Making the croissants
Croissants are a homage to the wonderment of geometry and how a simple triangle can be shaped into a multi-layered, perfectly shaped croissant with a single roll of the hand. Remember that every baker and pastry chef in the world has their own personal style when it comes to the shape of their croissant, a style honed over many years of practice, so don’t be too daunted if yours end up a little fat, or a little short. Regardless of their shape, they are yours and that, in itself, is a beautiful thing.
Makes 10–12
Cutting the croissants
Line two baking trays with baking paper. Remove the croissant dough from the fridge and place on a lightly floured work surface with one short, open side facing you. Dust the top with a little extra flour and begin rolling lengthwise, regularly moving the dough and dusting with flour to ensure it doesn’t stick to the work surface. This final process is the most demanding one. If you’re getting tired or if the dough softens up too much, simply sprinkle the top of the dough with flour, fold it gently over itself and refrigerate until it sets again. Continue the rolling process until you get a long rectangle (photo 1) that measures about 20 x 60 cm (8 x 24 in) and is about 5 mm (¼ in) thick.
Before you begin cutting your rolled-out dough (abaisse), fluff it up by running your hand underneath it and lifting it up gently on all sides. This allows the gluten time to relax and stops your cut pieces from shrinking and losing their shape during the cutting process.
Use a large knife to cut the dough into alternating triangles with a 10 cm (4 in) base (2). Gently lift each triangle and stretch it with your hands until they are lengthened by about 10 per cent, to roughly 22 cm (8½ in) long (3). Remove any excess flour from the work surface, as the dough needs to adhere to the surface for the croissants to be rolled properly. Place one triangle on the work surface with the pointed end facing you. Using both palms, roll the wide end (the base) of the croissant towards you, all the way to the tip of the triangle (4). When the croissant is rolled, simply bend it in the shape of a crescent and place it on a lined baking tray, leaving a 5 cm (2 in) gap between each.
Cover the croissants with a damp cloth and place in a warm place to prove for 2 hours, or until doubled in size. To check if your pastries are ready to bake, poke them with your index finger; they should feel soft but still elastic. If the pastry doesn’t bounce back after being poked, they are probably slightly overproved, so occasionally check on their progress towards the end of the recommended proving time.
Baking the croissants
To make an egg wash, lightly beat the eggs and salt together in a small bowl, then set aside for 5 minutes.
Preheat the oven to 185°C (365°F). When the croissants have proved, brush them generously with the egg wash and bake for 25 minutes, or until golden brown. Unlike puff pastry, croissant dough has a leavening agent (yeast), so does not rely solely on the steam created by water evaporation during the baking process to develop. Croissants should have a flaky skin and a soft, fleshy centre, so they need to be cooked at a much lower temperature for a shorter period — don’t be tempted to leave them for too long in the oven. Generally speaking, if you respect the cooking temperature, the colour will be a great indicator of whether the croissants are ready or not.
| 1 |  |
 |
2 |
| 3 |  |
 |
4 |