Croissant Masterclass with Scott Megee

unsalted butter

🥗Healthier: margarine

💰Cheaper: vegetable shortening

Margarine reduces saturated fat, while shortening is often less expensive.

all-purpose flour

🥗Healthier: whole wheat flour

💰Cheaper: bread flour

Whole wheat adds fiber, while bread flour can enhance texture.

Start with baker's flour, which has 11.5% to 12.5% protein.

Add sugar for sweetness and crust color, and salt for yeast control and crust color.

Use dry yeast, specifically thermo tolerant yeast for sweet products.

Add a small amount of butter for flexibility in rolling and folding the dough.

Incorporate deactivated yeast for flexibility without fermentation.

Add milk, which enriches the product and contains unfermented sugar for caramelization.

Include water to combine the ingredients.

Add 10% old scrap dough for better flavor.

Mix all ingredients in a mixing bowl for five minutes on first speed to allow gluten formation.

After five minutes, mix for 30 seconds and slowly add the scrap dough.

Check the dough for gluten development using a window test.

Condition the butter by rolling it to 12 millimeters thick, ensuring it’s pliable.

Perform a single fold with the butter into the dough, ensuring the butter matches the thickness of the pastry.

Place the butter in the middle of the pastry and cut the pastry on either side of the butter before folding it over.

Roll the dough to about 10 millimeters thick, avoiding too much tension.

Perform an offset book fold by folding one end three-quarters up and the other three-quarters down, then fold in half.

Give the pastry a 90-degree turn and roll out from the open ends.

Roll out for the second time, trimming edges for straightness, and perform a single fold.

Rest the dough in the fridge for at least 20 minutes, covering it to prevent skin formation.

Perform a last single fold, rolling down to ten millimeters again.

Cooking Techniques

Equipment Needed

Spice Level:

Dietary

Allergens