Hi!!! Im settled in and back in my (albeit small) kitchen. This,of course, means trying something new and pulled the trigger on an idea I’ve had for a while: croissant using mantou (steamed bun) dough.

It turned out a LOT better than I expected. The steam bun dough gives the croissants a pleasant malty taste and softer texture. I used this recipe as the base, which uses eggs for more stability.

Croissants are not as difficult as their reputation would suggest. The trick is to be patient and not to take shortcuts, whether that’s with kneading, rolling or freezing time. How much patience? ALL DAY……. as in 9am to 6pm.

Now that I have my own place, do I have proper equipment? Nope. Still on brand: 

Notes

1. If the dough is too sticky, add 1-1.5tsp of flour. Be pretty generous with flouring the board. 
2. Keep EVERYTHING COLD, VERY COLD for lamination. I turned the room temp down to 60F. Also, don’t get greedy and try to fold and roll too many times without putting it back in the freezer. The butter will melt and destroy the layers
3. Don’t rush the kneading and proofing. Err on the side of longer. Dough hook is highly recommended
4. Spend extra time punching. Mantou dough is quite elastic and will be difficult to roll thin at first

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Ingredients:

• 165g flour
• 2large eggs
• 1/4 tsp instant yeast
• 20g vegetable oil
• 84g butter

Directions:

Base Dough 

1. Mix flour, yeast and egg in a mixing bowl. Use a dough hook or knead until it forms a ball.
2. Add oil and knead until the dough ball becomes smooth, soft and slightly shiny (window pane stage)- 10-15 min
3. Cover dough and proof until the dough ball doubles in sizes (took about an hour at 70F). Punch down
4. Roll the dough into a rectangle 1/4in -1/8in thick. Freeze for 2 hour

Butter layer (make while dough is freezing)

1. cut butter into slices and place on a sheet of parchment paper. 
2. Cover with parchment paper and point/roll out into a square slightly narrower than the dough rectangle. Freeze for at least 45min

Lamination (refer to this )

1. Place block of butter in the centre of the dough rectangle. Fold dough over the butter like a letter. Roll back into original shape. 
2. Repeat 1) without the butter. Place in freezer for 25-30min
3. Repeat 2) 4 more times 

Shaping

I’m not going to reinvent the wheel here. Refer to this video

After shaping, you have two options:

Option 1: second proof and bake

1. Place shaped croissants on parchment paper in a warm place for about 1 hour
2. Preheat oven to 375F
3. Bake for 8-10 minutes, rotate tray, continue baking for an additional 8-10 minutes until puffed and golden brown
4. Let cool, serve and enjoy!

Option 2: freeze and bake later

1. Place shaped croissants in an airtight container and freeze for up to 3 weeks
2. When ready to bake, place croissants on a baking tray to thaw (3-4 hours at room temperature) and proof (about an hour after thawed)
3. Bake as specified above

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Happy Baking everyone!

• Breakfast