Makes: 24 Croissants Oven: 220 °C / 425 °F
Preparation Time: 1 hour Baking Time: 15 – 20 minutes
Preparation Time: 1 hour Baking Time: 15 – 20 minutes
Ingredients
| 720 | g | Cake flour ( 6 x 250 ml / 6 cups ) |
| 5 | ml | Salt ( 1 tsp ) |
| 60 | ml | Sugar ( 4 tbsp ) |
| 45 | g | Butter ( 3 tbsp ) |
| 10 | g | Anchor Instant Yeast ( 1 packet ) |
| 375 | ml | Lukewarm milk ( 1½ cup ) |
| 2 | Large eggs, beaten | |
| 10 | ml | Lemon juice ( 2 tsp ) |
| 375 | g | Butter, divided into 7 pieces |
Filling
| 250 | g | Baking or cooking chocolate, coarsely chopped ( optional ) |
Method
- Mix flour, salt and sugar together and rub the 45 g of butter into the flour. Add the Anchor Instant Yeast and mix.
- Mix milk, beaten egg and lemon juice together and add liquid to form a soft dough.
- Knead the dough for 10 minutes until smooth and elastic.
- Place dough into a greased plastic bag and refrigerate for 10 minutes.
- Divide the rest of the butter into 7 equal pieces.
- Roll the dough out into a rectangle and dot two thirds of the dough with 1 piece of butter. Fold the un-dotted third over the middle third. Fold the remaining third over the folded dough.
- Seal the edges well and turn the dough 90 º to the right. The dough should be in 3 layers and in the shape of a rectangle.
- Roll the dough once more into a rectangle and fold in three, always folding the bottom end away from you and the top end towards you. Seal the edges and turn the dough 90º to the right.
- Place the dough into the plastic bag, not turning it around or over. Rest the pastry in the fridge for 15 minutes. Repeat step 6 – 9 for 6 more times with 15 minutes resting intervals in the fridge.
- Allow to stand overnight. Danish pastry is best when left overnight. Remove the next day and allow the pastry to reach room temperature, but still cold. Don’t allow the dough to become warm, as the butter will then melt.
- Roll the pastry into a large rectangle. Cut the pastry into 15 cm strips.
- Make 10 cm markings on the one side of a strip and start with an indent of 5 cm on the other side. Thereafter continue with 10 cm markings, as per the previous side.
- Line up the markings with a zig-zag diagram and cut triangles. Sprinkle each with chocolate.
- Start from the wide side and roll the pastry up towards the point of the triangle, using the middle finger to apply pressure.
- Place on a lightly greased baking tray with the point tucked away securely.
- Cover and rise in a warm place for 20 minutes. Brush lightly with beaten egg and bake in a preheated oven at 220°C / 425°F for 15 – 20 minutes, or until light brown.
