Simple Croissants

We have been having a very fun and busy week. So, I thought I would share a recipe that we took pictures of quite a while ago. These Simple Croissants are a cinch to make and although they are not quite as airy and fluffy as the original they have that wonderful buttery, flaky quality that we all love about croissants. They are so simple to make that I just had to make them the again right away the next week. I think I could eat them all in one sitting. Although, you should be able to freeze them just fine once they are formed and then take out as many as you want and let them thaw and rise for a couple of hours before baking. That way you can have them on hand for whenever it strikes your fancy. I know that I will definitely be making these often as they are one of my favourite breakfast treats!

Simple Croissants

Makes: 32 rolls

Ingredients

• 2 packages active dry yeast
• 1 cup warm water
• 1 1/4 cups cold butter, divided
• 5 cups flour
• 1/3 cup sugar
• 1 1/2 tsp. salt
• 3/4 cup whole milk or cream
• 2 eggs
• 1 Tbsp. water

Instructions

1. Proof yeast in warm water for 5-10 min. Melt 1/4 cup butter and add to yeast mixture along with 1 cup of flour, sugar, salt, milk and 1 egg. Stir until smooth.
2. Put remaining 4 cups flour in a large bowl and cut in 1 cup of cold butter until you get coarse crumbs. Add to yeast mixture and combine until well incorporated making sure not to over mix or knead. Cover and let sit in the fridge for 8 hours (or overnight).
3. Punch dough down and score into four sections. Take one section out and knead on a lightly floured surface 6 times. Roll out into a 16 inch circle and cut into 8 wedges. Roll wedges up starting at the wide end. Place point side down on an ungreased baking sheet and curve to form a crescent shape. Repeat with remaining dough. Cover and let rise for one hour.
4. Beat the remaining egg with 1 Tbsp of water and brush over rolls. Bake for 20-25 min at 325, until lightly brown.

To freeze

1. Once you have split the dough into four sections, wrap each section in plastic wrap and freeze. To thaw, leave at room temperature for 2 hours (less if it’s hot in the house) or let thaw in the fridge overnight. Make sure the dough stays cold, if it warms through the butter will melt and the final results will not bet the same.