Quarantine Croissants

Everyone is in lockdown right now and I’m out of school. I enjoy baking and made these croissants last summer. They were lots of fun, so since I had so much time on my hands I decided to try them again. This recipe is by Mardi Michels and it’s in her book “In The French Kitchen With Kids”. I also want to thank Donna Marie at Relish Cooking Studio for introducing me to this book and teaching me to make croissants. Making croissants is very time consuming but it's also very rewarding and fun. I hope you enjoy this recipe as much as I do, have fun!

Supplies

• ½ cup 2% milk
• 2 ½ tsp active dry yeast
• 1 ½ cups all purpose flour, plus more for rolling and shaping
• ¼ cup granulated sugar
• 1 cup cold salted butter cut into rough cubes
• 1 egg lightly beaten
• 1 tbsp heavy cream
• parchment paper
• rolling pin
• food processor

Step 1: Step 1: Heat Your Milk

1. Heat milk in a pot or a microwave (at full power) until a thermometer reaches 110°f to 113°f. Be careful to not overheat and burn the milk. Next, pour milk in the heatproof bowl. Add yeast and let sit for 10 minutes.

Step 2: Step 2: Make and Mix the Dough

Put the flour sugar and butter in a food processor and pulse 8 to 10 times. You'll still see butter pieces after pulsing. Pour the flour/butter mixture over the milk and yeast. Use a wooden spoon to mix. The dough will be lumpy yet still well-incorporated. (The dough will be dry, but don't add more liquid and don't over stir That's is how it's supposed to be)

Step 3: Step 3: Form the Dough

Form the dough into a ball with your hands. It takes some time but it will eventually come together. Put the dough back into the bowl. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and put into the fridge for an hour. (The dough will be too hard to roll out if you leave for any longer.) Take the dough out of the fridge and flour your workspace (counter or table work best). Knead the dough until it starts to get warmer.

Step 4: Step 4: Roll the Dough

Flour a rolling pin and roll out the dough until you have a rectangle that is 8 x 17 inches/ 20 x 40 cm. There should be little butter pieces in the dough. If the dough starts to crack just pinch it back together.

Step 5: Step 5: Fold the Dough

Hold the top of the dough and fold it two-thirds of the way down. Then, fold the last third over your first fold to the top edge. Use a spatula to help lift the dough up if it's sticking. Turn the dough clockwise so the seam is on your right ( when you fold the dough like this it's called a turn).

Step 6: Step 6: Rolling Rolling Rolling

Flour your rolling pin and workspace if needed. Repeat steps 4 to 5 for a grand total of 8 turns. (I recommend keeping track on a piece of paper). Refrigerate for at least 3 hours. (Refrigerate overnight if possible.) Line two baking sheets with parchment paper.

Step 7: Step 7: Let It Sit

Line two baking sheets with parchment paper. Take the dough out of the fridge and put a very large piece of parchment paper on your workspace. Let the dough sit for a couple of minutes until it's warm enough to roll.

Step 8: Step 8: Elbow Grease

Roll out the dough until you have a rectangle that's a little bigger than 8 x 24 inches /20 by 60 cm. This may take some time and elbow grease but the dough will definitely roll out this big.

Step 9: Step 9: Make the Rectangles

Cut the edges of the rectangle so it's all straight. (A ruler and pizza cutter are helpful tools for making these cuts.) Working on the long side of the rectangle, make a small cut every 4 and a half inches (approximately 11.4 cms) in the dough. Put the ruler/tape measure across the dough at the first mark. With a sharp knife or pizza cutter cut a rectangle across. Repeat until you have five rectangles.

Step 10: Step 10: Make the Triangles

Cut the rectangles diagonally to make two triangles. Use a ruler to make sure the triangles are even. Repeat until you have 10 triangles.

Step 11: Step 11: Roll the Croissants!

Working from the wide side down, roll until you reach the point at the bottom and now you have a croissant! Repeat with the remaining triangles. Put five croissants on each tray and cover with the tea towel. They need to rest in a warm place (on top of an oven preheated to 200°F) and leave to rest for two and a half hours.

Step 12: Step 12: Egg Wash

After the 2 and a half hours, preheat the oven to 375°F (take the croissants off the oven and put on a counter or a table). Then, whisk the egg and cream together. (This combination is called an egg wash.) Next, brush the egg wash on top of the croissants. Let rise another half hour.

Step 13: Step 13: Bake the Croissants!

Bake for 20 to 25 minutes, until croissants are golden brown on top. rotate the pans after 10 minutes. Let the croissants sit for about 10 mins, and then place them on a wire rack to cool completely.

Step 14: Step 14: Enjoy!

The croissants will keep for two to three days. (You can also microwave for a couple of seconds to reheat and soften them.) Eat and enjoy while staying physically distant from anyone trying to steal your croissants. Or share them with your loved ones and offer to add a favorite topping like butter or jam. -Stay safe, stay healthy and enjoy baking!

Special thanks to Mardi Michels and her awesome and easy to follow recipe book.

Michels, Mardi “In the French Kitchen with Kids”, Vancouver, BC: Appetite by Random House, 2018.