Parma Braids Recipes

CROISSANT DOUGH

Steps:

• Make dough:
• Stir together warm milk, brown sugar, and yeast in bowl of standing mixer and let stand until foamy, about 5 minutes. (If it doesn't foam, discard and start over.) Add 3 3/4 cups flour and salt and mix with dough hook at low speed until dough is smooth and very soft, about 7 minutes.
• Transfer dough to a work surface and knead by hand 2 minutes, adding more flour as necessary, a little at a time, to make a soft, slightly sticky dough. Form dough into a roughly 1 1/2-inch-thick rectangle and chill, wrapped in plastic wrap, until cold, about 1 hour.
• Prepare and shape butter:
• After dough has chilled, arrange sticks of butter horizontally, their sides touching, on a work surface. Pound butter with a rolling pin to soften slightly (butter should be malleable but still cold). Scrape butter into a block and put on a kitchen towel, then cover with other towel. Pound and roll out on both sides until butter forms a uniform 8- by 5-inch rectangle. Chill, wrapped in towels, while rolling out dough.
• Roll out dough:
• Unwrap dough and roll out on a lightly floured surface, dusting with flour as necessary and lifting and stretching dough (especially in corners), into a 16- by 10-inch rectangle. Arrange dough with a short side nearest you. Put butter in center of dough so that long sides of butter are parallel to short sides of dough. Fold as you would a letter: bottom third of dough over butter, then top third down over dough. Brush off excess flour with pastry brush.
• Roll out dough:
• Turn dough so a short side is nearest you, then flatten dough slightly by pressing down horizontally with rolling pin across dough at regular intervals, making uniform impressions. Roll out dough into a 15- by 10-inch rectangle, rolling just to but not over ends.
• Brush off any excess flour. Fold in thirds like a letter, as above, stretching corners to square off dough, forming a 10- by 5-inch rectangle. (You have completed the first "fold.") Chill, wrapped in plastic wrap, 1 hour.
• Make remaining "folds":
• Make 3 more folds in same manner, chilling dough 1 hour after each fold, for a total of 4 folds. (If any butter oozes out while rolling, sprinkle with flour to prevent sticking.) Wrap dough tightly in plastic wrap and chill at least 8 hours but no more than 18 (after 18 hours, dough may not rise sufficiently when baked).

PARMA BRAIDS

Steps:

• Cut dough in half and chill 1 half, wrapped in plastic wrap. Roll out remaining half on a lightly floured surface, dusting with flour as necessary, into a 16 1/2- by 7-inch rectangle. Brush off excess flour with pastry brush and trim edges with a pizza wheel or sharp knife.
• Cut dough into quarters, forming 4 rectangles.
• Arrange 1 rectangle with a short side nearest you. Gently score rectangle twice vertically to divide lengthwise into thirds, but do not cut through.
• Now cut "fringe": Along each long side, make an equal number of horizontal cuts, 1/2 inch apart, with scissors, cutting from edge to closest score mark and leaving middle of rectangle uncut.
• Slightly overlap 2 slices prosciutto on a work surface to form a 6-inch-long piece and sprinkle with 2 teaspoons cheese and pepper to taste. Roll up prosciutto, enclosing cheese, to form a 6-inch-long log, then place log down center of fringed rectangle, between scored lines.
• Working quickly with fringe, braid by making a crisscross pattern over prosciutto similar to that made by lacing a shoe: Take top right strip and, stretching dough slightly, cross it over prosciutto to left side, pressing it onto base of second strip (from top) so that strip adheres. Cross top left strip over to right side in same manner.
• Continue crossing strips until you reach bottom, then tuck last 2 strips under bottom edge of dough, pressing to adhere.
• Put braid on a parchment-lined large baking sheet. Make more braids with remaining 3 rectangles, then with chilled dough, arranging 2 inches apart on baking sheet.
• Slide baking sheet into garbage bag, propping up top of bag with inverted glasses to keep it from touching pastries, and tuck open end under baking sheet.
• Let pastries rise until slightly puffy and spongy to the touch, 2 to 2 1/2 hours.
• Set oven rack in middle of oven and preheat to 425°F.
• Remove baking sheet from garbage bag. Lightly beat yolk with a few drops of water to make a glaze. Brush braids with some glaze and sprinkle with sesame seeds.
• Spritz inside oven generously with spray bottle and close door. Put braids in oven, then spritz again before closing door. Reduce temperature to 400°F and bake 10 minutes without opening door.
• Rotate baking sheet 180° in oven, then reduce temperature to 375°F and bake until braids are deep golden, 12 to 15 minutes more.