Croissants

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otuatail

Senior Cook
Joined
Nov 3, 2015
Messages
235
Location
York (UK)
Hi. I want to have a go at these. I have looked at Chef James Martin. His long winded recipe takes two days. I also got bogged down with websites full of cookie accepting messages only to find out they are just as bad.

So I am looking for a more simple in a day recipe. I am happy with the folding / booking of pastry. Is there any one out their that is easy to get to without an enormous amount of trouble?
 
I've used Paul Hollywood's recipe several times and you could do it all in 1 day, but you'd have to start really, really early. You just can't get around the time factor as you have to keep the butter/dough chilled so the layers form correctly. There's just no getting around that. Frankly it's just easier to do it over 2 days, even 3 if you want to soften the butter the first day and spread it to size over parchment paper so you can just flip it onto the dough, which is what I do. Just do something else around the house during the time you are waiting for the dough rising/turning. Then the dough can sit in the fridge until you are ready to shape and let it rise the next day.

Don't forget to make some pain au chocolat with some of the dough. I even used some of it to make fancy pigs in blankets the last time I made it.
 
Ok thanks. If I want them every day then I will have to do a rotor system. Recipes call out for unsalted butter. Why?
 
Ok thanks. If I want them every day then I will have to do a rotor system. Recipes call out for unsalted butter. Why?


Unsalted butter is generally a better product as there's no salt to cover up any impurities. Also, there's salt in the dough so you don't want it to be too salty.



As an aside, I usually get a premium butter when I'm making something like croissants or shortbread or butter cookies, but especially when it's something like croissants that take time and you want the better butter to aid in the flakiness/crispness.



Croissants do freeze pretty well. I just let them thaw and then in the microwave for about 20 seconds. They could also be wrapped in foil and warmed in the oven.



I would imagine you could also shape and then freeze, then pull them out to thaw and rise when you want them. But, the rising process for the recipe I use calls for 2 hours in a cool room temp.



If you want, I can PM you with the recipe as apparently the web site I got it from no longer has it since I get an error.
 
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A friend - who's French - said you need special flour from France or they aren't authentic.
 
I buy unbaked frozen croissants. The instructions are to let them thaw in the oven (without turning it on), covered by a damp cloth and then to pull them out while the oven heats and then put them back in the oven to bake them. They are really good. So, yes, they can be shaped and then frozen. I'm not sure the damp cloth is the best way to cover them.
 
Croissants are a wonderful weekend project. I used to make them quite often. I haven't made them for years because I don't eat breads.
 
Any DCers think of why I can't prep my butter flat tonight and use it on Saturday if I pull it out of the fridge about 1 hour before?
 
Any DCers think of why I can't prep my butter flat tonight and use it on Saturday if I pull it out of the fridge about 1 hour before?
Am I the only DCer who uses a scale and a measuring stick when I do this? Yes, I keep a clean yard stick hanging in the pantry for baking. So, it is 6 " x 6 " square folded in a 3" x 3" (3/4 lb butter) packet into which I hand rubbed 2 T flour first (measurements and weights converted to Imperial for the convenience of DCers who don't do metric--or, less politically correct, for those who can't do the math). Question: Does everyone add a bit of flour to the butter? This was how I was taught to do this in Quebec. Now it is "resting" overnight because I am going to bed.
 
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My Polish Husband and Australian Boss made croissant every day for years from 50 pound bags of flour that came on a truck, from somewhere. They were "authentic".
PF, TL If I want to freeze some before baking, when in the process would you recommend I do that? The batch makes way more than my Dad will eat in a day (or two). If I remember. the finished size of the dough before shaping is 10" x 38" -- maybe 40". The croissants are cut in 5" pieces and then shaped. They rest 1-2 hrs before baking. Would I freeze them after shaped, pull them out of the freezer to rise for 2-3 hours before baking from frozen? Gotta love baking something from memory...okay, I make "Grandma" bread from memory, but I am a little shaky on my croissant memory--good thing I made them almost every weekend for 8 months--it is coming back but who was the OP that I get to blame for setting me off on this trip down memory lane this weekend? Hey, CWS, do an Internet search!
 
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