Croissants
Croissants are buttery, flaky pastries. Croissants are associated with France but the first croissant was actually made in Austria. A croissant can be served with nearly anything, making them extremely popular. Some croissants are used as sandwiches and are filled with meat and cheese. Other croissants are used for dessert and are eaten with chocolate or preserves. No matter how an individual prefers to eat a croissant, there are common recipes that one can use to make them.
• One should keep in mind that making croissants can be difficult, even though the ingredients are simple. Croissants that are made from scratch can actually take several days to make. A croissant is made of layered dough, which is dough that has been covered in butter, folded and turned until layers of butter are in between every sheet of dough. To make croissants, there are some simple ingredients that one should have. Flour, warm milk, sugar, cold butter, salt and yeast are the only ingredients in an average croissant. Vanilla extract can be added for a richer taste.
• One should mix the milk, sugar and yeast in one bowl. The flour and salt should be sifted in a different bowl. The ingredients in both bowls can be combined at this point. The mixed ingredients should be covered and put into a refrigerator in order to allow it to chill. During that time, the dough should rise to twice its previous size. In order to make the butter block that makes the croissant dough, the cold butter should be mixed with flour. One should then roll the dough into a ball and put it in the refrigerator to chill. After it chills, the dough can be brought out and refolded; one should refold the dough at least three times.
• After the dough has chilled, one should roll it flat in flour, stretching out the corners while rolling. The butter block should be placed in the center of the croissant dough; one should now fold the dough over the butter block. After the butter block is sealed inside the croissant dough, it should be shaped into a rectangle, with all ends of the croissant dough folded over the butter block. The croissant dough should then be rolled flat again and placed in the refrigerator to chill. After the dough has chilled, one can cut it into triangles, and then formed into the shape of a crescent, the typical shape for croissants. Before baking, one should cover the croissant dough in an egg mixture.
The croissants can then be baked in a 350 degree oven for 30 minutes, and then cooled before serving. While it may be time consuming, many people decide to make their own croissants.
