FLAKY FRENCH CROISSANT
- 1 1/2 cup butter or margarine, softened
- 1/4 cup unsifted all purpose flour
- 3/4 cup milk
- 2 tablespoons sugar
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 cup very warm water (105-115F)
- 2 packages active dry yeast
- 3 cups unsifted all purpose flour
- 1 egg yolk
- 1 tablespoon milk
- beat up butter and flour with spoon until smooth. spread it on a piece of waxed paper in a 12x6 inches rectangle and refrigerate.
- add sugar and salt to the milk. Heat and stir until dissolve. leave it to lukewarm.
- stir in yeast until dissolve and put flour in milk slowly and stir until smooth. then knead it. cover in wrung-dry cloth and let it rise for 1 hour. then refrigerate for 1/2 hour.
- on lightly floured board, roll into 14x14 rectangle, place butter mixture that we made earlier on one half of dough. fold the other half over butter and seal edges. with the sealed edges on right hand side, roll from centre to make 20x8 inches square.
- fold dough in thirds, making it 3 layers, wrap and chill for an hour.
- with edges at left, roll out into 20x8 inches, fold and chill for 1/2 hour. Repeat the process.Chill overnight.
- roll, fold and chill for 1/2 hour again. do this twice. then do it again and chill for 1 hour.
- roll out dough and cut into 4 parts. each part is rolled into 12 inch circle and cut it into 6 wedges.
- roll each square from the wide end. form the edges to make crescent shape and place on baking sheet
- cover and let it rise for 1 hour. heat oven to 425F. brush croissant with yolk beaten with milk and bake for 5 minutes. reduce oven to 375F and bake 10 minutes more until puffed and brown. best served warm.