How to make croissants: 5 recipes

Croissants are considered especially popular in France. In this country, these flour products are served everywhere with hot coffee or tea. Recipes also came to our region a long time ago, in addition, they are firmly rooted in various books, they are followed in many coffee houses and restaurants. Due to the demand, most housewives try to cook croissants at home in order to treat them to their friends and relatives.

What are croissants

Croissants are small buns that have a special shape in the form of a month. Inside them contains the filling. From French, “croissant” is translated as “crescent moon”. This is due to the fact that the muffin has an original shape resembling a moon horn. This term first appeared in the dictionary in the middle of the XIX century. However, at that time, the croissant was different from the modern goodies. They began to use puff pastry for its manufacture only at the beginning of the 20th century.

Such a flour product has long been a dish of national culture, which the people of France are proud of. Almost every Frenchman has fresh, freshly cooked croissants. Not to mention the fact that these pastries managed to conquer the whole world. Such a delicacy is a real work of art, because it combines a delicate, soft filling and a crispy, golden shell. French confectioners believe that you need to eat such a delicacy only fresh, since in a few hours it loses its unusual taste. It is for this reason that in France croissants are bought up in the morning, when they are still hot.

There is even an international croissant day. On this day, all lovers of such amazing pastries gather. This holiday is celebrated on January 30th.

The classic croissant recipe consists of premium wheat flour, water, animal fat, sugar, salt, and yeast. In addition to these basic components, many manufacturers often use various additives to improve the taste, stabilizers, coloring agents, as well as other components that give a more attractive appearance to the finished product.

The calorie content of such a delicacy depends only on the ingredients that make up the product. If the bun contains only dough, compared to stuffed croissants, its calorie content will be slightly lower. Speaking of the filling, it is worth noting that fruit and berry jams, jam, chocolate, nuts, condensed milk and various creams are added to such a flour product.

Often in the form of filling for a croissant, unsweetened fillers are used. Sometimes it can be ham, various meat products, varieties of cheese. As for the classic bagel, which does not have a filling, its calorie content is about 400 kcal per 100 g of product.

Types of dough for croissants

For the preparation of croissants, you can use different dough. In this case, puff yeast, or classic, curd, puff without adding yeast, as well as dough with sourdough, is suitable. There is also a quick recipe for making flour dough.

There are several subtleties of home-made cooking. It should be noted that when mixing the puff pastry from which croissants will be made, it is not recommended to use a mixer or a whisk. French culinary experts believe that a large number of bubbles is harmful to the finished bun. The dough in this case should be raised only due to the active action of the yeast.

Another secret to making homemade croissants is to use high-fat butter. A low fat concentration can ruin the dough, but at the same time, remember that a large percentage of fat will adversely affect the layering of the dough. Bake a treat at a temperature of 180 degrees, and in the end increase it to 200. This helps to create a golden crust on the finished product. To make croissants crispy, you can apply whipped mixture of egg white and granulated sugar on their surface a few minutes before being ready. The egg mass is then applied in a thin layer with a silicone kitchen brush.

Classic pastry

Presented as a regular puff yeast product. In this case, the filling is not used. To prepare a classic dough, you need to prepare the following ingredients: 300 g of flour, 40 g of granulated sugar, 100 ml of milk, 5 g of salt, 10 g of dried yeast and 200 g of butter.

First you need to sift the flour, and then combine it with sugar, salt and yeast mass. After this, pour milk. Now quickly knead the dough. Wrap the resulting mixture in cling film and place for 7-8 hours in a cold place. Next, cut the butter into small pieces. Sprinkle a chopping board with flour, then carefully roll out a small piece of butter. Roll out rolled oil also with cling film and send to the refrigerator. Now roll out the cooled flour mass in a thin layer, put cold butter on it, wrap an envelope, connect the edges. Walk along the surface of the resulting formation with a rolling pin without changing its direction.

The resulting workpiece should also be sent for a couple of hours to a cold place. Repeat this procedure 4 times. For the fifth time, roll out the dough in a thin layer, the thickness should not exceed 0.5 cm. Cover the sheet with cling film, roll in the form of a roll and again send it to the refrigerator overnight. The next day, from the chilled dough, cutting it into triangular pieces, form croissants. If desired, put a filling in each of them. Allow the workpieces to lie down for an hour in a warm place. After that, put them on a baking tray and grease with egg yolk. Cooking croissants takes no more than 20 minutes. The temperature of the device should be 180 degrees.

Quick recipe
You can use a quick recipe for making dough for croissants. This option is prepared in a short time and is more popular among housewives. Of the components, you will need 200 g of flour, 10 g of dry yeast, 150 g of butter, a pinch of salt, 130 ml of milk and 40 g of granulated sugar.

The process of obtaining the dough begins with the combination of flour, sugar, yeast and salt. After this, turn on the melted butter, which is crushed only with a knife. Then pour milk, after which the dough needs to be kneading quickly so that the butter does not melt. The resulting flour mass should be sent to a cold place for half an hour. After the specified time, roll out a large layer from the base. Now fold the resulting cake in half and roll again. Then roll the dough on the other side and roll. Repeat all these steps three more times in each direction. If necessary, sprinkle the dough with flour. Wrap the rolled dough with foil and put in the cold. After 6 hours, the base can be rolled out again, cut into pieces, add the filling and roll the blanks. Bake products no more than 20 minutes at 180 degrees.

Puffless yeast dough

Prepared by the following recipe. You need to prepare 500 g of flour, a glass of water, 300 g of butter and a pinch of salt. It is necessary to start work with the sifting process of flour. A piece of butter is divided into six identical parts, after which one part is melted in a steam bath, adding a small amount of boiled water. Combine melted butter with flour. Now quickly knead the dough. The resulting flour mass is wrapped in cling film and allowed to “rest” in a cold place for an hour.

Next, divide the dough into two parts and roll it into layers. The rolling movement should be carried out in only one direction. Cover the rolled dough with foil and place in the refrigerator for another hour. After the specified time, grease one sheet of dough with melted butter and cover it with another layer. Now carefully roll out everything, and then form squares, which are subsequently cut into pieces of a triangular shape. Next, apply a filling on each triangle. Cover the baking dish with parchment paper. Received croissants should rise within half an hour, after which they should be sent to an oven preheated to 180 degrees. Baking takes 30 minutes. Before sending the baked goods to the oven, you can treat the buns with yolk, so that a golden crust subsequently forms. Sprinkle the finished treat with powdered sugar.

Curd dough croissants

Differ in delicate structure. To prepare such a flour base, you need 250 g of cottage cheese, a bag of vanilla, 200 g of flour, 0.5 tsp. drinking soda, 4 tablespoons vegetable oil and 2 tbsp. Sahara.

Begin the process of preparing a French delicacy follows with a grinding of cottage cheese. Next, mix the dairy product with sugar, butter and vanilla. Add flour and soda here. After that, knead the dough, which as a result should be elastic. Now place the blank for the buns in a bag and send for a half hour "rest". After 30 minutes, roll the dough and then cut into small triangles. Put the filling on the wide side of each piece. If the jam is liquid, you can use a small amount of starch to get a thicker consistency.

Put finished products on a baking sheet covered with parchment. You can also simply grease the form with oil. Next, send the dishes with blanks to the oven preheated to 180 degrees for 15-20 minutes.

Sourdough dough

Another simple way to get a French dessert is based on getting them by applying a dough on a sourdough. To prepare it, you will need 500 g of flour, a bag of vanilla, 100 g of granulated sugar, 250 g of yeast, the moisture content of which is 100 percent, 350 g of butter, 1 tbsp. salt, two egg yolks, 20 g of milk powder and a glass of water.

First mix the water with the leaven until the second ingredient is completely dissolved. Then add flour and knead the dough. Give him half an hour to rest under the polyethylene. After this period, add 50 g of butter to the flour mass, after which place the mixture in a cold place for a couple of hours, putting it first in a bag. Roll out the remaining amount of oil and place between sheets of parchment paper.

After two hours, roll out the dough with a layer, put rolled oil on it, roll everything in half, squeeze slightly to eliminate air bubbles, and then pinch along the edges. The resulting cake should be rolled into a sheet with a thickness of 15 mm. After that, roll it up again and roll it out.

Repeat this procedure one more time. Allow the rolled mass to cool for another 2 hours. After that, roll out the dough sheet twice more, each time going to the refrigerator. Then it remains to thinly cut the dough into small pieces of a triangular shape and roll up the blanks for croissants. Now place the flour products evenly in a baking dish, the bottom of which is covered with parchment. Buns should rise for another 40-60 minutes. Then grease them with beaten egg yolk and sprinkle with sugar slightly. Send the baking sheet to the oven for 5 minutes at a temperature of 200 degrees, then lower it to 180. For further cooking, it will take another 10 minutes.

Croissant Tips

As already mentioned, to prepare the dough, you must use butter. Therefore, it is very important to purchase home products. In this case, margarine can not be used. This can lead to the fact that the dough is not as tasty as we would like.It is also important to remember that the amount of butter and flour is taken in almost equal proportions.

It is important to prepare puff pastry for croissants without any fuss, otherwise the dessert will not work. You should adhere to the recommendations of a specific recipe and do not rush anywhere. It is also worth noting that during the preparation of puff pastry, the room temperature should be low. It is recommended to use a drier filling so that the dough is not heavier.

Making French bagels with your own hands at home is quite simple. It is only necessary to take this process responsibly.

Useful and harmful properties of croissants

For the stomach

If you compare French pastries with other bakery products, then these products are not so difficult to perceive by the stomach. The absorption of croissants by the gastrointestinal tract requires no more than one and a half hours.

It is considered fashionable to have croissants with coffee. It is scientifically proven that such a treat helps to reduce the irritating effect of this drink on the gastric mucosa. This suggests that the risk of developing heartburn is reduced. As for the flour product with jam, this option is a dangerous product for the pancreas.

It is not possible to make gluten-free croissants. And this substance, as you know, has an enveloping, anti-inflammatory and regenerative effect on the stomach.

The most delicious are hot, freshly baked croissants. But nutritionists warn that even when using a yeast-free test, hot baking is difficult to perceive by the digestive system. Enzymes are simply not enough to assimilate such a delicacy. Frequent use of such a flour product is dangerous for the development of gastritis.

When losing weight

As noted above, about 100 kcal is concentrated in 100 g of such a French delicacy. If a classic recipe is used to prepare croissants, the main nutritional value in this case is wheat flour of the highest grade, as well as butter. The bulk of diets involves a complete rejection of such baking.

However, if you can’t completely refuse the sweet product, you can cook them by adding whole grain flour and using a vegetable component instead of butter. Such buns are less nutritious. They can be included in your diet in small quantities, if necessary, to get rid of excess weight.

The use of whole grain flour contributes to the long-term satisfaction of hunger, and also improves digestion.

Such a croissant can be safely consumed as a carbohydrate dish after an intense workout. This will restore muscle fibers and provide the body with energy.

So, croissants and weight loss are compatible things if you can control your appetite and select the right ingredients. As for the time of eating croissants, the optimal period is until 6 pm and not earlier than 7 am.

For kids

Children are especially picky about food, but as for French bagels, it is unlikely that anyone will refuse them. This baking is a nutritious and nutritious product that saturates the children's body with various B vitamins, retinol, as well as minerals such as potassium, sodium, selenium and manganese.

Calories and fats contained in croissants stimulate the growth and normal development of a young body. The use of such a treat in the winter reduces the risk of a cold as a result of hypothermia.

You can also cook croissants based on rye, oat and buckwheat flour. As a result of this, you will get a treat that will strengthen bone tissue, stimulate heart activity, preserve vision, protect against adverse environmental conditions and from the occurrence of anemia.

As far back as the 19th century, it was found out that students were recommended to eat such pastries and drink cocoa or warm milk. This relaxes the nervous system and restores the brain.

It follows that croissants for children do not pose a great danger if you do not abuse them and cook them using a certain technology.

How to Make Puff Pastry Croissants

To obtain croissants from puff pastry, you will need the following components: 60 g of sugar, 0.5 kg of premium flour, 2 pinch of salt, 2 chicken eggs, 200 g of butter, 140 ml of milk and 8 g of dry yeast.

The cooking process begins with a batch of dough. First you need to combine the yeast, flour, salt and granulated sugar. After that, introduce milk, 1 egg and 1/2 cup of warm purified water. Then knead the dough for several minutes until the necessary elasticity is formed. Let the resulting mass infuse for several hours.

Now roll out the dough so that in the end it turns out a square layer. Keep oil at room temperature. This is necessary for it to thaw. Place the cream product in the middle of the rolled formation. Moreover, it should be no more than 15 mm thick. Then roll the dough in half and roll again. When an elastic mass is formed, fold the flour sheet in 3 layers and send to the refrigerator for 30 minutes. After the specified period, repeat rolling, after which the product is again sent to the cold. Perform this procedure several times.

In order for the buns to have a beautiful appearance, the rectangular sheet of dough must be cut into equal triangles. Then roll bagels from the base of each triangle.

It remains only to preheat the oven to 220 degrees, lay the blanks from puff pastry on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper or treated with oil, grease the surface of each bagel with beaten egg and salt and only then send it to the oven for 20 minutes. Serve ready-made treats with hot drinks. If desired, baked goods can be sprinkled with powdered sugar.

With chocolate

In this case, you will need a bar of white and dark chocolate, 300 ml of fat milk, 150 g of butter, 10 g of cocoa, a glass of sugar, 200 g of sifted flour, vegetable oil, and also, if desired, fresh berries or fruits.

To work, you need to prepare 2 pans and put them on the stove. Pour 200 ml of milk into the first dish, and fill the second with cocoa powder, sugar and the remaining amount of milk. Mix the contents of the second container. Then add 2 pinches of salt to both pans. In a container with cocoa, add 80 g of creamy milk, place the remaining amount of the product in a bowl with milk. Mix the contents of the pots alternately. Now send the dishes to a slow fire and wait for all components to dissolve. After that, add crushed white chocolate to one of the pans, and black to the other. Once the contents in both pans dissolve, remove them from the stove.

Next, you have to work with a dark mixture. Add 60 g of flour to it, send again to the fire and cook over low heat with constant whipping with a whisk. Into a pan with a white mixture add 80 g of flour, after which it is also sent to the stove and cook over low heat.

The contents of both dishes cool to room temperature. The filling is ready, then you can make croissants of the desired shape.

To do this, take puff pastry, lay it on a table and roll it in the form of a rectangular sheet. Cut small triangles of different sizes from this rectangle. Put the filling along the base line, after which the product is wrapped in a bagel. When all the croissants have been formed, put them on a baking sheet, oiled and lined with paper. Now preheat the oven to 200 degrees, then lower the temperature to 180 and send the billet to bake for a third of an hour. Before serving, dessert can be decorated with berries.

With condensed milk

Croissants are also prepared using condensed milk. To do this, you need to prepare 260 ml of milk, 310 g of butter, 15 ml of lemon squeezed, 90 g of sugar, 8 g of yeast, 35 ml of natural honey, 400 g of flour and 200 g of condensed milk.

Melt the butter in a water bath. Next, add lemon juice and 70 g of flour to it. As a result, a creamy mass should form. In parallel with this, heat the milk, but do not boil. Add yeast here. Then enter the beekeeping product and granulated sugar into milk. Wait for the complete dissolution of the sweetener.Then it remains only to add the sifted flour and get a dough of uniform consistency.

From the obtained flour billet, form a rectangular sheet with a thickness of not more than 0.5 cm and cut triangles of the same size from it, lay a thick condensed milk at the base of it. Roll the flour into a tube. The result will be beautiful bagels. Treat the baking dish with oil, put the future croissants in it and send it to the oven for a quarter of an hour.

With jam

To make croissants at home in the presence of jam or jam, you will need the following components: 500 g flour, 50 g yeast, a pinch of salt, egg yolk, a glass of milk, filling in the form of jam or jam, 1 tsp. sugar and 0.5 cups of vegetable oil.

First dissolve sugar in warmed milk, then add 2 tbsp. flour, pour in the yeast mixture. The resulting dough should rest for a quarter of an hour, as a result of which its size will increase several times. After that pour the remaining amount of flour, add warm butter and knead the dough. When it grows in size, divide into 5 equal parts, each of which is rolled into a thin sheet and cut into triangles. Grease the base of each triangle with jam or jam. After that spin the croissants. Finished products should rest for another 15 minutes, after which they are treated with a mixture obtained from 1 tbsp. milk and yolk 1 egg. Now send the pan to the oven for 20 minutes at a temperature of 180 degrees. Sprinkle the finished dish with powdered sugar.

With cheese

To make croissants with cheese, you will need puff pastry, cheese and a small amount of flour for processing a cutting board. In addition, you will need an egg to process finished buns and sesame seeds at will.

Making dessert begins with chopping the cheese. Roll the chilled dough into a thin sheet, then cut into small pieces of a triangular shape. On a wide base of each triangle put grated cheese and curl up the workpiece. Put the croissants on a baking sheet with parchment paper, treat them with beaten egg and put in the oven for a third of an hour. Sprinkle the finished baked goods with sesame seeds.

With cottage cheese

To enjoy croissants with cottage cheese, you need to take 0.5 kg of puff yeast-free dough, 0.4 kg of cottage cheese, 2 chicken eggs, 2 tbsp. sour cream, a pinch of vanilla sugar, 4 tbsp. granulated sugar, raisins and powdered sugar to taste. First, mix the egg, cottage cheese, raisins, vanilla and sour cream in a bowl. Next, roll out the dough and grease it with the curd mass. After that, twist the dough into bagels. Put the billets in the dishes, treated with oil or covered with baking paper. Grease each bagel with a beaten egg and sprinkle with sugar. Bake rolls for no more than 30 minutes at 200 degrees.

Interesting facts about croissants

1. For the first time, a croissant was invented in Austria after winning the Turkish war. Such pastries personified the Islamic crescent. According to legend, bakers who worked at night and prepared fresh pastries for the residents in the morning, heard the noise from the Ottoman army’s implements and realized that the Turks were digging under the walls of Vienna. It was they who warned the soldier about this, and thwarted the plans of the enemy. A little later, the bun became popular in France and pretty quickly became the main dish of this country.
2. A real French croissant has no filling. Despite the fact that today there are many different fillings, sweet and meat, the old traditions correspond only to puff pastry.

Croissant photo