RECIPE
Yield: 10 Chocolate Croissants
CROISSANT DOUGH
INGREDIENTS | QUANTITY | PERCENTAGE % |
Bakers Flour | 500g | 100% |
Water | 250g | 50% |
Milk Powder | 10g | 2% |
Caster Sugar | 50g | 10% |
Instant Dried Osmotolerant Yeast | 10g | 2% |
Unsalted Butter | 35g | 7% |
Laminating Butter | 250g | 20% |
Note: 2 x double folds
CHOCOLATE DOUGH
INGREDIENTS | QUANTITY |
Trimmings of the croissant dough from lamination | 240g |
Cocoa Powder | 10g |
EGG WASH
INGREDIENTS | QUANTITY |
Egg | 50f |
Full Cream Milk | 50ml |
Salt | pinch |
Honey | 1 tsp |
SUGAR SYRUP
INGREDIENTS | QUANTITY |
Boiling Water | 50ml |
Caster Sugar | 50g |
METHOD
To make the chocolate croissants.......
DAY 1 : MAKING THE DETREMPE
WORKING OUT WATER TEMPERATURE
1. Start by multiplying the Desired Dough Temperature (DDT) to the three variables that can affect the Final Dough Temperature (Room Temperature, Flour Temperature + Friction from mixing of the dough in the machine). Unless you are using preferment for the croissant, the variables will be four variables rather than three. Preferment will not be used in the following steps.
The recommended Desired Dough Temperature is 24˚C.
In the case of the day that I prepared the Detrempe (Croissant Dough), the temperature of the mentioned variables are as below:
Room temperature = 24˚C
Flour = 24˚C
Friction = 5˚C estimation
*Note that the final water temperature can be different from you depending on the ambient of your kitchen and the temperature of your ingredients.
Therefore, to calculate the temperature of the water, you will first need to multiply DDT to the number of variables then with the total amount, subtract the actual temperature of each variable, and you should have the recommended water temperature :
(DDT x 3) - (Room temp. + Flour Temp. + Predetermined Friction Temp) = Water Temperature
(25 x 3) - (24 +24 +5) = Water Temperature
75 - 53 = Water Temperature
22˚C = Recommended Water Temperature
Now that we have worked out our water temperature, we is now ready to start making the Detrempe.
In a stand mixer bowl, place the flour, milk powder, sugar and salt and mix to combine. Add in the yeast and room temperature butter. Attach a dough hook attachment and mix over low speed while gradually streaming in the water. Once all the water has been added, mix at speed 1 for 2 minutes or until the ingredients come together to form a dough. Then increase the speed 3 and continue to mix for another 4 minutes. ( I use kitchen aid standard stand mixer)
Roll the dough to a smooth ball. Check the temperature of the dough and ensure that is between 22 - 24C. If the dough above 24C, place the dough covered well in the fridge until it comes down to the required temperature. If the dough is at the correct temperature, cover the ball of dough loosely with a cling film on the bench at room temperature and leave for an hour or until it increases 50% of its original volume. This is the first fermentation of the dough.
Once the dough has risen to 50%, knock back the dough to get rid of some of the excess air then flatten and roll to a rectangle of 20 cm x 40 cm with a rolling pin. If you are unable to roll it to the exact size, do not worry too much as you will be rolling them out again during the lamination process.
Gently lift the sheeted dough onto a tray lined with parchment paper. Wrap the tray really well and place in the fridge (4˚C - 5˚C) for the second part of the first fermentation at a low temperature for at least 8 - 12 hours.
DETREMPE VIDEO
DAY 2 : LOCKING IN AND TWO DOUBLE FOLD
LOCKING IN THE BUTTER
1. The next day, prepare the beurrage (lamination butter) by rolling to 20cm x 20cm. Ensure that the butter is around 16˚C - 19˚C. If it is too warm or feels really soft, place the sheeted butter back in to the fridge slightly. The butter should be flexible and not too stiff for the lamination process.
2. When the butter is ready, remove the dough from the fridge. At this point, the dough should be between 4-5˚C .
Roll the Detrempe to double the length of the butter, maintaining the same width. Place the butter in the center of the dough then wrap the overhanging dough on both opposite ends on top and over the butter. Pinch the two ends of the dough together to adhere. You have now locked in the butter.
FIRST DOUBLE FOLDS
3. Turn the dough around and with the two open ends closest and opposite from you, roll the dough to approximately 65cm in length, whilst maintaining a 20cm width. During the rolling process, frequently lift the dough off the bench to prevent from sticking and dust lightly with flour if necessary. Avoid dusting too much flour as this can cause the dough to become too dry.
4. Once you have rolled to 65cm in length, trim off the two ends that does look like it has butter in between (roughly around 2cm each ends). Perform a double fold by folding one end 1/4 of the way to the top of the dough, then fold the opposite ends 3/4 of the way meeting the other ends. Fold the dough over to half again. Flatten the dough slightly with a rolling pin, wrap well and place onto a flat tray and rest in the fridge for 20 minutes.
SECOND DOUBLE FOLDS
5. Once the 20 minutes is up, remove the dough from the fridge and repeat the process in step 4. At this point, you would have performed two double folds. Wrap the dough well and leave in the fried to rest for at least 30 minutes.
SHAPING OF BEURRAGE (LAMINATING BUTTER) VIDEO
LOCKING IN AND TWO DOUBLE FOLDS VIDEO
PREPARING THE CHOCOLATE DOUGH
Weight out 240 g of the dough from the trimmings. Place into a stand mixer bowl fitted with a paddle attachment. Add cocoa powder and mix until the cocoa powder are well distributed into the dough.
Roll to a smooth ball then cover and leave to rest in the fridge until ready to use.
FINAL ROLLING AND SHAPING
6. Roll the chocolate dough to the same size as the dough. Brush some water on top of the plain dough then place the chocolate dough on top.
Roll the pastry to 29cm in width then roll it in length until the thickness of the dough is 4mm. (Ensure to roll the two opposite opening ends as length as this reduces the chance of the dough resisting too much during rolling).
Trim both ends lengthways, maintaining a width of 28cm.
*Note: If the pastries starts to feel soft, place the pastry onto a flat tray , cover with cling wrap then place in the fridge to 20 to 30 minutes before shaping. You want to avoid the layers from melting on the bench or your hands.
7. Trim off one of the uneven shorter ends then divide the dough to 10 x rectangle with the measurements of 14cm length x 9 cm width. With the chocolate sides facing upwards, score diagonal lines with a sharp lame or Stanley blade.
Turn the rectangles over so that the chocolate sides are now underneath, place a chocolate baton on one shorter end of the rectangle, leaving approximately 5 mm space, fold over, then place another chocolate baton, then roll the dough to a log. Repeat the same process with the rest of the shaped pastry.
Lightly spray a cling film with some oil then place it over the croissants loosely. Leave at room temperature sitting at 24˚C for 3 - 4 hours or until they double in size and when you gently move the trays the croissants are wobbly.
PREHEATING THE OVEN
While the croissants are proofing, pre heat the oven to 200˚C with a bowl of lava volcanic rocks at the bottom rack of the oven. If you do not have the lava volcanic rocks, you can simply place a deep heavy tray on the bottom rack of the oven.
BAKING
You know the croissants are ready to be baked when you can see the layers in the croissants starts to separate, have doubled in size and when you gently move the trays the croissants are light and wobbly.
Lightly brush the croissants with some of the egg wash mixture ensuring not to pool the egg wash and avoid the layers. Turn the oven down to 180˚C, pour boiling water over the lava stones or into a heated heavy deep baking tray to create some initial steam then place the tray of croissants on the rack above the steaming rocks. Bake for 25 minutes or until they turn dark golden in color.
While the croissants are baking, prepare the syrup glaze by mixing the boiling water with the sugar and stir until the sugar are fully dissolved.
Once baked, remove the croissants from the oven and immediately brush the sugar syrup over while the pastries are still hot.
PINNING, SHAPING AND BAKING VIDEO
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