The Born Again Croissant Recipes

CHEF JOHN'S CROISSANTS

Steps:

• Place warm water in the bowl of a stand mixer. Sprinkle with yeast. Let yeast dissolve for 10 minutes. Add sugar and bread flour. Sprinkle with salt; add 6 tablespoons butter. Attach the bowl to the stand mixer. Mix dough with the dough hook just until butter is completely kneaded in and the dough forms a ball and pulls away cleanly from the sides of the bowl, 3 or 4 minutes.
• Transfer dough to a work surface and form into a semi-smooth ball. Place dough back in the mixer bowl; cover. Let rise in a warm spot until doubled, about 2 hours.
• Transfer dough to a lightly floured work surface. Push and press dough to deflate it, and form it into a rectangle. Fold into thirds by lifting one end over the middle third, and folding the other side onto the middle. Wrap in plastic wrap. Place on a rimmed baking sheet lined with a silicone mat. Refrigerate until chilled through, about 1 hour.
• Cut 2 sticks butter in half lengthwise and place slightly apart from each other on a length of parchment paper long enough to fold over the butter. Fold the parchment paper over the butter. Press butter down. Roll out with a rolling pin to a square about 8x8 inches. Refrigerate until a little chilled and just barely flexible, 10 or 15 minutes.
• Roll dough out into a rectangle slightly wider than the butter slab and just over twice as long. Place butter on one half of the dough leaving about 1 inch margin from the edge of the dough. Fold the other half of the dough over the butter. Dust work surface and dough with flour as needed.
• Press rolling pin down on dough to create ridges. Then roll out the ridges. Repeat this process. Keep pressing and rolling until dough is about the same size rectangle as you had before you folded it in half, dusting with just a bit of flour as necessary.
• Starting from the short side, fold one-third of dough over middle third. Then fold the other end over to form a small rectangle. Flatten out just slightly with rolling pin. Transfer to the silicone-lined baking sheet; cover with plastic wrap. Refrigerate until chilled, about 30 minutes.
• Transfer dough back to work surface and repeat pressing and rolling technique until dough is the size of the previous larger rectangle. Fold into thirds again, starting from the short side. Press and roll slightly. Transfer back to lined baking sheet. Cover and refrigerate about 15 minutes.
• Roll back out to a large rectangle. This time, fold dough in half. Then press and roll out into a 1/2-inch thick rectangle, using as little flour as needed to keep dough from sticking.
• Cut dough in half lengthwise using a pastry wheel or pizza cutter. Dust one piece with flour and roll out to a rectangle about 1/4 to 1/8 inch thick. Starting from one corner, cut the dough diagonally crosswise into 8 triangles using a pastry wheel. Starting with the bottom end of each triangle, roll each up toward the tip to form the croissant with the seam at the bottom. If necessary, use a bit of water to seal the tip to the rolled croissant.
• Repeat with the other half of the dough.
• Place shaped croissants on baking sheets lined with silicone mats. Whisk together egg and 1 tablespoon water to make the egg wash. Brush croissants with egg wash. Place in a warm area to allow them to rise, about 45 to 60 minutes.
• Preheat oven to 400 degrees F (200 degrees C). Brush croissants gently but thoroughly again with egg wash.
• Bake in preheated oven until beautifully browned, about 25 minutes. Transfer to a cooling rack. Cool to room temperature before serving.

HOMEMADE CROISSANTS

Steps:

• Combine the flour, milk, sugar, yeast, salt, 3 tablespoons room-temperature butter and 1/2 cup cold water in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the dough hook. Mix on low speed until the dough starts to come together, about 2 minutes. Increase the speed to medium and continue to mix until completely combined and gathered into a ball that is no longer sticky to the touch, about 5 minutes. Transfer the dough to a lightly floured baking sheet, dust the top with flour and wrap in plastic wrap. Refrigerate overnight.
• The following day, put the remaining cold butter pieces (2 1/2 sticks) in the middle of a piece of parchment and dust with a generous pinch of flour. Top with another piece of parchment. With a rolling pin, pound the butter to form a 7-inch square, using a bench scraper or ruler to help even out the sides. Refrigerate while you roll out the dough.
• To roll and fold the dough: Unwrap the dough and lay it on a lightly floured work surface. Roll into a 12-inch square, dusting with flour as needed. Peel the parchment off the butter square and position the butter in the middle of the dough. Fold the top flap of dough over the butter towards you, stretching it slightly so that it reaches just past the center of the butter. Repeat with the opposite flap so they overlap by a couple inches. Turn the dough so that one of the open ends is closest to you.
• Using the rolling pin, gently pound the dough so the butter is spread out evenly in the middle of the dough. Then, roll the dough to an 8-by-24-inch rectangle. Pick up one short end of the dough and fold it back over the dough, leaving one-third of the other end of dough exposed. Then fold the exposed dough over the folded side (like folding a letter). Put the dough back on the baking sheet, cover with plastic wrap and chill so the dough relaxes and the butter firms slightly, 20 to 30 minutes.
• Lay the dough on a lightly floured work surface folded-side down. Roll in the direction of the 2 open ends, until the dough is about an 8-by-24-inch rectangle. Fold the dough in thirds again like a letter, put back on the baking sheet, cover and chill for another 20 minutes.
• Give the dough a third rolling, then fold one side to the middle of the dough and fold the other side to meet it in the middle. Fold the dough in half so it resembles a book. Put the dough on the baking sheet and cover with plastic wrap, tucking the plastic under all sides. Refrigerate for 2 hours and up to overnight.
• To divide the dough: Unwrap the dough and lightly flour the top and bottom. Roll the dough into a 10-by-35-inch rectangle. Lay the dough in front of you so the long sides are horizontal. Position a ruler lengthwise along the bottom side of the dough (the side closest to you) and mark with a paring knife every 5 inches along the length of the dough. Move the ruler to the top side of the dough (the side farthest from you) and make a mark on the dough at 2 1/2 inches. Move the ruler to the 2 1/2-inch mark, then make marks every 5 inches along the length of the dough from that point.
• Using a pizza cutter or long sharp knife, make a diagonal cut from the bottom left corner to the first mark on the top edge (at 2 1/2 inches), then cut diagonally down from that mark to the first 5-inch mark on the bottom edge of the dough, to make a triangle. Continue cutting diagonally from bottom mark to top mark and back again to create 15 triangles total (2 will be from the ends and a little smaller but still useable).
• Line 2 baking sheets with parchment. Lay one triangle on the work surface with the short side closest to you. Gently pull to extend the tip at the top. With one hand on each side of the short end of the triangle, start to roll the dough away from you towards the pointed end. Press down on the dough with enough force to make the layers stick together. Arrange the croissant on one of the lined baking sheets with the tip of the dough on the bottom. Repeat with the remaining dough triangles.
• Whisk the egg with a splash of water in a small bowl until combined. Lightly brush some of the egg wash on each croissant. (Refrigerate the remaining egg wash for later.) Put the croissants in a warm spot to proof, until puffy looking and about 1 1/2 times larger, about 2 hours.
• Position oven racks in the upper and lower thirds of the oven and preheat to 425 degrees F.
• Brush the croissants again with the egg wash. Bake for 10 minutes, then rotate the sheets from front to back and top to bottom. Continue baking until dark golden, another 8 to 10 minutes. Let cool on the baking sheets on wire racks.

CROISSANTS

Steps:

• Combine yeast, warm water, and 1 teaspoon sugar. Allow to stand until creamy and frothy.
• Measure flour into a mixing bowl. Dissolve 2 teaspoons sugar and salt in warm milk. Blend into flour along with yeast and oil. Mix well; knead until smooth. Cover, and let rise until over triple in volume, about 3 hours. Deflate gently, and let rise again until doubled, about another 3 hours. Deflate and chill 20 minutes.
• Massage butter until pliable, but not soft and oily. Pat dough into a 14x8-inch rectangle. Smear butter over top two thirds, leaving 1/4-inch margin all around. Fold unbuttered third over middle third, and buttered top third down over that. Turn 90 degrees, so that folds are to left and right. Roll out to a 14x6-inch rectangle. Fold in three again. Sprinkle lightly with flour, and put dough in a plastic bag. Refrigerate 2 hours. Unwrap, sprinkle with flour, and deflate gently. Roll to a 14x6-inch rectangle, and fold again. Turn 90 degrees, and repeat. Wrap, and chill 2 hours.
• To shape, roll dough out to a 20x5-inch rectangle. Cut in half crosswise, and chill half while shaping the other half. Roll out to a 15 x 5 inch rectangle. Cut into three 5 x 5 inch squares. Cut each square in half diagonally. Roll each triangle lightly to elongate the point, and make it 7 inches long. Grab the other 2 points, and stretch them out slightly as you roll it up. Place on a baking sheet, curving slightly. Let shaped croissants rise until puffy and light. In a small bowl, beat together egg and 1 tablespoon water. Glaze croissants with egg wash.
• Bake in a preheated 475 degrees F (245 degrees C) oven for 12 to 15 minutes.

CROISSANTS

Steps:

• Make the dough: Stir yeast, water, and 1 teaspoon sugar in a bowl. Let stand until foamy, about 5 minutes. Butter a large bowl; set aside. Put bread flour, all-purpose flour, remaining 3 tablespoons plus 2 teaspoons sugar, and the salt into the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the dough hook; mix on low speed until combined. Add yeast mixture, milk, and butter; mix until dough just comes together.
• Knead dough: Scrape dough out onto a lightly floured work surface. Using lightly floured hands, knead until smooth, about 3 minutes. Transfer to buttered bowl, turning to coat.
• Let dough rise: Cover dough with plastic wrap; transfer to the refrigerator. Let rise until doubled in bulk, about 2 hours (dough should not spring back when you press it with your finger).
• Make the butter package: About 45 minutes after the dough begins rising, put flour and butter into the clean bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment. Mix on medium speed until well combined, 3 to 4 minutes. Scrape butter mixture out onto a piece of parchment paper; shape into a rectangle. Top with parchment, and roll out to an 8-by-10-inch rectangle. Transfer to a baking sheet, and refrigerate 30 minutes.
• Roll out dough: Turn out dough onto a lightly floured work surface; shape into a rectangle. Roll out to a 10 1/2-by-16-inch rectangle, about 1/2 inch thick, with short side facing you.
• Place butter package on dough: The butter package should be cool but pliable; your finger should leave an indentation but the butter should still hold its shape. If too soft, continue to refrigerate; if too firm, let stand at room temperature briefly. Place horizontally on bottom half of dough; remove parchment. Fold top half of dough over butter package, and pinch edges of dough to seal.
• Roll in butter: Turn dough so that a short side is facing you and the seam is on the right. Roll out to a 10-by-20-inch rectangle, about 1/2 inch thick (keep the corners as square as possible).
• Fold dough into thirds: Remove any excess flour with a pastry brush. Starting at the far end, fold rectangle in thirds as you would a business letter (this completes the first of 3 "turns").
• Mark dough: Mark the dough with your knuckle (later, this will help you remember how many turns have been completed). Wrap dough in plastic, and refrigerate 1 hour.
• Repeat process: Remove from refrigerator, and press the dough; it should be pliable but have some resistance. If too soft, return to refrigerator; if too firm, let stand at room temperature, 5 minutes. Repeat the preceding three steps to complete two more turns (make 2 marks for the second turn and 3 marks for the third turn); always start with a short side facing you and the seam on the right, rolling lengthwise before crosswise. After the second turn, wrap dough in plastic, and refrigerate 1 hour. After the third and final turn, wrap dough in plastic, and refrigerate 8 hours (or overnight).
• Roll out and chill dough: Turn out dough onto a lightly floured work surface, and roll out to a 30-by-16-inch rectangle. If dough becomes unmanageable, cut in half crosswise, and roll out two 15-by-16-inch rectangles (refrigerate 1 piece as you work with the other). Chill in freezer 15 minutes. Remove dough, and remeasure: It should match original dimensions; if not, roll out again. If dough becomes too warm or elastic, chill in freezer, 15 minutes.
• Cut dough: Cut dough into two 30-by-8-inch rectangles (or four 15-by-8-inch rectangles). Stack rectangles, lining up edges (if you have four smaller rectangles, make two stacks).
• Trim dough and cut into triangles: Using a pastry or pizza wheel and cutting at a 20-degree angle, trim a small wedge from one short side to create an angled side. Cut dough into triangles, each with a 4 1/2-inch base. You should have about 20 total.
• Cut slits: Cut a 1-inch slit in the middle of the base of each triangle. Separate the stacks, transferring half the triangles to a parchment-lined baking sheet; cover, and refrigerate.
• Begin shaping croissants: Working with one triangle at a time and keeping remaining triangles covered with a clean kitchen towel, hold the two corners of the base, and stretch to lengthen it slightly. Grasp inner corners formed by the slit in the base, and lift and stretch them toward the outer sides of the triangle; press to seal.
• Roll croissants: Using your fingertips, roll the base of the triangle up and away from you, stretching the dough slightly outward as you roll to elongate the point (when finished, the point should be tucked under the croissant).
• Finish shaping croissants: Bend the two ends toward you to form a crescent shape (the ends should almost touch). Transfer to parchment-lined baking sheets, spacing croissants 2 inches apart. Repeat with remaining triangles. Cover loosely with plastic wrap, and let stand in a warm place until croissants have doubled in bulk and are very soft, 1 1/2 hours to 2 1/4 hours, depending on the temperature of room.
• Brush with egg: Preheat oven to 400 degrees, with racks in upper and lower thirds. Brush tops of croissants with egg. Bake, rotating sheets halfway through, until croissants are puffed and golden brown, 20 to 25 minutes. Let cool slightly on sheets on wire racks. Serve warm or at room temperature.

BREAD MACHINE CROISSANTS

Steps:

• Add ingredients in the order recommended for your bread machine. Use the DOUGH cycle.
• When done, remove from bread machine pan and transfer to a greased bowl. Cover and refrigerate for 30 minutes.
• Place the dough onto a lightly floured surface and roll into a 15 x 12-inch rectangle.
• With the long side towards you, cover 2/3 of the dough with the thin slices of butter.
• Fold UNBUTTERED third of dough over the center buttered third, then fold again - over the remaining buttered third.
• Seal ends and long side of dough. Place on a lightly greased cookie sheet. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for 30 minutes.
• Place dough on a lightly floured surface with the short side towards you. Roll out into a 15 x 12-inch rectangle.
• Fold in thirds, folding from end to end. Place back onto greased cookie sheet, cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate at least 4 hours or overnight. The longer the refrigeration time the flakier the croissants.
• Place dough on lightly floured surface, with short side towards you. Roll out into a 15 x 12-inch rectangle.
• Cut rectangle into thirds, both crosswise and lengthwise. Then cut each section in half diagonally to form 18 triangles.
• Roll each triangle up starting at wide end to form crescent shape.
• Place croissants on greased cookie sheet, curving ends so they almost touch.
• Brush or spray lightly with water. Cover and let rise in a warm place for 30-50 min or until double in size.
• Brush croissants with slightly beaten egg white. Bake in preheated 375° oven for 15-20 minutes or until golden brown.

CROISSANTS

Steps:

• In a mixer with a dough hook, place the yeast, flour, sugar, salt and the milk and mix for 2 minutes until a soft moist dough forms on the hook. If most of the flour isn't moistened with this quantity of milk, add more, a tablespoon at a time until it is moistened and smooth, using up to 4 tablespoons. Turn mixer on high and mix for another 4 minutes until very smooth and elastic.
• Turn the dough out of the bowl onto a floured board, cover with a damp tea towel and allow it to rest for 15 minutes to relax the gluten. Remove the towel and, using a French rolling pin, roll the dough into a 10 by 9-inch rectangle 5/8-inch thick. Wrap in plastic then chill for 1 hour and up to overnight.
• Ten minutes before the dough is done resting in the refrigerator, prepare the butter. Beat it with your rolling pin on a floured surface to soften it and form a rectangle 6 by 8 1/2 inches. Place it between parchment paper or plastic wrap and set aside.
• Remove the dough from the refrigerator and roll it on a floured work surface into a 10 by 15-inch and 1/4-inch thick rectangle. Brush any excess flour off the dough. Place the shorter side of the dough parallel to the front of your body on the work surface. Place the butter in the middle, long-ways. Fold the bottom up over the butter and brush off any excess flour and then fold the top down over the butter to overlap and encase the butter. Press down lightly with the rolling pin to push all the layers together and make sure they have contact.
• Continue rolling the laminated (layered) dough to form a new 10 by15-inch rectangle, patching any holes with a dusting of flour where butter may have popped through. Fold into thirds, like a letter, brush off any excess flour and mark it with an indentation made by poking your finger once at the corner of the dough meaning you have completed the first "turn".
• Wrap well in plastic and chill 1 hour and up to overnight. Do this again three more times (some people only do 3 turns total, some do 6, some do 3 plus what's called a "wallet" turn for the last one which is a 4 fold turn that's folded into itself like a book jacket) marking it accordingly each time and chilling in between each turn.
• After the fourth turn, you can let the dough chill overnight, or, for 1 hour, or, roll it out to a 13 by 24-inch square that is a little less than 1/4-inch thick and cut out your croissants and shape them.
• I roll out my dough and cut it with a sharp large knife into 6-inch strips then cut them into triangles, 4 inches wide at the base of the triangle (or for a more curved croissant cut the triangles 6 inches wide). Stretch these triangles again 9 inches long, then place on the work surface and put a piece of scrap dough in the center of the wide end to enclose, which will plump up the center. Roll the triangles up towards you starting at the wide end and place them 2 inches apart on a parchment lined sheet pan with the tip tucked under and the ends slightly curved in to make a crescent shape. You may freeze the croissants at this point, or, in a small bowl, whisk together the egg and milk and brush the croissants with this egg wash.
• To proof the croissants, place them in an oven that is warm but not turned on, with a pan of hot water in the bottom to create a moist environment like a proof box. Set aside to proof for 1 1/2 to 2 1/2 hours until puffed up and spongy to the touch. Remove from the oven.
• Spritz a preheated 425 degree F oven with water, close the door, and get the croissants. Place the croissants in the oven and spritz again, close the door and turn the oven down to 400 degrees F. After 10 minutes, rotate your pan if they are cooking unevenly and turn the oven down to 375 degrees F. Bake another 5 to 8 minutes until golden brown.

PERFECT BUTTER CROISSANTS

Steps:

• It is important to use only a small amount of yeast in croissants so that the dough never rises before it is placed in the oven. If dry yeast is used, follow directions on package. If fresh yeast is used, cream it with sugar and salt to make a syrup.
• Place 3 1/2 cups flour in a large bowl. Make a well in the center. Add yeast, sugar, salt, and 2 tablespoons of the butter (cut into pieces and softened) and enough cold milk to make a medium-firm dough-NOT as firm as bread dough, but not sticky. Knead dough for a few minutes, only until smooth, not elastic (You can use a stand mixer initially & finish kneading by hand on a floured surface until the dough is smooth, about 3-4 minutes.) If the dough is kneaded too long, the croissants will not be tender and flaky. Place dough to rest in the refrigerator for 10 minutes.
• While dough is resting, shape butter into a flattened brick, rolling it in some of the remaining flour to prevent sticking. Place butter on a sheet of wax paper. Sprinkle it with flour and cover with another sheet of wax paper. Then roll out butter into a square ¼ inch thick. Cut square in half. Wrap pieces in wax paper and place in refrigerator.
• Remove dough from the refrigerator and roll it out on a cloth well dusted with flour or a well-floured surface, making a rectangle about 3 times longer than it is wide. Brush excess flour from surface of dough. Place a piece of butter in the center. Fold ONE end of dough over butter. Place remaining butter on top. Fold second end of dough over butter. Press edges together to seal.
• Place dough on cloth so that the short ends are parallel to the edge of the table nearest you. Roll out on floured cloth into a long rectangle as before. Brush off excess flour. Fold both ends to meet in the center. Then fold once more, in half, as if you were closing the pages of a book, making 4 layers.
• Press all edges together. Wrap and chill for one hour. Place dough on floured cloth, again being sure that the short ends are parallel to the edge of the table nearest you. Roll out dough into a long rectangle. Fold ends to meet in the center, then fold once again as before.
• Chill dough at least 2-3 hours, or until it is very cold.
• Cut dough in half. Roll out each half separately into a sheet 1/8 of an inch thick (chill half not being worked on). Cut into long strips 5 inches wide. Divide strips into triangles using a sharp paring knife or a pizza cutter. Roll up widest side of the triangles toward opposite point fairly tightly, stretching slightly as you roll to make them longer. DO NOT try to shape further for now. First, chill rolls in freezer for ½ hour.
• Then, removing only 4-5 at a time, make each into a thinner, longer, and more compact shape by rolling it firmly against the surface with open palm of hand. Place on a greased baking sheet, curving each into a croissant. Chill again until very cold (you could actually freeze the formed rolls at this point).
• Set oven to 475°F Brush rolls with egg yolks mixed with cream. Place in preheated oven for 5 minutes. Reduce heat to 400°F Continue baking about 8-9 minutes longer, or until croissants are golden brown. Let cool (and complete carry-over baking) before eating.

CROISSANTS

Steps:

• Twenty-four hours before serving, start the détrempe: In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the dough hook, combine the flour, sugar, salt and yeast, and stir to combine. Create a well in the center, and pour in the water and milk. Mix on low speed until a tight, smooth dough comes together around the hook, about 5 minutes. Remove the hook and cover the bowl with a damp towel. Set aside for 10 minutes.
• Reattach the dough hook and turn the mixer on medium-low speed. Add the butter pieces all at once and continue to mix, scraping down the bowl and hook once or twice, until the dough has formed a very smooth, stretchy ball that is not the least bit sticky, 8 to 10 minutes.
• Form the dough into a ball and place seam-side down on a lightly floured work surface. Using a sharp knife, cut two deep perpendicular slashes in the dough, forming a "+." (This will help the dough expand into a square shape as it rises, making it easier to roll out later.) Place the dough slashed-side up inside the same mixing bowl, cover with plastic wrap and let rise at room temperature until about 1 1/2 times its original size, 45 minutes to 1 hour. Transfer the bowl to the refrigerator and chill for at least 4 hours and up to 12.
• As the dough chills, make the butter block: Place the sticks of butter side-by-side in the center of a large sheet of parchment paper, then loosely fold all four sides of the parchment over the butter to form a packet. Turn the packet over and use a rolling pin to lightly beat the cold butter into a flat scant 1/2-inch-thick layer, fusing the sticks and making it pliable. (Don't worry about the shape at this point.) The parchment may tear. Turn over the packet and unwrap, replacing the parchment with a new sheet if needed. Fold the parchment paper over the butter again, this time making neat, clean folds at right angles (like you're wrapping a present), forming an 8-inch square. Turn the packet over again and roll the pin across the packet, further flattening the butter into a thin layer that fills the entire packet while forcing out any air pockets. The goal is a level and straight-edged square of butter. Transfer the butter block to the refrigerator.
• Eighteen hours before serving, remove the dough from the refrigerator, uncover and transfer to a clean work surface. (It will have doubled in size.) Deflate the dough with the heel of your hand. Using the four points that formed where you slashed the dough, stretch the dough outward and flatten into a rough square measuring no more than 8 inches on one side.
• Place 2 pieces of plastic wrap on the work surface perpendicular to each other, and place the dough on top. Wrap the dough rectangle, maintaining the squared-off edges, then roll your pin over top as you did for the butter, forcing the dough to fill in the plastic and form an 8-inch square with straight sides and right angles. Freeze for 20 minutes.
• Remove the butter from the refrigerator and the dough from the freezer. Set aside the butter. Unwrap the dough (save the plastic, as you'll use it again) and place on a lightly floured surface. Roll the dough, dusting with flour if necessary, until 16 inches long, maintaining a width of 8 inches (barely wider than the butter block). With a pastry brush, brush off any flour from the surface of the dough and make sure none sticks to the surface.
• You're going to enclose the butter block in the dough and roll them out together. To ensure they do so evenly, they should have the same firmness, with the dough being slightly colder than the butter. The butter should be chilled but able to bend without breaking. If it feels stiff or brittle, let sit at room temperature for a few minutes. Unwrap the butter just so the top is exposed, then use the parchment paper to carefully invert the block in the center of the dough rectangle, ensuring all sides are parallel. Press the butter gently into the dough and peel off the parchment paper. You should have a block of butter with overhanging dough on two opposite sides and a thin border of dough along the other two.
• Grasp the overhanging dough on one side and bring it over the butter toward the center, then repeat with the other side of the dough, enclosing the butter. You don't need the dough to overlap, but you want the two sides to meet, so stretch it if necessary, and pinch the dough together along all seams so no butter peeks out anywhere. Lift the whole block and dust a bit of flour underneath, then rotate the dough 90 degrees, so the center seam is oriented vertically.
• Orient the rolling pin perpendicular to the seam and lightly beat the dough all along the surface to lengthen and flatten. Roll out the dough lengthwise along the seam into a 24-inch-long, 1/4-inch-thick narrow slab, lightly dusting underneath and over top with more flour as needed to prevent sticking. Rather than applying pressure downward, try to push the dough toward and away from you with the pin, which will help maintain even layers of dough and butter. Remember to periodically lift the dough and make sure it's not sticking to the surface, and try your best to maintain straight, parallel sides. (It's OK if the shorter sides round a bit - you're going to trim them.)
• Use a wheel cutter or long, sharp knife to trim the shorter ends, removing excess dough where the butter doesn't fully extend and squaring off the corners for a very straight-edged, even rectangle of dough. Maintaining the rectangular shape, especially at this stage, will lead to the most consistent and even lamination. If at any point in the process you see air bubbles in the dough while rolling, pierce them with a cake tester or the tip of a paring knife to deflate and proceed.
• Dust any flour off the dough's surface. Grasp the short side of the rectangle farther from you and fold it toward the midline of the dough slab, aligning the sides. Press gently so the dough adheres to itself. Repeat with the other side of the dough, leaving an 1/8-inch gap where the ends meet in the middle. Now, fold the entire slab in half crosswise along the gap in the center. You should now have a rectangular packet of dough, called a "book," that's four layers thick. This is a "double turn," and it has now quadrupled the number of layers of butter inside the dough.
• Wrap the book tightly in the reserved plastic. If it is thicker than about 1 1/2 inches, or if it's lost some of its rectangularity, roll over the plastic-wrapped dough to flatten it and reshape it. Freeze the book for 15 minutes, then refrigerate for 1 hour.
• Let the dough sit at room temperature for about 5 minutes. Unwrap and place on a lightly floured surface. Beat the dough and roll out as before (Step 10) into another long, narrow 3/8-inch-thick slab. It should be nice and relaxed, and extend easily. Dust off any excess flour.
• Fold the dough in thirds like a letter, bringing the top third of the slab down and over the center third, then the bottom third up and over. This is a "simple turn," tripling the layers. Press gently so the layers adhere. Wrap tightly in plastic again and freeze for 15 minutes, then refrigerate for 1 hour.
• Let the dough sit at room temperature for about 5 minutes, then unwrap and place on a lightly floured surface. Beat the dough and roll out as before, but into a 14-by-17-inch slab (15-by-16-inch for pain au chocolat or ham and cheese croissants). The dough will start to spring back, but try to get it as close to those dimensions as possible. Brush off any excess flour, wrap tightly in plastic, and slide onto a baking sheet or cutting board. Freeze for 20 minutes, then chill overnight (8 to 12 hours). If making pain au chocolat or ham and cheese croissants, see recipes.
• Four and a half hours before serving, arrange racks in the upper and lower thirds of the oven. Bring a skillet of water to a simmer over medium-high heat. Transfer the skillet to the floor of the oven and close the door. (The steam released inside the oven will create an ideal proofing environment.)
• As the steam releases in the oven, line two rimmed baking sheets with parchment paper and set aside. Let the dough sit at room temperature for about 5 minutes. Unwrap (save the plastic for proofing), place on a very lightly floured surface, and, if necessary, roll out to 17-by-14 inches. Very thoroughly dust off any excess flour with a pastry brush. Use a wheel cutter or long knife and ruler to cut the shorter sides, trimming any irregular edges where not all the layers of dough fully extend and creating a rectangle that's exactly 16 inches long, then cut into four 4-by-14-inch rectangles.
• Separate the rectangles, then use the ruler and wheel cutter to slice a straight line from opposite corners of one rectangle to form two long, equal triangles. Repeat with the remaining rectangles to make 8 triangles. Trim the short side of each triangle at a slight angle, making them into triangles with longer sides of equal length.
• Working one triangle at a time, grasp the two corners of the shorter end, the base of the crescent, and tug gently outward to extend the points and widen the base to about 3 inches. Then, gently tug outward from about halfway down the triangle all the way to the point, to both lengthen the triangle and thin the dough as it narrows. Starting at the base (the short end), snugly roll up the dough, keeping the point centered and applying light pressure. Try not to roll tightly or stretch the dough around itself. Place the crescent on one of the parchment-lined baking sheets, resting it on the point of the triangle. If the dough gets too soft while you're working, cover the triangles and freeze for a few minutes before resuming rolling. Space them evenly on the baking sheets, four per sheet. Very loosely cover the baking sheets with plastic wrap, so the croissants have some room to expand.
• Three and a half hours before serving, open the oven and stick your hand inside: It should be humid but not hot, as the water in the skillet will have cooled. You want the croissants to proof at 70 to 75 degrees. (Any hotter and the butter will start to melt, leading to a denser croissant.) Place the baking sheets inside the oven and let the croissants proof until they're about doubled in size, extremely puffy, and jiggle delicately when the baking sheet is gently shaken, 2 to 2 1/2 hours. Resist the urge to touch or poke the croissants as they proof: They're very delicate. Try not to rush this process, either, as an underproofed croissant will not be as light and ethereal.
• Remove the baking sheets from the oven and carefully uncover them, then transfer to the refrigerator and chill for 20 minutes while you heat the oven. Remove the skillet from the oven and heat to 375 degrees.
• In a small bowl, stir the yolk and heavy cream until streak-free. Using a pastry brush, gently brush the smooth surfaces of each crescent with the yolk and cream mixture, doing your best to avoid the cut sides with exposed layers of dough.
• Transfer the sheets to the oven and bake for 20 minutes. Rotate the baking sheets and switch racks, and continue to bake until the croissants are deeply browned, another 10 to 15 minutes. Remove from the oven and let cool completely on the baking sheets.

BUTTERY CROISSANTS

Steps:

• In a small bowl, beat butter and flour until combined; spread into a 12x6-in. rectangle on a piece of waxed paper. Cover with another piece of waxed paper; refrigerate for at least 1 hour., In a large bowl, dissolve yeast in warm water. Add the milk, sugar, egg, salt and 2 cups flour; beat until smooth. Stir in enough remaining flour to form a soft dough. Turn onto a floured surface; knead until smooth and elastic, about 6-8 minutes. , Roll dough into a 14-in. square. Remove top sheet of waxed paper from butter; invert onto half of dough. Remove waxed paper. Fold dough over butter; seal edges. , Roll into a 20x12-in. rectangle. Fold into thirds. Repeat rolling and folding twice. (If butter softens, chill after folding.) Wrap in plastic; refrigerate overnight., Unwrap dough. On a lightly floured surface, roll into a 25x20-in. rectangle. Cut into 5-in. squares. Cut each square diagonally in half, forming two triangles. , Roll up triangles from the wide end; place 2 in. apart with point down on ungreased baking sheets. Curve ends down to form crescent shape. Cover and let rise until doubled, about 45 minutes. , Bake at 375° for 12-14 minutes or until golden brown. Remove to wire racks. Serve warm.