Buttery, Flaky Croissants

Instructions

1. 01

   Make a well in the center of the flour mixture about 2 to 3 inches wide. Pour milk and water into the well and, using a bowl scraper or flexible spatula, gradually incorporate flour into wet ingredients until a shaggy dough forms.

2. 02

   Tip dough onto a clean, lightly floured work surface. Knead dough until no dry spots remain and dough is lightly sticky, 2 to 3 minutes. Return dough to bowl. Cover bowl with a large plate or plastic wrap, and let sit at warm room temperature (75 to 80°F; 24 to 27°C) until dough is puffy, about 30 minutes. (Because the dough isn't kneaded much, it won't have the strength or elasticity needed to grow significantly bigger. You're looking for the dough to be just noticeably larger than its original size.) Divide dough into 2 equal portions, about 670 grams each. Pat each into a 4- by-6-inch rectangle about 1-inch thick. Wrap each portion of dough tightly in plastic wrap and refrigerate until dough is firm, at least 6 hours and up to 14 hours.

3. 03

   Peel away top layer of parchment and, using a sharp knife, trim sides of butter so all 4 sides are straight. Strategically reapply trimmed butter pieces elsewhere as needed, breaking them into smaller pieces if necessary, to create a neat square. If the butter is thinner in some places, the trimming can be placed on top to create an even thickness. (Note that you need to use all the butter; do not discard trim.)

4. 04

   Wrap butter square in parchment paper and freeze until slightly firm, 5 to 10 minutes. Repeat with remaining 8-ounce package of butter.

5. 05

   To Lock in the Butter: On a lightly floured work surface, roll 1 piece of dough to a 12- by 6-inch rectangle about 1/2-inch thick. (The 6-inch side should be parallel to the counter edge.) Using a pastry brush or your hands, dust off any excess flour from surface of dough.

6. 06

   Unwrap 1 butter block and place it on the dough with two of its sides parallel to the 6-inch sides of the dough; center butter block along the 12-inch length, leaving 3 inches of dough exposed on either end. Fold top and bottom flaps of dough over butter so they meet in the center, pressing together with fingertips to seal. Using a sharp paring knife, make a 1/4-inch deep cut along the folded edges of the dough. (This will relieve tension. The dough may still be rough and dimply at this stage; that is OK.)

7. 07

   Perform the 1st Turn: Lightly flour the work surface, if needed, then rotate the dough 90 degrees so that the center seam is oriented vertically. Using both hands to hold the rolling pin at its base, gently but firmly tap the dough to help plasticize butter within, flipping dough every so often to prevent it from sticking to the counter. When dough feels pliable, roll dough lengthwise to a 7- by 22-inch rectangle about 1/4-inch thick.

8. 08

   Using a sharp knife, trim about 1/2-inch off the 7-inch end of the dough; you should see butter running almost all the way across. If you don't see any butter, trim dough, 1/4-inch at a time, until butter is visible. (The idea is to get rid of any dough that doesn't have any butter inside it, which can result in bready croissants with an uneven internal structure.)

9. 09

   Using a pastry brush, dust off excess flour from dough. Fold dough into thirds like a business letter by bringing the left flap of the dough over the center. Fold right flap of the dough over the center to cover the left flap of dough. Wrap dough tightly in plastic and freeze until firm and chilled, 15 to 20 minutes. Let dough rest, refrigerated, for at least 1 hour and up to 4 hours. Repeat with remaining dough and butter block.

10. 10

    Perform the 2nd Turn: Set one book of dough with the folded edge oriented vertically on a lightly floured work surface. Using both hands to hold the rolling pin at its base, gently but firmly tap dough to plasticize butter within, flipping dough occasionally to prevent sticking. When dough is pliable, roll it into a 7- by 22-inch rectangle about 1/4-inch thick.

11. 11

    Using a sharp knife, trim about 1/2 inch off the 7-inch end of the dough; you should see 3 layers of butter running almost all the way through. If you don't see any butter, trim dough, 1/4-inch at a time, until butter is visible.

12. 12

    Using a pastry brush, dust off excess flour from surface of the dough, then fold dough into thirds as before. Wrap dough tightly in plastic and freeze until firm and chilled, 15 to 20 minutes. Let dough rest, refrigerated, for at least 1 hour and up to 4 hours. Repeat with remaining book of dough.

13. 13

    Perform the 3rd Turn: Set one book of dough with the folded edge oriented vertically. Using both hands to hold the rolling pin at its base, tap dough gently but firmly to plasticize butter within, flipping the dough occasionally to prevent sticking. When dough is pliable, roll it into a 7- by 22-inch rectangle about 1/4-inch thick. If dough resists rolling, cover dough tightly in plastic and let rest in freezer for 10 to 20 minutes to help gluten relax.

14. 14

    Using a sharp knife, trim edges to straighten. Using a pastry brush, dust off excess flour, then fold dough into thirds as before. Wrap dough tightly in plastic and freeze until firm, 15 to 20 minutes. Let dough rest, refrigerated, at least 20 minutes to 1 hour. Repeat with remaining book of dough.

15. 15

    Return dough to lightly floured work surface. Using both hands to hold the rolling pin at its base, tap dough gently but firmly until pliable. Roll dough until it is about 1/2 to 3/4-inches thick. (Don't worry about dimensions; your goal is to flatten the dough so it's easier to handle later.) Wrap dough tightly in plastic and let dough rest, refrigerated, at least 8 hours and up to 18 hours. Repeat with remaining book of dough.

16. 16

    Set dough cross-wise on a lightly floured surface; if it has sprung back slightly, gently roll dough back until it is a 14 1/2– by 10 1/2–inch rectangle. Using a sharp knife, trim about 1/2-inch off the left and right sides of the dough to straighten edges; the dough should now be a 13 1/2– by 10 1/2–inch rectangle. Dust off excess flour as necessary.

17. 17

    Using a sharp knife, cut dough into three 4 1/2– by 10 1/2–inch rectangles. Halve each of these rectangles diagonally lengthwise; you should get 2 triangles from each rectangle of dough. Repeat with the remaining 2 rectangles; you should have 6 triangles in total. Trim the base of each triangle so that the long sides of the triangle are of equal length. (Meaning: They will be right triangles, but you want to turn them into isosceles triangles.)

18. 18

    Place triangles on a parchment-lined 13- by 18-inch rimmed baking sheet, cover tightly with plastic wrap, and let rest, refrigerated, for 20 minutes to allow gluten to relax.

19. 19

    Working with 1 triangle at a time, grasp the base of the triangle in one hand and use your hand to gently stretch the pointed end to elongate the triangle so it is just over 12 inches long. (If dough won't readily stretch, return dough to baking sheet, cover with plastic, and let rest, refrigerated, for another 20 minutes.)

20. 20

    Lay triangle flat on the counter, and beginning with the base, roll it up to create a crescent shape. (Avoid touching cut edges of the dough, as the warmth of your fingers can make the sharp edges less defined.) Gently press the pointed end where it meets the rest of the dough to seal; this is the bottom of the croissant. Return croissant to parchment-lined baking sheet and repeat with remaining triangles, taking care to evenly space them out on the baking sheet.

21. 21

    Repeat with remaining dough. Transfer rolled croissants to a second 13- by 18-inch rimmed baking sheet lined with parchment.

22. 22

    To Proof the Croissants: Loosely cover each tray of croissants with plastic wrap lightly greased with nonstick cooking spray; you want to cover the croissants completely to prevent them from drying out, but avoid stretching the plastic tightly, as this can prevent the croissants from rising. (Place a label on each tray of croissants to note which tray has proofed for longer, as we will be baking one tray at a time, and you want to start with the tray that has proofed for longer.)

23. 23

    Let rise at warm room temperature (70 to 80°F; 21 to 27°C) until puffy and doubled in size, 3 to 5 hours. (Avoid placing croissants under direct heat or sunlight, as this may melt the butter and ruin your carefully crafted layers. To check if croissants are adequately proofed, gently poke the croissants with the tip of your finger; your finger should leave an indent and the dough should gently spring back. The croissants should also wobble slightly when the pan is gently shaken.)

24. 24

    To Bake: When croissants have almost doubled in size, adjust oven rack to middle position and preheat oven to 375°F (190°C).

25. 25

    Remove plastic from the tray of croissants that have proofed for longer. Using a pastry brush, gently brush a thin, even layer of beaten egg over the tops of each croissant. (Avoid brushing the cut edges, as this can seal the layers and make it more difficult for the pastry to expand fully and evenly.) Bake until croissants begin to brown, about 15 minutes. Using oven mitts or a kitchen towel, rotate pan front to back, then reduce oven temperature to 325°F (165°C). Bake until croissants are deep golden brown all over and on the bottom, 15 minutes longer. When fully baked, the croissants should feel light to the touch; using an oven mitt or dish towel, carefully lift a croissant. If it feels heavy for its size, return pan to oven and bake until light to the touch, 2 to 5 more minutes.

26. 26

    Let croissants cool on pan until just slightly warm, 10 to 15 minutes. Increase oven temperature to 375°F (190°C) and repeat with second tray of croissants.