Croissants made with Fresh Milled Flour
These fresh milled flour croissants are tender, flaky, and oh so beautifully soft. (even without sifting the bran and germ out!) This recipe is a recipe that shouldn't be rushed, it is a labor of love to get them just right, but when you do the reward is so worth it! This is not a recipe I would recommend if you are just starting out baking with fresh milled flour. But, if you are patient enough, these will come together so perfectly!
Ingredients
Croissant Dough Ingredients
- 2&1/8 cup Fresh Milled Flour combo 250g I like to use 1/3 soft white 83g, 1/3 Kamut 83g, and 1/3 hard white 84g
- 1 tsp salt
- 1/8 cup sugar 25g
- 1&1/4 tsp instant yeast
- 2 TBSP Softened Butter 28g
- 1/4 cup warm whole milk 59g
- 1/2 cup warm water 120g
Butter Layer
- 8 TBSP European Style Butter 113g Frozen, then grated, keep frozen
Egg Wash
- 1 egg
- 2 tsp water
Instructions
Making The Dough
- Firstly, mill the flour. (I really like to use a mix of soft white, hard white, and Kamut for best results)
- I like to place the flour into the fridge for 10 minutes or so to cool it down before adding any ingredients. (The trick to croissants is keeping everything cold!)
- In the bowl with the flour. add sugar, salt, and yeast. Mix to combine the dry ingredients.
- Cut the 2 TBSP softened butter into pieces, and mix them into the dry flour mixture. I like to pinch the butter pieces into the flour with my hands.
- Then, add the warm milk and water into the dough. Mix until it forms a shaggy dough. Cover and let sit for 30 minutes so the fresh milled flour has time to absorb the liquids.
- After the dough has a chance to rest, on a lightly floured surface, start kneading the dough. Knead until it is cohesive, and somewhat smooth. When you gently touch the dough ball, it should spring back slightly, but not all the way. It should feel tender, not tight like a pie dough. Try not to incorporate too much extra flour.
- Cover the dough with cling film plastic wrap, and place in the fridge for at least 2 hours, but overnight is preferred.
Preparing The Butter
- While the dough is chilling, you can prepare the butter. Make sure you have a European Butter (because it has a lower moisture content.)
- To prepare the butter, take it out of the freezer, then grate it into a bowl. Cover the bowl, and place the shredded butter back into the freezer until the dough is ready.
Sealing In The Butter
- Once the dough has rested, take it out of the fridge (It should have risen a bit). Also, take the butter out of the freezer. Then, lightly flour your work surface (I like to use a marked silicone mat for this.)
- Roll the dough gently into a 6" x 12" rectangle. It should be about 1/2" thick.
- Put the shredded butter onto half of the dough if looking at the dough like an open book. Leave a small area around the edges without butter.
- Then, fold the unbuttered side of the dough "book" on top of the shredded butter half of the dough. Like you are closing the book.
- Press along the three open edges to seal the butter in.
Laminating The Dough
- To laminate the dough we are going to perform letter folds. (see blog post, video, or photos) It is important to keep the dough and butter cold during the process. we are trying to create layers of dough and butter. If the butter starts to soften it will melt into the dough, and the results will be more bread like rather than layered. So, if at anytime the butter seems to be softening, or warming up. Pop the dough back in the fridge for 20 minutes or so, even if it is off from these recipe instructions. (This is just a guide.)
- Keep the folded edge of your dough "book" to the left side, and start gently rolling the dough. Roll the dough into a 6" x 16" rectangle.
- Perform your first letter fold by taking the bottom 1/3 of the dough and folding it up. Then, taking the top 1/3 of the dough and folding it down on top of the other layers.
- Asses the dough, it may need to go in the fridge for 20 minutes between each letter fold.
- Start with the folded side on the left, and roll dough out into a 6" x 16" rectangle again. (so, between each letter fold, you turn the dough 90 degrees before rolling it out again.)
- Perform a second letter fold.
- Wrap dough back up into the cling film, and place in the fridge for 20 minutes.
- Roll out, and then perform a third letter fold.
- Cover, and place back in the fridge for 20 minutes.
- Roll out, and perform a fourth letter fold, wrap back up and refrigerate for at least 1 hour, but overnight again is preferred.
Shaping The Croissants
- After the dough has chilled, it is time to roll out and cut the croissants. So, roll the dough into a rectangle that is slightly larger than 8" x 16" on all sides. (the dough should be about 1/4 inch thick.)
- Trim the dough on all sides down to an exact 8" x 16" rectangle.
- Using a pastry cutter, cut the large rectangle into four smaller 4" x 8" rectangles.
- Then, cut those smaller rectangle diagonally to make 8 triangles.
- Take one triangle and make a small notch in the center of the base of the triangle. Take the corners on both sides of the notch, and gently pull to open the notch. Also, stretch the dough slightly lengthwise.
- Starting at the base of the croissant, start to roll the dough up on itself.
- Place the rolled croissant on a parchment paper lined baking sheet with the tip side down so they don't unravel during baking. Make sure to leave room to expand, so don't overcrowd the baking sheet.
- Repeat with the rest of the triangles.
- Cover and let rise for 1-2 hours at room temperature, until puffy and airy or doubled in size.
Egg Wash & Baking
- Preheat the Oven to 400* F.
- Towards the end of the rise, make a simple egg wash buy whisking together 1 egg with water in a small bowl.
- Brush the croissants with the egg wash while waiting for the oven to preheat.
- Once the oven has preheated, brush the croissants with a second egg wash right before they go into the oven.
- Bake croissants for 14-18 minutes, or until golden brown. The internal temperature should read 190*F. (If you overbake them they will become dry and tough.)
- Remove from oven and place on a cooling rack. Best served warm & fresh.
- Enjoy! We like to serve with melted honey butter! YUM!
Notes
Although, these are best served warm and fresh. They will last covered at room temperature for 2-3 days. If you want to store these fresh milled flour croissants longer, then I recommend letting them cool completely, then freezing in a freezer safe container the same day they are baked. They will last in the freezer for 3-4 months.