Izzy, this one is for you. In my opinion, nothing is more decadent than the flaky buttery layers of a croissant. That and a cup of cappuccino and I am in heaven. I want to be clear, this recipe is a pain to make. It is for those who love to bake, love a challenge, have a undeterrable craving or simply love someone on a low pro diet enough to give it a shot. I adore my daughter, I love a challenge in the kitchen, I love to bake and I still only make this recipe on her birthday! That warning having been issued, holy crap these are delicious and if you have made the flaky pie crust, you will have no problem with these. Also, if you spread the rolling/waiting times out over two days it makes things a lot easier.

Croissants

Print Recipe Pin Recipe

Prep Time 8 30

Cook Time 25

Total Time 9

Servings: 12 croissant

Course: Breads, Breakfast, Yeast Breads

Calories: 313.2

Ingredients Method Nutrition Notes

Ingredients

BUTTER SQUARE

2 TBSP Wheat Starch
1/4 tsp Xanthan Gum
18 TBSP Butter, preferably a high quality like kerrygold cold and cut into 1 tbsp pieces

DOUGH

2 1/4 c Wheat Starch
1/2 c Tapioca Starch/Flour
1/4 c All-purpose flour (yup, regular flour)
2 TBSP Metamucil coarse ground original
2 1/2 tsp Xanthan Gum
2 tsp Baking Powder
1 1/4 tsp Salt
1/4 c Sugar
1 TBSP Instant Yeast
2 TBSP Butter cold, grated
1 1/4 c Rice milk

CORN STARCH GLAZE

1/4 c Rice milk
1 tsp Maple Syrup or agave, or corn syrup
1 tsp Cornstarch

Method

FOR THE BUTTER SQUARE: Combine the wheat starch and xanthan gum into a small bowl. Toss the butter pieces in the bowl of a standing mixer with the paddle attachment. Sprinkle on the starch mixture. On low setting, combine the butter and starch into a smooth homogenous mixture, about one minute. Place the mixture in plastic wrap and gently roll into a 7 inch square. Refrigerate the butter square for at least an hour.
FOR THE DOUGH: Combine the flour, wheat starch, tapioca starch, metamucil, xanthan gum, salt, sugar, yeast and baking powder into the now empty bowl of the standing mixer, again with paddle attachment. Sprinkle the 2 tablespoons of grated butter on top and mix for one minute. With the mixer on low, slowly add the rice milk. Mix for one minute until a dough forms. The dough will resemble cookie dough in terms of texture. Let sit for 10 minutes to allow the starches to fully absorb the liquid.
Again with the paddle attachment, mix on medium to high setting (4 to 5 on Kitchen Aid) for 4 to 5 minutes, pausing the mixing halfway to scrape the dough off the sides of the bowl. You are incorporating air into the dough which the gas from the yeast will expand, allowing for a lovely rise. As the dough mixes, it will get a little stretchy, but still stick to the sides of the bowl. The dough should be nice and smooth.
Transfer the dough to a lightly starched work surface. Gently knead 4 or 5 turns. Wrap the dough in plastic and refrigerate for an hour.
Lightly dust a work surface with wheat starch. Roll the rough into a 11 inch square. Place the chilled butter diagonally on to the dough. Fold the corners of the dough over the butter square so that they meet in the middle and pinch the edges of the dough to seal them.
Using a rolling pin, gently tap the dough from the center and continue to tap outwards, until the square becomes larger and the butter softens a little. Roll the dough into a 14 inch square, checking to make sure the dough is not sticking and adding additional starch as needed.
Fold the square into thirds to form a long rectangle (like a business letter). Starting from the narrow ends, fold the rectangle into thirds again, to form a square. Wrap the dough in plastic wrap and refrigerate for 2 hours. Repeat two more times, chilling in between for 2 hours. (You can leave the dough in the fridge overnight after the final turn if you prefer).
Line two baking sheets with parchment paper. Place the chilled dough on a starched surface and gently roll into a 20 inch square. Using a pizza cutter and a ruler, cut the dough into two equal rectangles. Cut each rectangle into thirds widthwise, and then cut each rectangle on a diagonal to form 2 triangles to yield 12 triangles.
Gently roll/stretch each triangle a little so it goes from a right angle to more of an isosceles triangle with two sides equal in length (sorry for the trigonometry flashbacks). Cut a one inch slit into the center of each base (the triangles short side). Fold 2 sides of the slit slightly outwards.
With both hands, roll the triangle from the base, gently stretching the dough as you roll leaving the last 1/4 inch of the tip unrolled. Transfer to the lined baking sheet with the unrolled tip tucked under. Bring the ends of the croissant toward each other to form a crescent shape. Cover the croissants loosely in plastic wrap and let them rise room temperature until a little puffy (they will not double in size), about one hour.
Meanwhile, prepare the cornstarch glaze. CORNSTARCH GLAZE: In a small saucepan, whisk the rice milk, maple syrup and cornstarch. Bring to a gentle boil, stirring constantly until mixture thickens, about 2 minutes total. Set aside to cool.
Meanwhile, preheat oven to 400 degrees. Brush the croissants with the starch glaze. Bake for 20 to 25 minutes, rotating the sheets halfway through baking. Cool for 15 minutes. Serve warm or room temperature.