CROISSANTS

Steps:

• Preferment: In a mixing bowl, stir the warm water and yeast together.
• Wait for it to foam, about 2-4 minutes.
• Add flour and mix on low speed for 3 minutes with a mixer (or 5 minutes by hand).
• Cover and let rest at room temperature (70-75 degrees) for 12 hours, until tripled in bulk.
• Dough: In the mixer bowl, combine the water and milk.
• Add 1 tsp of the sugar.
• Sprinkle the yeast over the warm mixture and let sit until it starts to foam, 2-4 minutes.
• Add flour, the remaining sugar and softened butter along with the preferment.
• Mix with the dough hook, stopping to push the dough down the dough hook.
• Knead until the dough pulls into a translucent sheet without tearing, about 12 minutes.
• The dough will be soft and supple.
• If working by hand, knead for about 15 minutes.
• Transfer the dough to a large, lightly oiled bowl and cover with plastic.
• Let rise at room temperature until doubled in bulk- about 1 hour.
• On a lightly floured surface, roll the dough into a 12 x 14 inch rectangle about 1/2 inch thick.
• Transfer dough to a parchment lined baking sheet, brush off all excess flour and cover with plastic.
• Put into freezer until it is as firm as the chilled butter.
• 5 minutes before the dough is finished chilling, lay the butter between 2 sheets of plastic.
• With a rolling pin, pound butter into a 12 x 7 inch rectangle that is uniformly thick.
• Even out the rectangle with your hands and/or a dough scraper.
• Lay the dough on a lightly floured surface and position the butter on one side of the dough rectangle.
• Line it up parallel with the edges and leave a 1/4 inch margin.
• Fold the rest of the dough over the butter.
• Pinch the edges to seal in the butter.
• Fold the pinched edges over.
• Position the dough with the folded edge away from you.
• Roll the dough into a 10 x 20 inch rectangle that is about 1/2 inch thick.
• Fold 1/3 of the dough toward the center, brushing off excess flour.
• Fold the other 1/3 of dough over the two layers- like a business letter.
• Wrap dough in plastic and refrigerate for 30 minutes.
• Remove dough from the refrigerator and roll it out to a 10 x 20 inch rectangle, fold, rewrap and chill as before.
• Repeat this sequence one more time.
• After the final chill, roll dough into a 19 x 25 rectangle that is 1/8 inch thick.
• Trim ragged edges and slice dough in half.
• Leave the halves in place.
• On the upper half of the top strip, measuring from the left corner, cut small notches every 4 1/2 inches.
• On the lower edge of the bottom strip, do the same thing.
• With a pizza cutter and a ruler, connect the upper left CORNER of the top strip to the FIRST NOTCH of the bottom strip.
• Continue making parallel diagonal lines.
• Now connect the lower left corner of the bottom strip to the first notch on the top strip to cut a triangle.
• Continue until you end up with 20 triangles mand some scraps.
• Cut a small notch in the middle of the base of each triangle and dab the three corners with egg wash.
• Take each triangle and pull gently at the base so that the notch separates.
• Fold the edge of the base over twice- 1/2 inch at a time, pinching as you go.
• With one hand roll the base towards the tip while pulling gently on the tip with your other hand.
• Finish the roll so that the tip is underneath the croissant.
• Lay on a parchment lined sheetpan so that the lines of the roll converge toward you.
• Leave at least 1 inch between croissants.
• Gently curve the ends of each croissant together toward you, pich and brush the croissant with egg wash.
• (If you wish to freeze for later use, do it at this stage,) Let them rise uncovered at room temperature untli they double- about 1 hour.
• Heat the oven to 375.
• Bake the croissants in the hot oven for 18-20 minutes or until deep golden brown.
• To check for doneness, push gently on the inner curve of the croissant.
• If it springs back they are thoroughly baked.
• If frozen, let thaw over night in the refrigerator and then let rise (it will take about 2 hours) before baking.