What can be better than a croissant? One made of brioche dough, of course!
Buttery dough layered with more butter. They are so rich and irresistible. This recipe requires half of the amount of dough from my brioche base recipe. You can make the whole amount and then use half of it for these croissants and the other half for another one of my delicious brioche projects.
It is extremely important to let these croissants ferment well before baking. They must be puffed up and you should clearly see the layers, and when you shake them they should wobble a bit. Be gentle from that point when you brush them with the egg wash. You do not want to deflate them.
Watch the video down below to see detailed instructions.
Ingredients
550g (1.2lb) brioche dough that has been refrigerated over night
120g (4.2oz) cold butter
1 egg whisked with 1 tablespoon of water for brushing
Sugar syrup or apricot jam for finishing after baking *optional.
Method
- Shape the butter into a flat square using a rolling pin and parchment paper.
- Roll the piece of dough out to a square and place the butter on the dough in an offset manner so that the 4 points of the butter are midway between the 4 points of the dough. Now enclose the butter in the dough by bringing the 4 points of dough into the centre of the butter. Pinch the seams closed and try and do your best to keep it all square.
- Roll the dough out to a long rectangle. Now fold the two side quarters in towards the centre and then fold the dough in half along the centre line. Cover with clingfilm and let rest in the fridge for 30 minutes.
- Roll the dough out to a long rectangle again in the direction of the two open ends. This time fold one third over and then cover with the remaining third. Wrap up and rest in the fridge for 1 hour.
- Roll the dough out to a flat rectangle. Use a ruler for best results when dividing. This recipe will make 6 normal sized croissants. You can bake the cut off scraps too.
- Cut the croissants and roll them up.
- Place on a tray lined with non-stick paper, cover and ferment for around 1h 45min – 2 hours. They should be puffed up and a bit wobbly. During the final hour of fermentation preheat your oven to 180C (355F) fan on. It is extremely important to preheat your oven properly before baking any kind of bread.
- Brush the croissants with egg wash, let dry for 5 minutes, brush again, and bake for around 15 minutes, turn the temperature down to 160C (320F) and bake for 10 more minutes.
- As soon as the croissants come out the oven brush them with some sugar syrup or apricot jam to give them an extra shiny finish.
Let cool down a bit and enjoy plain or with some filling!
Watch the video here
