Croissant Day: Crafting The French Pastry In Your Kitchen

Indulging in freshly baked croissants with their flaky layers and buttery richness is an incomparable experience. This croissant day, let us try to learn how to make croissants from scratch in the kitchen. While the process requires patience, the reward of biting into a warm, homemade croissant is incomparable. Here's a step-by-step guide to creating these French pastries in your own kitchen.

Ingredients

• 500g strong white bread flour
• 10g salt
• 80g caster sugar
• 10g instant yeast
• 300ml cold whole milk
• 25g unsalted butter, melted
• 250g unsalted high-quality butter, cold (for laminating)
• 1 egg, beaten (for egg wash)

Method

• In a large bowl, combine the flour, salt, sugar, and instant yeast.
• Pour in the cold milk and melted butter. Mix until a dough forms.
• Knead the dough on a floured surface for about 10 minutes until smooth.
• Shape the dough into a rectangle, wrap it in cling film, and refrigerate for at least 4 hours or overnight.
• Roll the cold butter between two sheets of parchment into a rectangle.
• Roll out the chilled dough into a larger rectangle and place the butter layer on two-thirds of the dough.
• Fold the dough like a letter, sealing the edges. This completes one fold.
• Chill for 30 minutes and repeat the folding process for a total of three folds.
• After the final fold, refrigerate the dough for another 4 hours or overnight.
• Roll out the laminated dough to about 3mm thickness.
• Cut into triangles and make a small slit at the base of each triangle.
• Stretch and roll each triangle into a crescent shape.
• Place on baking sheets, brush with beaten egg, and leave to proof at room temperature until doubled in size.
• Preheat your oven to 200°C.
• Brush the croissants with another layer of beaten egg.
• Bake for 15-20 minutes or until golden brown and flaky.
• Allow the croissants to cool slightly on a wire rack.
• Serve warm with your favourite jam, or enjoy them as is for the ultimate buttery delight.