Morning Treat or Indulging in Croissants
Le bonheur est dans la feuille et pas dans le pré !
A warm croissant makes the day brighter right away.
I Am No Longer Scared of Croissants
Each trip to France grows P.’s love for boulangeries. I expected that enthusiasm to fade over time, but not at all. I still remember strolling through the streets of Metz and watching him rush to every bakery window, eager and impatient to try whatever our friendly bakers were selling. At first his excitement made me nervous — I joked he might turn into a croissant with all the pains aux raisins he happily devoured each morning. My mother, quick to notice, would sneak out early to buy a schneck for Monsieur so he would find fresh pastries at breakfast. It was a small daily joy.
Until recently I hadn’t attempted croissant dough myself, though I’ve eaten many croissants — some excellent, some average. One day I decided to try making viennoiseries to surprise Monsieur. The results weren’t perfect in shape—this was my first attempt, after all—but the flavor made the effort worthwhile. Croissants are not especially difficult once you understand the steps; they simply require time and patience.
The process for croissant dough resembles puff pastry: alternating layers of dough and butter create the flaky texture that defines a good croissant. Achieving that beautiful pâte feuilletée is a matter of following a pattern and repeating it. Folding the dough is like closing a book: fold, turn, fold again, and repeat. I followed a recipe adapted from a well-regarded bakery cookbook I recently acquired, and although I didn’t try their croissants in person, the method produced very satisfying results at home.
A Few Steps Involved
The layers in the dough
Working with the butter block
Making triangles and brushing with egg yolk
Before baking, croissants proof at room temperature for at least two hours
Preheat the oven to 380°F (190°C). Baking takes about 15–20 minutes until they turn a deep golden brown and rise slowly and beautifully in the oven.
I did it — and I was happy. The first bite erased any worry about imperfect shaping or timing. Despite a few small mistakes (I was impatient and trimmed the final rise), the flavor and flakiness made the process worthwhile. Playing boulangère d’un jour was rewarding: croissants demand time and attention, but they welcome a home baker’s care.
Step one was croissants. Step two will be another treat to share in a future post. For now, I need a cup of tea.
Note: I followed the recipe’s ingredient list exactly the first time, including the surprising addition of vanilla extract. I may experiment next time, but it worked well here.
Recipe adapted from a bakery cookbook
You need:
- 1 1/2 cups whole milk
- 1 1/2 Tbsp dry yeast
- 3 Tbsp granulated sugar
- 2 Tbsp pure vanilla extract
- 1 1/2 tsp kosher salt
- 3 cups + 3 Tbsp all-purpose flour
- 3 sticks unsalted butter (12 oz), chilled
Steps:
Day One
To make the pre-dough
- Heat the milk until warm to the touch (do not overheat). Pour into a large bowl, sprinkle the yeast over the milk, add sugar and vanilla, stir, and let froth for about 5 minutes.
- In another bowl, combine 3 cups of flour with the salt. Add the flour mixture to the milk gradually and mix until just combined. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate overnight (or about 8 hours); the dough should almost double in size.
Day Two
- Remove the pre-dough from the refrigerator.
To make the butter block
- Cut chilled butter into 12 equal pieces and mix with 3 Tbsp flour until smooth (a stand mixer with the paddle attachment works well). Shape into a 6″ square about 1″ thick, wrap, and refrigerate.
To make the croissant dough
- On a well-floured surface, pat the pre-dough into a square and stretch each corner outward to form an X. Place the butter block in the center and fold the corners over to seal the butter completely. Roll into a 12 x 20″ rectangle, resealing any exposed butter.
Folding the dough
- With the long side facing you, fold left and right sides to the center. Turn the dough 90° and fold again as if closing a book. Wrap and chill 30 minutes. Repeat the rolling and folding two more times, chilling between turns. After the third turn, chill one final time for 30 minutes.
To shape the croissants
Note: shaping details are my addition
- Cut the dough in half. Roll one half into a rectangle and cut into triangles. Make a small slit at the base of each triangle, then roll from base to tip. Brush with beaten egg yolk and let proof for at least 2 hours in a warm room (about 70°F/20°C).
- Preheat oven to 380°F (190°C). Bake about 20 minutes until golden. Serve immediately for best texture and flavor.
recette adaptée d’un livre de boulangerie
Ingrédients :
- 360 ml lait entier
- 1 1/2 càs de levure de boulanger sèche
- 3 càs de sucre
- 2 càs d’extrait de vanille
- 1 1/2 càc de sel
- 375 g + 3 càs de farine
- 340 g de beurre non salé, froid
Étapes :
Premier jour
- Chauffez le lait jusqu’à ce qu’il soit tiède. Versez dans un grand bol, saupoudrez la levure, ajoutez le sucre et la vanille. Mélangez et laissez mousser 5 minutes.
- Dans un autre bol, mélangez 375 g de farine et le sel. Ajoutez progressivement au lait et mélangez sans trop travailler. Couvrez et mettez au réfrigérateur toute la nuit (8 heures environ).
Deuxième jour
- Sortez la détrempe du frigo.
Bloc de beurre
- Coupez le beurre en 12 morceaux et mélangez avec 3 càs de farine. Formez un carré d’environ 15 cm, emballez et réfrigérez.
Pâte à croissants et pliages
- Étalez la détrempe en carré, étirez chaque coin pour former un X, placez le bloc de beurre au centre et recouvrez. Étalez en rectangle, puis réalisez trois tours en pliant comme un livre et en réfrigérant entre chaque tour. Laissez reposer 30 minutes après le troisième tour.
Façonnage
- Coupez en deux, étalez une moitié, découpez des triangles, incisez la base et roulez vers la pointe. Badigeonnez d’un jaune d’œuf et laissez lever 2 heures minimum. Préchauffez le four à 190°C et cuisez environ 20 minutes jusqu’à dorure.
