Croissants

Insert the water into the bowl of the Grilletta mixer, dissolve the yeast in it, then add the sifted flour, the egg, and the vanillin. Turn on the machine and knead on low speed for about 5 minutes, until completely absorbed.

 

After the first ingredients have been absorbed, add the sugar and salt and work until you have a well-kneaded dough, about another 5 minutes.

 

Next, gradually add the butter, making sure that the first piece is well absorbed before adding more, without losing the kneading.

 

Turn the dough onto a lightly floured work surface, shape it into a ball, and let it rise in a bowl greased with oil, covered for an hour at room temperature (30 minutes if it's warm), and then put it in the fridge for about 12 hours.

 

In the meantime, prepare the butter that will be used for layering. Place the butter between two sheets of plastic wrap or parchment paper, roll it out with a rolling pin into a rectangle of 25x50, and keep it in the refrigerator until ready to use.

 

After 12 hours, take the dough out of the fridge and place it on a lightly floured surface, rolling it out into a rectangle of about 30x60 cm. Incorporate the butter for layering and make a three-fold, taking breaks of 30 minutes in the fridge each time, wrapping the dough in plastic wrap. The folds should be made three times.

 

After the last refrigeration step, roll out the rectangle again to the same dimensions of 30x60, cut the strip in half lengthwise, and form our croissants, which will each measure 10-12 cm on each side. Roll each triangle starting from the longest side to form half moons.

 

Let them rise on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper and covered with plastic wrap (not too tightly because the croissants will flatten if they touch the wrap while rising), until doubled in size, about 4-5 hours. Do not try to speed up the process by placing them in a too warm area, as this would melt the butter inside the dough.

 

Bake in a ventilated oven at 180° for about 20-25 minutes, until golden brown. The timing depends on your oven and whether you are using static or ventilated settings.

Tips:

1. Always work from cold; take each step, from incorporating to folding, after a break of at least 30 minutes in the refrigerator.
2. Do not add liquids; a firm dough is better.
3. Use specific flours for making croissants; alternatively, use strong flours, or a mix of weak flour and Manitoba flour at 50% each.
4. It is very important that the butter and the dough have the same consistency before rolling them out together. If the butter is too soft, it will ooze out while you roll it; if it’s too hard, it will break, and the layers that form the croissants will not be even.
5. Butter temperature: 12-13 degrees; dough temperature: 4-5 degrees.

 

Notes

 With this recipe, you can make about thirty croissants. If you don't want to bake them all at once, place them on a baking sheet and put them in the freezer for a couple of hours (this depends on your freezer's power), then separate them and store them in a freezer bag, preferably vacuum-sealed. When you're in the mood, take them out the night before and let them thaw/rise overnight. In the morning, brush them with egg and put them in the oven to bake.