Sourdough Croissants
Description
It pairs perfectly with tea and coffee. Classic French croissants can be made not only from yeast dough but also from dough made with wheat sourdough. They take a while to make, but the result is well worth the effort. If you’re ready for culinary “discoveries,” the step-by-step recipe will help you. You can serve them with tea or coffee.
Instructions
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Step 1
Prepare the ingredients. The sponge should be ready before you start kneading the dough.
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Step 2
To make the sponge, take 110 grams of flour, 110 grams of water, and 10 grams of wheat sourdough starter.
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Step 3
Mix all ingredients, cover with plastic wrap, and leave at room temperature to ferment for 10–12 hours.
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Step 4
During fermentation, the starter should become covered with bubbles.
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Step 5
In a dough-mixing bowl, combine the starter, warm milk, salt, sugar, and egg yolk.
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Step 6
Add the flour and knead the dough. Knead by hand for at least 10 minutes, or with a dough mixer for about 5 minutes.
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Step 7
In 3–4 additions, work the soft butter into the dough.
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Step 8
Cover the dough with plastic wrap and let stand for 20 minutes.
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Step 9
Wrap the dough tightly in plastic wrap and leave at room temperature for 60–80 minutes. Then refrigerate for 10–12 hours.
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Step 10
Prepare cold butter for laminating. To do this, lightly press it with a rolling pin while still in the packaging so it becomes more pliable, wrap it in parchment or plastic wrap, and roll it into a thin square sheet. Place in the freezer for 10–12 hours.
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Step 11
Roll out the chilled dough (after 10–12 hours) into a rectangle. Spread the butter on it so that the edges meet tightly—you can even overlap them slightly—while leaving free edges on the sides so you can “seal” the butter inside the dough and keep it from escaping when you fold and layer.
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Step 12
Wrap the butter tightly in the dough; the “seam” should be offset from the center to one side. Press down with a rolling pin and “seal” the edges of the dough on the top and bottom. Fold the dough in half again into a rectangle, wrap in plastic wrap, and refrigerate for 1 hour.
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Step 13
Second lamination stage. Place the dough with the narrow side of the rectangle toward you and the long seam (“key”) on the side; roll the dough from the center toward the edges along its length until the sheet is 4–5 mm thick.
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Step 14
Straighten the edges of the dough on both sides with a ruler; trim off uneven bits with a pizza cutter or a regular knife.
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Step 15
Fold the dough so that one edge is offset from the center, then tuck the opposite edge toward it.
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Step 16
Fold the dough in half, wrap in plastic wrap, and refrigerate again for 1 hour.
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Step 17
Take the dough out of the refrigerator and roll it out again to a thickness of 4–5 mm. Roll from the center toward the edges, pressing gently so you do not accidentally squeeze out the butter or disturb the layers.
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Step 18
Carefully straighten the edges of the dough along a ruler.
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Step 19
Fold the dough simply, folding one edge over the other. Wrap the dough in plastic wrap again and refrigerate for 1 hour.
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Step 20
For the final shaping of croissants, lightly flour the tabletop work surface. Roll out the dough so the “key” is on the side, to a length of about 30 cm. After each stint in the refrigerator, gently press the dough with a rolling pin so it becomes more pliable. To help the layers open during baking, trim uneven edges of the dough with a knife. Mark the dough along the edges. Using a ruler, cut the dough into triangles by connecting the marks.
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Step 21
Make a small cut at the base of the triangle and fold the edges of the dough away from it. Gently pull the long end of the dough away from you.
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Step 22
Carefully roll up the croissant piece. You can tuck in a filling of marzipan or chocolate inside.
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Step 23
Place the croissant blanks on a baking sheet, spaced apart, cover with plastic wrap, and leave to proof for approximately 5–7 hours.
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Step 24
Before baking, brush the croissants with a mixture of egg yolk and a little milk, and preheat the oven to 190 degrees.
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Step 25
Bake the croissants at 190°C for 10 minutes, then reduce the temperature to 170°C and bake for another 20–25 minutes until done. Now pour some coffee and enjoy your crispy croissants!