All-Butter Croissants

Ingredients

Equipment Needed

• •Rolling pin (heavy, without handles works best)
• •Bench scraper
• •Sharp knife or pizza wheel
• •Rimmed baking sheets
• •Wire cooling rack
• •Pastry brush

Instructions

1. 1

   Make the détrempe

   In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, salt, sugar, and yeast. Pour in the cold milk and stir with a wooden spoon until a shaggy dough forms. Turn onto a clean surface and knead gently for two to three minutes, just until the dough comes together. It should feel slightly sticky but workable. Do not overwork it. You are not building gluten for bread; you are creating a tender base for butter.

   Cold milk slows the yeast and keeps the dough cool. Warm milk would start fermentation too soon and make rolling difficult.
2. 2

   Shape and chill the dough

   Pat the dough into a rough rectangle about one inch thick. Wrap tightly in plastic and refrigerate for at least one hour, or overnight. The dough needs to be thoroughly cold before you introduce the butter. This is your first rest. Use it.

3. 3

   Prepare the butter block

   Place the cold butter between two sheets of parchment paper. Using a rolling pin, pound and roll the butter into a 15 by 15 centimeter (6 by 6 inch) square, about 1 centimeter thick. The butter should be pliable but still cold, like firm clay. If it cracks when you bend it, it is too cold. If it sticks to the parchment, it is too warm. Return to the refrigerator until the dough is ready.

   The butter and dough must be the same consistency when you combine them. If the butter is harder than the dough, it will break through. If softer, it will squeeze out.
4. 4

   Enclose the butter

   On a lightly floured surface, roll the chilled dough into a rectangle roughly 30 by 20 centimeters (12 by 8 inches). Place the butter square in the center, rotated 45 degrees so it looks like a diamond. Fold the four corners of the dough over the butter, pinching the seams to seal completely. You have made an envelope. No butter should be visible.

5. 5

   First fold (single fold)

   Turn the dough so a short side faces you. Roll it away from you into a long rectangle, about 50 by 20 centimeters (20 by 8 inches). Keep your strokes even and firm. If the butter breaks through, dust with flour and refrigerate for fifteen minutes. Fold the bottom third up, then the top third down, like a business letter. This is your first single fold. Wrap in plastic and refrigerate for at least thirty minutes.

   Press a fingertip into the corner of the dough before you wrap it. One indent means one fold completed. This simple mark keeps you honest.
6. 6

   Second and third folds

   Repeat the rolling and folding process two more times, refrigerating for at least thirty minutes between each fold. After three single folds, you have created 27 layers of butter and dough. Mark the dough with three fingertip indents. Wrap tightly and refrigerate overnight, at least eight hours. The gluten needs this rest. So do you.

7. 7

   Roll and cut the dough

   The next morning, roll the dough on a lightly floured surface into a large rectangle about 50 by 30 centimeters (20 by 12 inches) and 5 millimeters (1/4 inch) thick. Work slowly. If the dough resists or springs back, let it rest for ten minutes. Using a sharp knife or pizza wheel, trim the edges to straighten. Cut the rectangle into long triangles with 10 centimeter (4 inch) bases.

   Save the dough scraps. Layer them gently without kneading and bake as rough puff pastry for another day.
8. 8

   Shape the croissants

   Working with one triangle at a time, make a small notch at the center of the base. Stretch the triangle gently to elongate it slightly. Starting at the base, roll toward the point, tucking the tip underneath. Curve the ends inward to form the classic crescent. The shaping should feel natural, not forced. Place on parchment-lined baking sheets, leaving space between each croissant.

9. 9

   Proof until doubled

   Cover loosely with plastic wrap and let rise at cool room temperature (18 to 21°C / 65 to 70°F) for two to three hours, until nearly doubled and visibly puffy. The croissants should wobble when you gently shake the pan. You will see the layers beginning to separate at the edges. Do not rush this. Warm proofing melts the butter and destroys the layers you built.

   If your kitchen is warm, proof in a cool spot or even the refrigerator for a longer, slower rise. The layers will thank you.
10. 10

    Apply egg wash

    Preheat your oven to 200°C (400°F). Beat the egg with the tablespoon of milk until smooth. Using a soft brush, gently paint each croissant with the egg wash, taking care not to let it pool in the crevices or drip down the sides onto the pan. The wash seals the layers and creates that deep mahogany shine.

11. 11

    Bake until deeply golden

    Bake for 15 to 20 minutes, rotating the pan halfway through, until the croissants are deeply golden brown and feel light when you lift one. They should sound hollow when tapped on the bottom. The color should remind you of burnished wood, not pale toast. Underbaked croissants taste doughy inside. Do not be timid.

    Every oven lies. Watch your croissants, not your timer. The color tells you when they are done.
12. 12

    Cool and serve

    Transfer to a wire rack and let cool for at least ten minutes. The inside continues cooking as they rest. Tear one open. You should see a honeycomb of airy layers, each one distinct, the whole thing impossibly light for its size. Eat while still slightly warm, with good butter and jam if you like, though a perfect croissant needs nothing at all.

Chef Tips

• •Seek out butter from a local creamery if you can. The flavor difference between industrial butter and butter made from pastured cream is profound. Ask at your farmers market.
• •Temperature is everything in lamination. Work in a cool kitchen. If your house runs warm, chill your rolling pin, your work surface, even your hands.
• •Do not fear the overnight rests. They develop flavor and relax the gluten. A croissant made in one day will never taste as good as one made in two.
• •Freeze unbaked croissants after shaping for up to one month. Proof overnight in the refrigerator, then bake in the morning for fresh pastry without the two-day commitment.
• •The scraps are precious. Layer them into a stack, roll gently, and use for rough puff applications: cheese straws, palmiers, tart shells.

Advance Preparation

• •The détrempe can be made and refrigerated for up to 24 hours before beginning the lamination process.
• •After completing all three folds, the laminated dough can rest in the refrigerator for up to 48 hours before shaping.
• •Shaped, unbaked croissants freeze beautifully for up to one month. Arrange on a baking sheet to freeze solid, then transfer to a freezer bag. Proof overnight in the refrigerator and bake directly from cold, adding 3 to 5 minutes to the baking time.
• •Baked croissants are best within hours but will keep in an airtight container at room temperature for one day. Refresh in a 175°C (350°F) oven for five minutes to restore crispness.

Frequently Asked Questions

Nutrition Information

1 serving (about 95g)