Croissant Bread
A laminated loaf: a soft milk dough folded four times around a slab of salted butter, rolled up, cut into five fat rolls and stood side by side in a loaf pan. Bakes an hour to a deep gold and pulls apart in flaky layers. One batch makes one 9 × 5 loaf.
Marcthe bakeradvancedPrep
4h45m
Cook
1h
Total
5h45m
Servings
10
Instructions
In the bowl of your stand mixer, whisk the warm milk, yeast and sugar; let it stand 5 minutes until foamy. Add the salt, the softened butter and 2 cups of the flour. Beat 2 minutes with the dough hook. Add the rest of the flour and beat until a soft dough comes together — another 2 to 3 minutes if it is very sticky.
Knead 5 more minutes in the mixer, or by hand on a lightly floured counter, until a poke springs back slowly.
Oil a large bowl, turn the dough in it, cover, and let it rise in a warm spot 1½ to 2 hours, until nearly doubled.
Punch the dough down and move it to a half sheet pan lined with parchment or a silicone mat. With floured hands, flatten it into a 10 × 14-inch rectangle. Cover and chill 20 minutes — no longer.
Pro tip — Air bubbles are fine; the rolling pin pops them.
While it chills, cut the laminating butter into ¼-inch slices. It should bend the way the dough bends — about 60°F, pliable but not greasy.
Pro tip — The butter’s temperature is the whole game. Too cold and it shatters through the dough; too soft and it smears.
Fold one: lay the butter slices down the centre third of the dough. Fold one long side over the butter, then the other on top, like a letter. Pinch the short ends closed. Turn the dough so a long edge faces you, flour the top, and roll it out to 9 × 12 inches. Fold it like a letter again. Cover and chill 20 minutes.
Pro tip — If the dough tears and butter shows, flour the spot. If it fights the pin, rest it 5 minutes.
Folds two and three: long edge toward you, flour the top, roll to 9 × 12 inches, fold like a letter. Do that once more with no chill between. Cover and chill 20 minutes.
Fold four: roll to 9 × 12 inches and fold like a letter one last time. Turn it and roll it out to 9 × 12 inches.
Starting from a 9-inch side, roll the sheet up like a cinnamon roll. Slice the log into 5 thick rolls — eyeball it. Grease a 9 × 5-inch loaf pan and stand the rolls in it seam-side down. Cover and let rise 45 to 60 minutes, until puffy.
Pro tip — Marc bakes it plain (that’s the loaf in the photo) or with cinnamon: sprinkle the sheet with 2 tablespoons of sugar mixed with ¼ teaspoon of cinnamon before rolling it up. Nothing wet — jam makes a soggy bottom.
Preheat the oven to 350°F.
Whisk the egg and water; brush the risen loaf generously. Bake 1 hour, tenting loosely with foil after 25 minutes, until deep gold and 195°F in the centre.
Cool 30 minutes in the pan on a rack. Run a knife around the edges and turn the loaf out; give it at least 15 more minutes on the rack before slicing.
Pro tip — Sliced warm, it falls apart. Keeps covered at room temperature 3 days.
Firehouse Notes
- Bell-proof — not this one
- Bulk-ready — not this one
- Shift meal — not this one
- Drop-off friendly — travels well