I only just got these made in time for the April Bake off for ‘Fresh From The Oven’. This month it was chosen by Corrie from Hot Potato Blog.
I was glad it was another recipe from the River Cottage Bread Handbook as I like their recipes and find the book easy to follow, albeit difficult to prop open as it is so small. I end up sticking a jar of jam on each page.
I decided to make only half quantities as I’m sure, with only 3 of us here, a recipe that used 2 whole packs of butter is probably illegal.
Here is the one pack of butter that gets folded into the enriched dough.
Well in my book that’s almost a health food.
The dough is refrigerated overnight and then a series of folds and twists are performed, similar to making puff pastry. Then you make a 25 x 20cm isosceles triangle croissant template.
Yes really.
For future reference you can just squeak the template out of a standard size Weetabix box as they are 20 x 25cm.
Who knew?
Rolling out the pastry is not an easy task. It keeps trying to revert to being small again, but eventually I was down to the fun bit of rolling them up.
Then look how cute they look.
I almost forgave them for being such hard work!
Like little bready crab things.
You are left with a pile of rolled out dough which I wodged together into some kind of impromptu after school pain au chocolat style snacks.
I left them 4 hours to rise and they still never puffed up to the promised ‘double the size’. But we put them in the oven anyway. They rose quite well in there.
I have to say I have not tried a whole croissant yet (I only just managed to bake them before sunset ready for the posting deadline) but my ‘leftover bits turned into pain au chocolates’ were lovely. They are very flaky and have a slightly sweet and very buttery taste.
I think this may be one that is left to the experts on all but very special occasions but I am glad that I finally managed to bake these.
We plan to have the 4 croissants I baked tonight for our breakfast then I have frozen 6 for an indulgent Weekend breakfast to come.
Update – 4 croissants eaten for breakfast. Mission Accomplished!
sarah (Catch A Cub In Its Den)
April 28, 2010
aren’t croissants just about the best food ever? and chocolate croissants… that’s all i’ll be eating in heaven! thanks for the step by step photos, i may have to try my hand at homemade one day.
thingswemake
April 28, 2010
Fraxnits has listed the full recipe instructions if anyone wants to give it a try: http://fraxknits.vox.com/library/post/fresh-from-the-oven-challenge—croissants.html?_c=feed-atom and also Jules at Butcher Baker has too, with nice piccies: http://thebutcherthebaker.wordpress.com/2010/04/28/fresh-from-the-oven-croissants/
Apryl
April 28, 2010
I love croissants but I have never thought to try to make them… brioche are next on my list, though Matt is hinting about me making creme bruelle (sorry I can’t spell this morning) again after it worked out so well on his birthday.
maria
April 28, 2010
These look lovely. The weetabix tip was useful, I had raided the larder looking for a box big enough.
Merlotti
April 28, 2010
Yours look so neat and tidy compared with mine – I think I left them too long in the rather hot conservatory to rise! Well done – and weren’t they a treat?!
Jules
April 29, 2010
They look fab. I’m glad you managed to squeeze them in. I’m tempted to make a few pain au chocolat with the next batch.
Corrie
April 29, 2010
Thanks for baking along with me this month.Yours look just lovely! I also made a few chocolate ones and those are so yummy! :o)
Sarah, Maison Cupcake
April 30, 2010
I have SERIOUS croissant envy here. They look amazing.
From Me To You
May 6, 2010
OMG, this is amazing. You’ve inspired me!!! I hope to try this out this weekend!
Liesbeth
April 5, 2014
Any chance that you can send me the recipe for the croissant dough? Thank you!!
thingswemake.co.uk
April 5, 2014
I think this is the one that Jules posted: http://www.butcherbakerblog.com/2010/04/28/fresh-from-the-oven-croissants/