Baked Fluffy Butter...

Okay, well not really, but Croissants could be called this. Layer after layer of flaky goodness. Oh how I miss my early bakery morning! This, in case you haven't picked up on, is another Holly recipe I thought I might share with you. 

   A lot of people run away in fear of the thought of making homemade croissants, but not I. These guys are SO easy and SO delicious how could you not want to make them..?!?

   With Love and Butter Croissants

   1/2 Cup Warm Water

   1 1/2 Tbsp Quick Yeast

   2 1/4 Cups Milk

   1/4 Cup Mild Veggie Oil

   1 Tbsp Honey ( Again, I use Agave )

   1 Tbsp + 1/2 Tsp Salt

   5 3/4 Cups + 1/3 Cup Flour

   1 1/2 Cups Butter ( Room Temp )

   Like the bread, this requires some planning. Usually an evening and following morning or two days are required to complete this recipe!

   Swish the water adn yeast together in your mixing bowl. Add the milk, oil, honey, salt and 5 3/4 cups flour. Mix together until smooth and satiny with a dough hook, about 3 minutes. Let in rest on a floured surface and scrape your bowl well.

   Cream the butter and remaining flour in the same bowl so its whipped smooth ( who wants even MORE dished to wash.. ). Roll out your dough in a rectangle about 18 x 11 and 1/2 inch thick.

    Now the fun part. Fling bits of butter over 2/3 of your dough, evenly spreading it out. 

   Fold the bare third over half the butter section, dust off any extra flour and fold the rest to get a neat rectangle. 

   Roll out the dough again and fold into thirds like you would a letter.Cover in plastic and place on a floured cookie sheet in the fridge fro 20 minutes.

    Once its chilled, flour the dough and roll it out to the original rectangle size. Fold into thirds, roll, fold into thirds, and again place in the fridge for 20 minutes. 

      After the second round, pull the dough out and, you guessed it, roll it out and fold into thirds one last time. This time encase it in plastic wrap and refrigerate up to 24 hours. The next morning, pre-heat your oven to 400F ( or take our your Sourdough you just baked ) and prepare two cookie sheets. 

   Unwrap the dough and roll out the whole thing, or a section.  ( This dough can freeze up to 2 weeks ) If using the whole batch, roll out a rectangle about 20 x 30 and use a pizza cutter to make 12 squares. Cut each diagonally to make 24 triangles. 
   At this point you can fill at the base of each with cheese, jam, meat, chocolate... or roll up into a crescent for plain ones. 
   Whisk together an egg and 1 Tbsp of water and glaze each one before baking 10 minutes, rotate, 5 more or until golden. Holly suggests serving them, with you guessed it, more butter!

Look at those flaky layers...