4 cups (1 lb.) plus 5 tablespoons unbleached all purpose flour as needed, plus additional for dusting work surface
5 tablespoons sugar
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
1 tablespoon plus 1 1/2 teaspoons active dry yeast - 1 1/2 packages
1 1/2 cups milk
2 1/2 sticks (10 oz.) unsalted butter
1 egg beaten with 1 tablespoon milk
Instructions
Combine the flour, salt and sugar in a large mixing bowl. Stir with a wooden spoon to evenly distribute everything.
Heat milk to 100 degrees. Sprinkle the yeast on the milk. Let stand until the milk has soaked thru the yeast granules. Pour into the dry ingredients. Stir until no dry flour can be seen and beat an additional 30 seconds. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and refrigerate for 8 hours or overnight. Dough will double and become very light and spongy.
Prepare the Butter
Place the 5 tablespoons of flour on your work surface. Roll the butter in it right out of the refrigerator. Cut the butter into long slabs with a pastry cutter. Using your rolling pin pound the butter and flour together until you can form it in a lump. If it gets too soft or starts to melt you need to refrigerate again for an hour and then repeat this process using a couple more tablespoons of flour. It is important that the dough and butter are about the same temperature when you incorporate the butter in the first rolling of the dough.
Roll you dough into a 8 x 14 rectangle, patting it out at with your hands. Do not use a rolling pin at this point, the dough should be too fragile at this point. Divide the dough in your head into thirds. Now cover the lower two thirds of the dough with the butter, leaving an inch on each side. Now fold the top piece back over the middle third and then the bottom third goes on top of that. Press the edges to seal the layers.
Now you are going to do your first turn of the dough. Roll the dough carefully out to about 18 x 24 inches. Fold the dough into thirds again and place on a cookie sheet to rest. Cover and refrigerate the dough for at least 2 hours. Repeat this step 3 more times.
To Make the Croissants
Roll out the dough again to 18 x 24 inches. On the final roll, roll out the dough corner to corner to compensate for shrinkage. Using a pastry wheel or croissant cutter cut the dough into triangles. Starting on the long end roll the dough towards the point. Shape into a crescent shape on a greased cookie sheet or lined with parchment. Let croissants raise until doubled at room temperature, uncovered. When ready to bake brush with the egg wash.
Bake at 375 for about 25 minutes until golden brown.
Note: To make the almond cream cheese croissants like the ones above, use 8 oz. cream cheese, 3 - 4 tablespoons sugar, 1/2 teaspoon almond extract and 1 teaspoon vanilla. Cut the dough into squares, put the filling down the center, corner to corner. Fold over sides and pinch the edge on top to seal the dough together. Let raise and right before baking and brush with egg wash, sprinkle with almonds and a little sugar.
adapted from Nick Malgeieri
Recipe by Recipes Food and Cooking at https://recipesfoodandcooking.com/2013/06/19/croissants/