Croissants

Easy croissants recipe! Ok, not so easy but easier than the long process a classic croissant dough requires.

First mixture ingredients

Second mixture ingredients

Directions

First mixture

Combine the ingredients for the pre-ferment dough: In the bowl of a standing mixer, stir the yeast into the warm water and let it sit until dissolved. Add the sugar and the flour and stir until it forms a shaggy dough.
Cover the mixing bowl and let the dough rise in a warm spot until doubled in bulk, about an hour.

Second mixture

In the mixer bowl with the risen pre-ferment dough, fit the dough hook and add eggs, sugar, flour, vanilla, zest, salt and milk. Mix on low speed to form a soft dough.
With motor running add in the butter piece by piece. Knead for 10 minutes on minimum speed, until the dough is smooth and elastic.
Remove the mixing bowl, cover with lightly oiled clear film and leave to rise in a warm place for about 3 hour, or overnight in the fridge.
Transfer to a lightly floured surface and divide dough into 8 pieces of 160 grams each. Roll each piece into ball.
Cover and let rise in a warm spot for 1 hour.
Roll out each ball forming a disc.
Brush soft butter and sugar over top of each disc except for the last layer.
Roll out all the discs together forming a big disc of about 50cm diameter.
Cut the disc into 16 triangles.
Roll each triangle lightly to elongate the point. Grab the other 2 points, and stretch them out slightly as you roll it up.
Place on a baking sheet, curving slightly.
Now you can freeze the croissants before the final rise and leave them at room temperature overnight, directly from the freezer and brush them with dorure (blended eggs) the next morning while the oven is pre-heating.
Or you can directly let rise until puffy and light.
Bake in the preheated oven for about 12-15 minutes at 180°C.