How to make croissants

Instructions

FIRST DAY

Prepare détrempe (dough).

1. In the the KitchenAid bowl, add all the ingredients except the butter for laminating.
   Knead on speed 1 for 10 minutes. Increase to speed 2 and knead for a further 5 minutes. In this step it is very important to check the temperature of the dough from time to time, using a digital thermometer. It is important that the final temperature does not exceed 24º-25ºC. If we observe that the temperature rises, refrigerate the dough for a few minutes before proceeding with the kneading.
2. Once we have a smooth and developed dough, take it out of the bowl.
3. Fold the dough into a rectangular shape, stretch it slightly with a rolling pin, wrap it tightly in plastic wrap and refrigerate until the next day, about 12 hours.

Prepare the butter for laminating.

1. Place the butter on one of the two Teflon sheets. Cover with the other sheet and begin to beat it with a rolling pin to flatten it.
2. Flatten it into a square shape, 20 cm on each side. By folding the Teflon itself, giving 20 cm on each side, we can spread the butter to cover the entire surface and keep it inside the Teflon (as if it were a mould or container).
3. Refrigerate the butter until the next day, about 12 hours.

SECOND DAY

Roll out the dough and make the first double fold.

1. Roll out the dough so that it has a dimension of 40 x 20 cm.
2. Place the butter in the centre of the dough, so that the width of the butter and the width of the dough are the same.
3. Fold the ends of the dough over the butter, bringing each end of the dough to the centre. Seal the two folds well together in the centre and at the sides. The dough should be completely sealed on each side.
4. Make a cut in the two sides of the dough where the joint has not been sealed.
   
5. Roll out with a rolling pin until the dough measures 65 x 20 cm.
6. Make a double fold. Bring one of the ends of the dough to cover 1/3 of the dough. Bring the other end of the dough to join it with the last one we have just folded. Once here, we fold the dough over itself in the same way as if we were closing a book.
7. Make cuts in the sides, press gently with a rolling pin, cover with film and refrigerate for 45 minutes.

Make a single fold.

1. Lightly dust the work surface with flour. Roll out the dough in a single pass, from the centre towards the ends, avoiding the same place.
2. Roll out to approximately 65 x 20 cm.
3. Bring one of the ends to the centre and repeat the same process with the other end, placing it on top of the previous one. In the same way as if we were closing a triptych.
   
4. Gently roll the surface with a rolling pin to bring the folds together, make the cuts on the sides, cover with film and refrigerate for 45 minutes.
5. If we don't want to shape the croissants that day, we can freeze the dough for 3 hours and then put it in the fridge until the next day.

Shape croissants.

1. Lightly dust the work surface with flour and roll out the dough.
2. The dough should be approximately 75 x 25 cm long, and the dough should be about 3.5 mm thick.
3. Cut out triangles with a base of 9 cm. In the middle of each base, make a cut of about 1 cm. This will help us to form the croissant more easily because it will make it easier to roll the base without pressing the layers of butter.
   
4. Roll out the dough gently, fold the corners of the cut we have made in the centre of the base inwards and roll it into the shape of a croissant. Do not roll up the croissant by putting tension on it.
5. Place the croissants on a perforated tray lined with baking paper.
   

Make fermentation.

1. Brush only the surface of the croissants, not the laminated part, with egg beaten with milk.
2. Cover with plastic film and leave to rise for about 2 1/2 hours at 80º F/27ºC.
3. If we cannot control the temperature and have to bake at room temperature, we leave them to rise for 4 1/2 or 5 hours at 70ºF/21ºC, approximately. We will have to keep an eye on how the fermentation process goes, as this can vary.

Make syrup.

1. Add all the ingredients in a saucepan. Place over medium heat and bring to the boil. The sugar should be completely dissolved.
2. Once it comes to the boil, turn off the heat and let it cool completely.
3. Set aside.

Bake.

1. Preheat the oven to 347ºF/ 175ºC (convection).
2. Brush again with egg beaten with milk, very carefully, remembering that we must only brush the upper part, not the laminated part.
3. Place in the oven and bake for 16-17 minutes.
4. Remove and leave to cool completely on a rack.
5. If we want to brush them with syrup, we will do so as soon as we take them out of the oven and place them on a rack. The syrup should be at 86ºF/30ºC when we apply it to the croissants if we want to do so.
   

Notes

• To make croissants we must use a bread flour with a strength of around W=270-320 or 12-14% protein.
• Not all butters give good results when making croissants. We need a dry butter with 84% fat. In case we can't access it, we should use a butter with a higher melting point than many supermarket butters (this is due to the amount of water they contain). I have tried KerryGold and it works well. I'm sure there will be more brands that work well (supermarket), but we must keep in mind that a dry butter is the one that will guarantee good results.
• To be successful with your croissants, always work with cold ingredients and respect the resting times.
• Always handle the dough when it is cold and be careful not to take too long during the rolling out process.
• Ideally, use a metal rolling pin to roll out the dough.
• When rolling out, the butter must be cold, but it must be malleable. In other words, we can fold it without it breaking. The temperature of the butter should be around 53º-60º F/12º-16ºC. If it is too cold, it will crack inside the dough and we will not obtain good results.
• The friction of the mixer raises the temperature of the dough. If we refrigerate the bowl, it will help us to maintain a more suitable temperature for a longer period of time.
• Do not press or manipulate the dough too much once it has been rolled.
• Leave space between the croissants when they are going to rise, as they grow a lot during rising and after baking.
• Preheat the oven well to help the baking to take place correctly.
• The baking time may vary from one oven to another, it is important to know it well and work accordingly.
• Croissants should preferably be eaten the day they are baked. They can be kept in an airtight container or zip bag.
  

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