Quick Butter Croissants
Why I Love This Recipe
The dough for these can be made up to 4 days in advance so they're perfect for lazy Sunday brunches.
Ingredients You'll Need
1 pkg active dry yeast
1 C. warm water (about 110 degrees)
1 1/2 tsp. salt
1/3 C. sugar
5 1/4 C. all-purpose flour
4 Tbs. butter, melted and cooled
1 C. butter, cut into pieces
1 egg, beaten with 1 Tbs. water
Directions
In a large bowl of an electric mixer, dissolve yeast in water. Add milk, salt, sugar, egg, and 1 C. of the flour. Beat on medium speed until smooth. Stir in the 4 Tbs. melted butter; set aside.
Put 4 C. of the remaining flour in another large bowl. Using a pastry blender or 2 knives, cut in the 1 C. firm butter until particles are the size of peas. Pour in yeast batter and fold in just until flour is evenly moistened. Cover tightly and refrigerate at least 4 hours or up to 4 days.
Turn dough out onto a floured board, press into compact ball, and knead for about 5 minutes. Divide dough into 4 equal parts. Shape 1 part at a time, leaving remaining dough, wrapped in plastic wrap, in refrigerator. On a floured board, roll 1 part of the dough into a circle 14 inches in diameter. Using a sharp knife, cut circle into 8 equal wedges.
For each croissant, loosely roll wedge from base to point. Shape each roll into a crescent and place, point down, on an ungreased baking sheet; keep croissants 1 inch apart all around. Cover lightly and let rise at room temperature in a draft-free place. (Do not speed rising by placing rolls in a warm spot.) When almost doubled (about 2 hours), brush with egg mixture. Bake in a preheated 325 degree oven for about 25 minutes or until lightly browned. Serve warm.
Yield: 32 croissants
