Homemade Croissants

Homemade Croissants

Recipe partially adapted from UKTV

You will need

400 g (2 cups) all purpose flour (maida)

2 teaspoons salt

1 ½ tablespoons sugar

1 teaspoon dry yeast (fresh packet)

100 – 120 ml milk / water , for mixing

100 g butter, chilled

For yeast solution:

1 teaspoon dry yeast

Warm water -1/4 cup (3 tablespoons)

Sugar – 1 teaspoon

Mix sugar and warm water. Add yeast and keep aside for 10-15 minutes or until a froth appears on the surface. Mix well until sugar and yeast granules are dissolved and well risen.

Method

Place the flour, salt, sugar and yeast solution in a large mixing bowl. Using a wooden spoon, slowly mix in a required amount of water (approximately 100 – 120 ml) until the mixture forms into a pliable dough (like a soft ball).

Place the dough on a floured surface and knead well until it feels elastic.

Return the dough to the bowl, cover and chill in the refrigerator for 1 hour.

Return the chilled dough to your floured work surface and roll it into a rectangular shape, around 60cm by 30cm.

Roll out the chilled butter into a rectangle about 1cm thick, around 20cm by 30cm.

(Pound butter with a rolling pin to soften slightly and make a rectangular shape).

Place the butter rectangle in the centre of the dough rectangle.

Fold the remaining dough third over the butter layer, so that the dough is now in 3 layers.

Return the dough to the refrigerator to chill for a further hour.

Scatter some more flour over your table and roll out the dough to a rectangular shape, around 60cm by 30 cm.

Repeat the folding process, then return the dough to the refrigerator for a further hour.

Repeat this process of folding and chilling two more times. Now the dough is ready to make croissants.

Using a rolling pin, roll out the rested dough to 3mm thickness.

Cut the rolled out dough into squares, each square 20cm by 20cm.

Cut each square diagonally, making 2 triangles from each dough square.

Place the dough triangles on a lightly floured surface with the narrow point facing away from you.

Roll each dough triangle up over itself and curl the dough roll around into a traditional crescent shape.

Place the shaped croissants on greased baking and leave to rise for 2 hours.

Preheat the oven at 350 * F or 190 * C.

Lightly egg-wash the croissants (beat 1 egg with 1 teaspoon water and apply on croissants with the help of a brush) and bake for 10-15 minutes until golden brown.