Home made puff pastry for Croissants and Pain au chocolat
500g of flour
2 tea spoon of salt
100g of butter (soft)
25 g of fresh yeast
60g of sugar
10g of powdered milk
23cl of cold water
- Put all the ingredients in the bowl of the robot equipped with the hook except for the water.
- Mix it on medium speed by adding the water in 3 parts until the dough unsticks by it self (3 to 4 min), until there is no more flour in the bottom
- Take out the dough from the bowl and if still a little sticky, knead it just a little bit with a tiny amount of flour (don't over do it otherwise the dough is gonna be too elastic.
- Wrap it with plastic wrap at leave it rest 2h minimum in the fridge, can stay overnight as well.
- 10min before taking the dough out, take a whole bar of butter (250g) and cut it in 3 thin bars, wrap them in baking paper and with the rolling pin form them into 1 single plate (careful, not to big, you have to be able to wrap it with the dough later) and put it in the freezer 10min.
- Take the dough out of the fridge and spread it into a rectangle (1cm thick)
- Take the butter out of the freezer and place it on top of your dough, fold the dough so that you cover the whole plate, nothing can be out.
- this next step is crucial, you have to spread your dough very gently or order not to break the butter too fast. The dough has to be 7mm thick. The first time I did that I boated the butter into the dough but now with practice I figured out a way. Instead rolling I am pressing it. Hope you know what I mean.
- Fold the top side of the rectangle to 2 thirds, and the bottom side into 1 third, remove excess flour, then fold the whole thing in half. Wrap it plastic foil and leave it to rest 1h in the fridge. Repeat this step 2 more time, making sure that the folded sides stay on you right hand side.
- After the third rest, take you dough and spread into a square (3 or 4 mm thick) and cut it in half. Put the one half wrapped in plastic back in the fridge.
- Cut triangles and roll your croissant (dip a brush in water and lightly brush your triangles before you roll them, it will help them to stick).
- Do the same thing with the other dough you have in the fridge. (or you can cut then in smaller rectangles, add 2 bars of 64% coco chocolates)
- Put everything in a baking pan, cover them with a plastic foil and leave them to raise 1 or 2 hours.
- Preheat your oven to 180C
- Brush you croissants or chocolate bread LIGHTLY with a whole egg to give them that nice golden color and nice outside texture.
- Bake 20min (until they get that beautiful golden color) in 180C
It's a lot of work and waiting BUT IT'S SO WORTH IT!!!
You can even put them in the freezer if you not gonna eat everything, just after brushing with egg, freeze tem on a flat area. Take them out the evening before and bake them in the morning for breakfast.
BON APPETIT!!
It's definitely worth it, and so much better homemade
They 👀 😋!