Croissants - By Gynelle Alves

Easier than you think!

Ingredients:

2 cups all purpose refine flour

1/3 cup fine sugar

3-4 tbsp fresh yeast

2 eggs

1/2 cup warm milk

3/4 cup salted butter

1 tsp salt

1 egg + 2 tsp sugar to glaze

Method:

Mix sugar, yeast, eggs and little of the milk together to form a paste. Add flour and the rest of the milk in slowly and knead well to a soft dough. Take a tbsp of the butter and cream in the salt. Knead it into the dough. Cover the dough with a moistened cloth and set aside. Cream the rest of the butter till soft. 

Generously flour your work surface and then roll out your dough into a big circle. Spread the remaining softened butter over it entirely. Divide and cut the dough into three pieces – small, medium and large, lengthwise. Roll your small strip first. Then place it onto your medium strip and roll them up. Then roll up both into the largest piece.(Fig 1) 

Pat down slightly and seal the ends of your dough pillow. Cover this with your moist cloth and let it rest in your freezer for about 20 minutes till nice and cold.

On a floured surface roll this out into a wide rectangle about 1/4 to 1/3 inch thick. Divide the whole into half. Then divide each half into five triangles. Your triangles should look like party hats with two longer sides and one shorter base. (Fig 2)

Take a triangle, make a small slit in the base and roll it up base to narrow tip. Twist the ends inwards to form crescents and place on an oiled and floured baking sheet. When done, brush these with your egg and sugar wash ad leave to prove for 20-30 minutes. Bake at 200 degrees C for 20 minutes and they’re done!