, I could eat them every day.
Himal Raj
[email protected]I've never made croissants before, but this recipe made it easy. The instructions were clear and concise, and the results were amazing.
Heather Jane Wyatt
[email protected]These croissants are a labor of love, but they're worth it. The end result is a flaky, buttery pastry that's perfect for breakfast or brunch.
DeejayMuto Alex
[email protected]Best croissants I've ever had. Period.
Kitteniscute678 Sweetnovember04!!
[email protected]These croissants are amazing! The dough is so easy to work with and the results are incredible. I've already made them twice and they're a hit every time.
Zubair ronaq Kashmiri
[email protected]I'm not a baker, but I was able to follow this recipe and make delicious croissants. They were so good, my friends and family couldn't believe I made them myself!
Tasnim Chowdhury
[email protected]I've tried making croissants before, but they always turned out dry and dense. This recipe was different - the croissants were light, airy, and had a beautiful golden brown color.
Bomb Miner100
[email protected]These croissants were a hit at my brunch party! They were buttery, flaky, and had the perfect amount of sweetness. I'll definitely be making them again.