Name: Croissants (Standard)
Prep time: 9 h 36 min
Cook time: 14 h 24 min
Total time: 24 h
Yield: 12 croissants
Cuisine: French
Ingredients: 4 cups All-purpose flour; 1/4 cup Granulated sugar; 2 1/4 tsp Active dry yeast; 2 tsp Kosher salt; 1 1/4 cups Whole milk, chilled; 2 tbsp Unsalted butter, softened; 1 1/4 cups Unsalted butter, cold; 1 Large Egg; 1 tbsp Water

Recipe tier

½ cup French T55 flour
½ cup French T45 flour
1 pinch cup Superfine caster sugar
⅛ oz Fresh cake yeast
½ tsp Fleur de sel
¼ cup Filtered water
1 pinch cup AOP Butter, melted and cooled
¼ cup Charentes-Poitou AOP Butter (84% fat)
½ unit Large Egg yolks
⅛ tbsp Whole milk
⅛ pinch Fleur de sel
1 pinch unit Vanilla bean, scraped

Equipment

Rolling pin
Baking sheets
Parchment paper
Pastry brush
Plastic wrap

Instructions

🎙️ Cook with voice coach

1. Combine French T55 and T45 flours, superfine caster sugar, crumbled fresh cake yeast, and 2 tsp Fleur de sel in a large bowl. Gradually incorporate 1 1/4 cups chilled filtered water and 1/4 cup melted, cooled AOP butter. Knead by hand for 10 minutes until a very smooth, elastic dough (détrempe) is achieved. Cover and cold-ferment in the refrigerator at 4°C for 24 hours.
2. Roll 1 1/3 cups Charentes-Poitou AOP Butter (84% fat) into a precise 20cm square between heavy acetate sheets. Ensure the butter is tempered to approximately 14°C for optimal pliability.
3. Envelop the tempered butter within the cold détrempe. Perform three single turns (folds) with 2-hour resting periods between each turn in a refrigerator set to 3°C to maintain dough temperature and prevent over-proofing.
4. After the final rest, roll the dough to a uniform 3.5mm thickness. Cut triangles with a 10cm base and 30cm length. Gently notch the base of each triangle and roll with minimal pressure to form the croissant shape, preserving the internal layers.
5. Arrange shaped croissants on a baking sheet. Proof in a controlled environment at 26°C with 80% humidity for 3 hours, or until they have nearly tripled in volume and show distinct layers on the sides.
6. Prepare the dorure by whisking 2 large egg yolks, 1 tbsp whole milk, 1 pinch Fleur de sel, and seeds from 1/4 vanilla bean. Pass the mixture through a fine-mesh sieve. Apply a thin, even coat to the croissants using a natural hair brush, being careful to avoid the cut edges.
7. Bake in a preheated oven at 190°C (375°F) for 8 minutes, then reduce the temperature to 170°C (340°F) and continue baking for 12-15 minutes, until deeply golden and flaky. Open the oven vent (or crack the door) during the last 5 minutes to release steam.
8. Transfer baked croissants to a perforated rack and cool for 30 minutes to allow the internal structure to set.