Croissants

This probably wasn't the smartest thing to do today, feeling as lousy as I do-but that's never stopped me before. As you can see, my shaping isn't very good, though the croissants fell apart in a way that you can admire the flaky layers. Are you admiring the flaky layers? Good. Actually, they could have been flakier.

The recipe was, adequate. I've made better. I'm going to post it because it is a simpler, less involved way of making pastry though really, nothing to write home about. I wanted to try it because I've had such great luck with breads in the Better Homes and Gardens books, but this really did amount to a waste of my time because I know how to make pastry dough. If this were a first attempt, it might be a good way of transitioning into learning. Maybe. I'm not one of those people that will insist there is one way and only one way to make something. People get pretty hung up on that sort of thing. I'll chalk it up to preference.

I did find this dough too elastic and difficult to handle. I wasn't able to roll it quite as thin as I'd have liked. Perhaps less flour would have helped, but I also think the amount of yeast had something to do with it. I don't think anyone will spit these out in disgust, but they won't make you swoon either.

You Will Need:

1-cup butter

1/3 cup all purpose flour

3 ¾-4 cups all purpose flour

4 ½ teaspoons granulated (not instant) dry yeast

1 ¼ cups milk

¼ cup sugar

1-teaspoon salt

1 egg

1 egg yolk plus 1 tablespoon milk for brushing

Cream the butter with the 1/3 cup of flour. Roll out between two sheets of waxed paper to a 12x16 rectangle. Chill several hours.

In a large mixing bowl, combine 1-½ cups of flour with the yeast. In a saucepan, heat the milk, sugar and salt until just warmed and sugar is dissolved. Cool to lukewarm. Add milk mixture to the flour and add the egg. Beat on low 30 seconds and then beat on high for three minutes.

Add enough of the remaining flour to make a soft dough. Knead it well for about five minutes or until smooth. Cover and let rest 10 minutes.

Roll dough out dough to a 14-inch square. Place the butter on one half and fold the rest of the dough over it pinching the edges shut. Roll dough to a 20x12 rectangle. If butter softens (it will) chill after each rolling. Repeat rolling and folding two more times. Chill 30 minutes.

Shape, doing a better job than I did-into a dozen pieces. Place on an ungreased baking sheet to rise again-about 45 minutes.

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.

Brush croissants with egg yolk and milk and bake about fifteen minutes or until done. Cool on racks. Admire flaky-could-be-flakier-layers.