Quest for the Absolute PERFECT Croissant!
Hi everyone!!!
I'm new to this site and haven't read through all the post so please bear with me if this post is similar to a previous one. Like my title says I'm on the quest for the absolute perfect croissant recipe. I've been playing around with Peter Reinharts croissant recipe (Artisan Everyday) but would love to hear how everyone else makes croissants and what shortcuts/tips you have. I've been mixing my butter (3 sticks) with a few tablespoons of flour before shaping into a 6-inch square but I've seem some tutorials (youtube) that lay out the butter (not sure how many sticks here probably 4 or 5??) on a peice of parchment then pound it until it's 1/2-inch. Has anyone tried this method??? I'm very intrigued by it because it seems so much easier and cleaner but I'm not sure if there are any other tips to it. Also, PR's recipe calls for the dough to be rolled out 24" x 9" and to cut each peice 4" x 9" and roll it approx. 7 turns, I've seem a video (also on youtube) where the triangles where cut and then rolled out even more with the rolling pin so that they where very long before rolling them up. Is there any harm in doing this? Another question I have is, is it absolutely neccessary to rest the dough 15 minutes between each turn? What steps can I cut out and what should I follow to the T??? Thanks everyone I hope to hear from you guys with tips and recipes on your absolute perfect croissants!!!