The Croissant Cutter
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World Cuisine Croissant Roller Cutter
Blades made of stainless steel with
wooden handles, this chefs tools allows
a chef to rapidly cut the dough that to
mass produce Croissants. I found this
one on a recent trip to Paris. Here is a
croissant recipe to make a few if you
don't have your own croissant cutter.
Ingredients:
3 Tbsp flour
3 sticks butter (3/4 pound) of butter
and margarine, equally divided and
softened at room temperature
4 cups all-purpose flour, approximately
2 tsp salt
2 Tbsp sugar
2 packages dry yeast
1/4 cup warm water
1-1/2 cups milk, warmed to 80°F to 90°F
(27°C to 32°C)
1/2 cup half-and-half, warmed
1 egg
1 Tbsp water
Instructions:
Sprinkle 3 Tbsp flour over butter and
blend together on the work surface. On a
length of foil, fashion a 6" square of
soft butter; fold over the sides of the
foil to enclose. Place in the
refrigerator to chill for 2 to 3 hours.
While the butter is chilling, prepare
the dough. To mix by hand, in a large
mixing or mixer bowl, blend 2 cups of
the flour with salt and sugar. Dissolve
yeast in warm water and add it and the
warmed milk and half-and-half to the
flour mixture. Stir with a wooden spoon
or the flat blade of an electric mixer
to thoroughly blend the batterlike
dough, about 2 minutes.
Stir in additional flour, 1/4 cup at a
time, to make a soft but not sticky
dough (it will stiffen when chilled.)
Knead by hand or under a dough hook for
5 minutes to form a solid mass.
If using a food processor, attach the
steel blade. Place 2 cups flour in the
work bowl and add the dry ingredients.
Pulse to mix. Pour the 1/4 cup water,
milk, and half-and-half through the feed
tube. Pulse once or twice to be certain
that all dry ingredients are moistened.
Add the balance of the flour, 1/2 cup at
a time, turning the machine on briefly
after each addition. When the mixture
forms a mass and begins to clean the
sides of the bowl, knead for 30 seconds.
Don't overknead!
This begins the process of cooling the
dough and at the same time allowing it
to rise. Cover the bowl with plastic
wrap and place in the refrigerator for
at least 1 hour.
Determine that both butter and dough are
about the same temperature — 65°F (23°C)
is ideal. The block of butter should
bend but not break (too cold) nor be
oily (too warm) when bent slightly. This
may mean taking the butter out of the
refrigerator an hour or so early to
reach workable temperature. Likewise for
the dough. Place the dough on a floured
work surface and with the hands press it
into a 10" square. Unwrap the block of
butter and lay the block diagonally on
the dough. Bring each point of dough
into the center, overlapping the edges
at least 1". Press the dough into a neat
package. With a heavy rolling pin, roll
the dough into a rectangle,
approximately 8" x 18". This dimension
is not critical.
Caution: If the butter seems to be
breaking into small pieces under the
dough rather than remaining solid, allow
the dough/butter to warm a few minutes.
But if the butter softens, becomes
sticky, and oozes while making the
turns, put the dough back into the
refrigerator for several minutes.
Fold the length of dough into thirds, as
for a letter. Turn so that the open ends
are at twelve and six o'clock. Roll
again into a rectangle. This time, fold
both ends into the middle and then
close, as one would a book. The dough
will now be in 4 layers. Wrap the
package of dough in a cloth (an old tea
towel is good) that has been soaked in
cold water and wrung dry. Place the
wrapped dough in the refrigerator to
relax and chill for 1 or 2 hours.
Remove the dough from the refrigerator
and place on the floured work surface.
Unwrap, roll out, and fold in thirds, as
for a letter. This is the final turn
before it is rolled out and cut into
croissants. Dampen cloth again and wrap
loosely around the dough. Place the
package in a plastic bag so moisture
will be retained (not pulled out of the
cloth). Leave in the refrigerator 4 to 6
hours or overnight.
Mix together the egg and 1 Tbsp of
water. Have ready the egg wash, a knife
or pastry cutter, and a wooden yardstick
if you wish the pieces to be cut
precisely otherwise, plan to cut them
freehand. You may have or can borrow a
French croissant cutter that cuts the
dough into triangles.
Sprinkle work surface with flour. Roll
the dough until it is a generous
10"-x-38" rectangle, and, most
importantly, about 1/4" thick. This is a
crucial dimension, since it determines
the size and texture of the croissants.
Trim irregularities to make the strip
uniform in width. Cut the strip
lengthwise to make two 5" pieces. Mark
the strip into triangles, 5" wide on the
bottom. Using a yardstick as a guide,
cut through the dough with a pastry or
pizza cutter or knife. Separate the
triangles, place them on a baking sheet,
and chill for 15 to 20 minutes. Roll the
dough into the traditional croissant
shape, by rolling the triangle from the
bottom to the point.
Place the croissants on a baking sheet
and allow to rise for 1 to 2 hours, in
which they will double in volume.
Preheat the oven to 425°F (220°C). Bake
the croissants for 22 to 25 minutes.
Allow them to cool on a rack before
serving.
Yield: 24 to 30 croissants
