Annette's Butter Croissants

Ingredients

Dough (détrempe): 500 g (4 cups) bread flour · 55 g (¼ cup) sugar · 12 g (2 teaspoons) fine salt · 10 g (1 tablespoon) instant yeast · 300 ml (1¼ cups) cold whole milk · 40 g (3 tablespoons) soft butter

Butter block: 250 g (1 cup plus 2 tablespoons) cold unsalted butter, good quality

To finish: 1 egg beaten with a little milk

Method

1. The first evening. Mix the flour, sugar, salt, and yeast, then the cold milk and soft butter, to a shaggy dough. Knead it only until smooth, about 3 minutes, and let it rest. Wrap it and let it sleep in the refrigerator overnight.
2. The butter. Put the cold butter between two sheets of paper and beat and roll it into a flat square, about 18 cm (7 inches). Keep it cold and firm, the same coolness as the dough.
3. Encase. Roll the dough to a rectangle twice the butter’s size. Sit the butter on one half, fold the dough over, and seal the edges so the butter is tucked in warm and safe.
4. The folds. Roll it into a long rectangle and fold it in thirds, like a letter. That is one turn. Chill it 30 minutes. Do this three times in all, resting it cold between each. Keep the butter cold and it stays in clean layers, which is the whole beauty of it. If it softens, simply chill it and continue when it is cool again. It waits for you happily.
5. Shape. Roll the dough about 4 mm thick, cut long triangles, and roll each from the wide end to the tip. Curve the ends toward each other. Set them on lined trays.
6. Proof. Let them rise at warm room temperature until they are puffy and jiggle when you nudge the tray, 1½ to 2 hours. When they look alive, they are ready.
7. Bake. Brush with egg wash. Bake at 205°C (400°F) for 18 to 20 minutes, until deep golden and crisp.