324 LAYER CROISSANT INSPIRED BY YAKITATE!! JAPAN

For the Croissant Dough

In a stand mixer, combine all-purpose flour, bread flour, sugar, and yeast.

Dissolve the salt in cold milk, then add to the dry ingredients along with the softened butter.

Mix on low speed until the dough comes together and becomes smooth, about 5 minutes.

Transfer the dough to a lightly oiled bowl, cover, and let it rest for 15 minutes.

Roll the dough into a rectangle, about 20x30 cm

Place the dough on a baking tray, cover with plastic wrap, and chill in the fridge for 30 minutes.

For the Butter Block

In a stand mixer, combine cold butter and flour until smooth.

Shape the butter mixture into a 15x20 cm rectangle using parchment paper.

Chill the butter block in the fridge for 30 minutes.

For the Lamination Process

Roll out the chilled dough to 30x40 cm rectangle.

Place the butter block on one side of the dough, leaving a small margin around the edges.

Fold the dough over the butter, sealing the edges to enclose the butter completely.

First Fold (3/4 fold): Roll the dough out to a 30x60 cm rectangle. Fold one end of the dough over 3/4 of the way, then fold the other end to meet the first fold. You should have a folded dough with 3 layers. Chill in the fridge for 30 minutes.

Second Fold (Book fold): Roll the dough out to a 30x60 cm rectangle again. Fold one end over 2/3 of the way, then fold the other end over the first fold, like closing a book. Chill for another 30 minutes.

Repeat the Folding Process: Repeat the above steps (3/4 fold and book fold) 2 more times. After each fold, chill the dough for 30 minutes.

By the end, you should have 324 layers of butter and dough.

For the Assembly:

On a lightly floured surface, roll out the laminated dough to 5mm thickness, approximately 25x60 cm.

Trim the edges to make a neat rectangle.

Using a pizza cutter, cut the dough into long, triangular strips.

To shape the croissants, make a small cut at the base of each triangle, stretch the dough slightly and roll it tightly from the base to the tip.

Place the shaped croissants on a baking tray lined with parchment paper.

Cover with plastic wrap and let them proof at room temperature for 1 hour or until doubled in size.

Preheat your oven to 200° C.

Brush the croissants lightly with milk or an egg wash.

Bake for 10 minutes at 200° C, then reduce the temperature to 190° C and bake for another 15-20 minutes until golden brown.

After cutting the dough into triangles for the croissants, use the left over scraps.

Sprinkle granulated sugar over the leftover scraps.

Roll them up into rough shapes, like mini croissants.

Bake at 200° C for 15-20 minutes until caramelized and golden.

Cut the dough into smaller rectangles instead of triangles.

Place a piece of chocolate at one end and roll it up.

Bake for 10 minutes at 200° C, then reduce the temperature to 190° C and bake for another 15-20 minutes until golden brown.

Before rolling up into triangles, place a slice of ham and a small piece of cheese at the base.

Roll and shape as usual.

Bake for 10 minutes at 200° C, then reduce the temperature to 190° C and bake for another 15-20 minutes until golden brown.