Buttery Croissant Dough
This is a two-day commitment. The resting periods are not optional, as they allow the gluten to relax and the butter to firm up, ensuring you can roll it out thin without the layers tearing.
Temperature is your primary ingredient.
If your kitchen is warmer than 70°F, you will struggle to keep the butter from weeping into the flour. Keep your workspace and your tools cool.
- rolling pin
- bench scraper
- baking sheet
- parchment paper
- ruler
What goes in.
- 500gbread flour
- 60ggranulated sugar
- 10gsalt
- 10ginstant yeast
- 280gcold water
- 40gsoftened butter (for the dough)
- 250ghigh-fat unsalted butter (for lamination)
Encasing the butter
When folding the dough over the butter block, ensure the seam is sealed tightly. If air or butter escapes during the initial rolls, the layers will lose their definition.
The method.
Mix the dough
Combine flour, sugar, salt, yeast, water, and 40g butter. Knead until smooth, but do not overdevelop the gluten. Shape into a flat rectangle, wrap tightly, and refrigerate overnight.
Prepare the butter block
Place 250g of butter between two sheets of parchment. Pound it into a 7-inch square using your rolling pin. Chill until firm but still pliable.
The first fold
Roll the dough into a 10-inch square. Place the butter block diagonally in the center. Fold the corners of the dough over the butter to meet in the middle. Seal the edges.
Laminate
Roll the dough out to an 8x24-inch rectangle. Perform a letter fold (folding it like a business letter). Chill for 30 minutes. Repeat this process two more times for a total of three folds.
Final rest
After the final fold, wrap the dough and let it rest in the refrigerator for at least 2 hours before shaping.
Other turns to take.
Pain au Chocolat
Cut the final rolled dough into rectangles instead of triangles and roll them up with two batons of dark chocolate inside.
When it doesn't go to plan.
If the dough resists while rolling, stop and put it back in the fridge for 15 minutes; forcing it will tear the layers.
Use a ruler to keep your edges straight; clean, uniform rectangles result in even layers.
Always brush off excess flour from the dough surface with a pastry brush before folding to prevent streaks of dry flour inside your layers.
The ones that keep coming up.
Why did my butter leak out during the folds?
The dough and butter were likely at different temperatures, or your kitchen was too warm. The butter must be pliable, not melted.
Can I freeze this dough?
Yes. Once the folds are complete and the dough has rested, wrap it in multiple layers of plastic and freeze for up to two weeks.
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