THE MINSTREL’S BALLAD: ALMOND CREAM CROISSANTS RECIPE

Mogria and I ran into an enigmatic bard in the Rising Stones who overheard us working on our book and asked how it was going. I told him a story of how I took some delicious croissants from the market and turned them into my newest creation, almond croissants. He must have been quite impressed by my feat, yes, yes, or perhaps he was a bit hungry. He broke out into song and performed a beautiful tale of croissant proportions. As the final notes faded, I saw within my mind a croissant primal, layers upon layers 40 malms tall, bearing down on me. A brand new recipe coalesced in my head. What if I made the flaky, buttery, croissants myself? Wasshoi!

Difficulty: Extreme • Prep Time: 2 hours • Rest Time: 27 hours • Cook Time: 20 to 25 minutes Yield: 6 large croissants • Dietary Notes: Vegetarian

Equipment: Small bowl, medium bowl, rolling pin, large chef’s knife or pizza cutter, 9-by-13-inch (23-by-33-cm) baking sheet, parchment paper.

DIRECTIONS

Phase 1 

• Butter Block 
• 10 tablespoons (140 g) unsalted butter 

1. Prepare a piece of parchment paper by drawing a 4-inch (10 cm) square on the backside of it. Cut the butter into equally thick pieces. Arrange the butter into the square on the parchment paper. Fold the parchment paper over the butter and make sure it is square-shaped. Take a rolling pin and smooth the butter into a square shape, merging the butter together into one solid piece. Wrap in plastic wrap and place in the refrigerator for at least 30 minutes to keep cold.

Phase 2

• Dough 
• 3 tablespoons (45 g) water 
• ¼ cup + 2 tablespoons (90 g) whole milk 
• ½ tablespoon (6 g) yeast 
• 1 ¾ cups (250 g) bread flour 
• 2 tablespoons (30 g) sugar 
• ½ tablespoon (6 g) salt 
• 1 tablespoon (5 g) almond extract 
• 1 ½ tablespoons (20 g) unsalted butter, melted

2. Heat the water and milk between 100°F (38°C) to 110°F (43°C). Add the yeast and allow it to bloom for about three minutes. Combine the bread flour, sugar, and salt in a large bowl. Add the yeast mixture, almond extract, and melted butter. 
3. Mix together until it comes together. Transfer to a floured surface and knead until smooth. Place in a bowl, cover, and let rest for ten minutes. 
4. Take the rested dough and lightly pull on the edge of the dough to the center and pat down. Repeat this around the entire dough. Flip over (smooth side facing up), cover, and rest for another ten minutes. Once again, pull the edges to the center and pat down again. Flip, cover again, and rest for another twenty-five minutes. 
5. Transfer the dough to a sheet of parchment paper and roll it out to a rough 7-inch (18-cm) square. Fold the parchment paper over the dough into a 7-inch (18-cm) square. Use a rolling pin to make sure the dough fills the parchment square and is even. Wrap with plastic wrap and place in the refrigerator for 18 to 24 hours.

Phase 3

• 1 egg

6. The next day, flour a countertop. Remove the dough from the plastic and parchment wrapping and place the dough onto the floured countertop. Lightly flour the top of the dough. With a rolling pin, roll each of the corners. 
7. Take the butter block out of its wrappings and place it in the center diagonally. Fold each of the dough corners over the butter like sealing an envelope. Lightly tap with the rolling pin and let rest for three minutes. 
8. Flip the dough over so the smooth side is facing upwards. Lightly press down the dough with the rolling pin. Roll out the dough to a 16-inch long rectangle. 
9. Take the bottom of the rectangle and fold it three-fourths of the way up. Take the top of the dough and fold it to have both edges touching one another. Take the new bottom of the rectangle and fold it to the new top. Turn it to 90° and lightly tap down with the rolling pin. Wrap in plastic wrap and let rest in the refrigerator for 90 minutes. 
10. Remove the dough from the refrigerator, take it out of the plastic wrap, and place it on a floured countertop. Make sure the dough is positioned in the long direction, vertically from you. Take a rolling pin and tap down on the dough once more. Roll out the dough to a 16-inch-long rectangle. 
11. Take the top of the rectangle and roll it two-thirds of the way down. Fold the bottom edge of the dough up and over. You should end up with a rough square shape at this point. Once again, wrap in plastic wrap and place in the refrigerator to rest for 1 hour. 

12. Remove the dough from the refrigerator, take it out of the plastic wrap, and place it on a floured countertop. This time, roll the dough into a large rectangle that is ¼ inch (6 mm) thick (should be about 12-by-9 inches (30-by-23 cm) wide).

13. Cut marks at the bottom and top 4 inches (10 cm) apart from one another. Using either a large chef’s knife or a pizza cutter, connect the bottom mark to the top to cut into three rectangles. Cut each of those rectangles diagonally into two large triangles making six pieces in total. Take one of the triangles and tightly roll the widest edge to the thin part, making sure the tip is in the center. 
14. On a baking sheet with parchment paper, place the rolled triangle topside on the bottom, to prevent it from unrolling when it bakes. Repeat this with the remaining triangles, making sure to give each of the croissants about 3 inches (7 ½ cm) of space between each other. Cover with a kitchen towel and let rest in a warm spot for 1 hour, or until the croissants have doubled in size. 
15. Preheat an oven to 390°F (199°C). Whisk an egg for an egg wash. Carefully brush each of the proofed croissants. Make sure to not apply any pressure that could cause the croissants to deflate. Place the baking sheet in the oven and reduce the heat to 350°F (177°C). Bake for 18 to 25 minutes or until golden brown and cooked through.

Phase 4

16. Follow the steps of Almond Croissants using the croissants baked in Phase 3 to complete this trial.