Julia Child's Croissants

My most recent adventure in the kitchen was inspired by an episode of "The French Chef" with Julia Child. During this episode, Julia explained the "in's and out's"of croissant-making, in a way that made the long laborious process seem effortless and fun! There are many steps to the recipe, and in between each step, the dough has to rest for 1-2 hours. The resting periods make this recipe take up to an entire day! However, the end results make it all worth it. These croissants are the flakiest, richest, and most delicious croissants I ever had...and fresh from my oven! 

I followed Julia Child's recipe from "The French Chef" television episode step-by-step, so I do not take credit for this recipe. I hope you enjoy!

Ingredients:
(Makes 12 croissants)

Yeast mixture:
1/4 cup warm (not boiling!) water
1 package dry active yeast
1/2 tablespoon sugar
1/8 teaspoon salt

Dough:
2 cups flour (Julia uses a 2 part pastry flour to 1 part all-purpose flour mix; I only had all-purpose flour available and it turned out great)
4 teaspoons vegetable oil (2 teaspoons if using pastry flour)
1/2 cup tepid milk
1 tablespoon sugar
1 1/2 teaspoon salt
1 stick (4 oz.) cold butter (good quality makes a big difference!)

Egg wash:
1 egg
1 teaspoon water

The first step is to proof the yeast to make sure it is active before adding it to the dough. To do this, I mixed all of the ingredients listed above under "Yeast mixture" in a small cup and set that aside for 5 minutes. If after 5 minutes the mixture has begun to foam, the yeast is active. If not, you may want to check the expiration date or try making another mixture with a new packet of yeast.

Next, I made the dough by adding the flour, oil, milk, sugar, salt, and yeast mixture to a medium-sized mixing bowl. I stirred the ingredients together with a spatula, just to combine, and then turned it out onto the counter to knead it. The dough is sticky at first, but as you knead it, it becomes less sticky and more elastic. I kneaded the dough for about 3-4 minutes, until it was fairly smooth, and then placed it in a clean bowl. I then cut a cross shape on the top of the dough as shown below, and then covered the bowl with plastic wrap and set it to rise in a warm place for 1-2 hours.

Ready to rise!

Once the dough has doubled in size (timing may differ depending on the temperature), I punched the dough down (removing the air), removed it from the bowl, and wrapped it in wax paper to refrigerate for about 30 minutes.

Risen dough

The next step was incorporating the butter into the dough. I removed the butter from the refrigerator, placed it on a flat surface, and beat it with my rolling pin to make it pliable (yes, I know it sounds silly, but Julia did it!). The object is to make the butter smooth and pliable while keeping it cold.

Beating the butter

Next, I removed the dough from the fridge, rolled it into a small disc shape, and placed the butter on top of the center of the dough in a square shape.

I then brought up the four sides of the dough around the butter and pinched them together on top to form a square dough packet with the butter inside. I rolled the dough packet into a rectangle that was about 5" wide and 14" long. Be careful when rolling not to tear the dough. Use extra flour for dusting and pinch any openings that may appear!

The next step is to fold the dough into thirds, similar to how you would fold a letter. I brought the top edge down about 2/3 of the way, and then folded the bottom up. Then, I turned the dough 90 degrees so that I could begin rolling again. This is known as the first "turn."

First turn

I had to repeat the rolling out and folding process one more time for the second turn, and then took the folded dough, wrapped it in wax paper, and let it rest in the refrigerator for 2 hours. Resting allows the butter to stay cold and to rest the gluten, making it easier to roll.

After it had rested, I repeated the process again for another 2 turns (total of 4 turns), and set the folded dough in the refrigerator to rest for another 2 hours.

Finally, it was time to form the croissants! I buttered my baking sheet and set it aside, and then took the rested dough out of the refrigerator. I rolled the dough out into an even longer rectangle this time (about 20" long), and then cut it in half. I put one half back in the fridge to stay cold while I worked on one half.

I rolled one half of the dough out into a rectangle about 12" long, and then cut it into thirds.

I then rolled each third out a bit more, into a square, and then cut diagonally to make two triangles from each.

Using my hands, I then rolled each triangle up from the base of the triangle to the tip, forming the croissant shape. Be sure to keep the tip at the bottom so that the croissant doesn't open up while rising or baking.

Once I formed the croissants, I placed them on the buttered baking sheet, and set to work on the other half of the dough I had in the refrigerator. The croissants were then placed in a warm place to rise, uncovered again for another 45 minutes.

Ready to rise

At this point, I set my oven to preheat at 475F. Once the croissants had doubled in size (again, timing may vary, but be sure they have doubled before moving on!), I made the egg wash by whisking the egg together with the water in a small bowl. I then brushed the tops of the croissants with the egg wash.

I then placed the croissants in the oven to bake for 10-12 minutes, until the tops were beautifully golden brown.

Once they were out of the oven, I placed them on a wire rack to cool for about 10 minutes. This part felt like the longest! The apartment smelled like heaven!

Julia suggested eating the croissants with a bit of jam and a warm cup of cafe au lait, so that's just what I did! Bon appetit!

Rustic Ciabatta Bread

Here is a recipe I am so excited to share. It is my last couple days living here in Grenada, and I had a few things in my pantry I wanted to use up before moving out. I had an itch to bake something, but had no milk or butter left...decided to use the rest of my flour, yeast, and a little oil to make one of my favorite breads of all time: ciabatta! Ciabatta is an Italian white bread with a soft, porous texture inside, and a nice crispy exterior. It is perfect for toasting and making bruschetta or crostini, as well as for pressing and making panini. It turned out to be so simple to make, and so delicious!

Ingredients:
2 cups of all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon active dry yeast
2/3 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon sugar
1 1/8 cup lukewarm water
1 tablespoon olive oil

In a small cup, add the yeast and sugar to the lukewarm water, then stir. Let that sit aside for 5 minutes. In a mixing bowl, combine the flour and salt. Add the water mixture to the mixing bowl, half at a time, stirring with a wooden spoon. Stir mixture with the wooden spoon for at least 10 minutes. (It may look a bit dry at the beginning, but as you mix it will become a stickier dough...do not add more water than directed.)

Rub the sides of another bowl with the olive oil. Place the dough inside, cover the bowl with plastic wrap, and set it in a warm place to rise. Once it has doubled in size (took me 1 hour here in Grenada, may take longer in colder climates), lightly dust a work surface with flour. Stretch the dough out to a square. Fold the top and bottom sides to meet each other at the middle. Flip the dough over, and then fold the two other sides in (left and right sides) to meet each other at the middle. Place the dough back in the oiled bowl and cover, letting it rise until it has again doubled in size (took another hour for me).

Preheat the oven (425F or 450F depending on the size you will be making your bread...see below). Lightly brush some olive oil on a parchment-lined baking sheet and set it aside. Lightly flour your work surface again with some flour. Take the risen dough out and cut it in half (will make two long loaves...you may also cut it into quarters to make smaller loaves as I did for the bread in the picture). Stretch and shape each half (or quarter) into a rectangle on the baking sheet. Sprinkle the tops of the loaves with a bit of flour, and place them in the oven.

Bake for about 25-30 minutes at 450F (for smaller loaves), 35-40 minutes at 425F (for the larger loaves), or until the tops are nicely light golden brown. Once they are done, remove them from the baking sheet and allow to cool for 15-20 minutes. Buon appetito!

Here are two of the things I did with my freshly baked ciabatta:

Pressed Argentinian steak sandwich: grilled minute steak, chimichurri, caramelized onions, and fried sweet plantains (add any cheese you like)...assemble and cook in a panini press or on the stovetop in a pan with a weight over it.

Garlic bread: butter, minced garlic, and parsley, toasted under the broiler for 5 minutes.

French Toast with Caramelized Bananas and Walnuts

Since I've arrived back on the island from summer break, I've had a craving for french toast. I decided that I wouldn't make it until I had the time to enjoy making and eating it, and until I had all the right ingredients. Finding all the right ingredients is tough here, but it was a success! I found a lovely little bakery in the city of St. George's called The Merry Baker. It is owned and run by a friendly South African couple who agreed to bake me a fresh loaf of brioche (even though it wasn't one of their regular items). Once I had that, I had to decide what I would add to my french toast to take it to another level. I could not use that wonderful fresh bread on just a simple french toast. My first idea was to make an amaretto-flavored french toast, but I could not find a nice small bottle of amaretto here. The next idea was to top it with fresh berries, but as strawberries, blueberries, and raspberries are not grown locally, they are expensive and hard to find. I decided on the caramelized bananas since they can be found grown locally everywhere on the island. It was my first time making a caramel sauce, but it turned out to be easier than I expected and so delicious! 

Ingredients:
French Toast:
4 thick slices of brioche bread
2 eggs
1/2 cup of milk
1 tablespoon of sugar
1/2 teaspoon of almond essence (this can be substituted with an extra 1/4 tsp of vanilla)
1/4 teaspoon of vanilla extract
3-4 tablespoons of butter

Caramelized Banana and Walnut Topping:
2 ripe bananas, sliced thick at an angle
1/4 cup of walnuts
2 tablespoons of butter
4 tablespoons of light brown sugar

To Make the French Toast:
Whisk together the eggs, milk, sugar, almond essence, and vanilla. Once they are well combined, pour the batter in a shallow dish large enough for dipping the bread slices. Place a slice of bread into the batter and let it soak for at least 30 seconds. Flip the bread over to let the other side soak. Heat 1/2 tablespoon of butter in a medium-sized frying pan over medium heat. Once it has melted, add the soaked slice of bread to the pan. Fry until that side is golden brown and flip, adding more butter if necessary. When both sides are nicely browned, the french toast is finished! Repeat with the remaining slices. You may serve this as is, or topped with syrup, fresh fruit, or powdered sugar.
*Note: French toast is best made with day old bread, so try to buy your bread a day ahead and it will be perfect when you are ready for it!

To Make the Caramelized Banana and Walnut Topping:
Melt the butter over medium heat in a small frying pan, and add the sliced bananas to the pan. Sprinkle in the sugar and flip the bananas, being careful not to cook them too much. Once the caramel sauce starts to bubble, add the walnuts and cook for a few more seconds. Remove from the heat and immediately spoon the topping over your french toast. 
*Be careful not to cook the caramel sauce too long or the sugar may re-crystallize and turn your sauce into candy.

 Beautiful brioche loaf

Nice thick slices

Soft and Fluffy Dinner Rolls

There's something so comforting about freshly baked, soft and fluffy bread hot out of the oven. This recipe is adapted from a copycat recipe for Texas Roadhouse Rolls. They are less dense and more soft than the actual Texas Roadhouse version, so they're even more delicious! The down side for me (being as impatient as I am) is waiting for the bread to rise every time...but once they're in the oven, they're ready in just a few minutes!

Ingredients:
2 teaspoons of active dry yeast
1 teaspoon of sugar
1/4 cup of warm water
1 cup of milk
1 1/2 tablespoons of butter, plus more for brushing
1/4 cup of sugar
4 cups of flour
1 egg
1 teaspoon of salt

Stir the yeast and 1 teaspoon of sugar together in the warm water. Set aside to bloom until it has doubled in volume. Scald the milk in a small saucepan (heat slowly until small bubbles just begin to show on the side...do not boil!), remove from the heat and add the 1 1/2 tablespoons of butter. Stir and let it cool.

Once the milk is lukewarm, add it to the yeast mixture, and stir in the 1/4 cup of sugar and 2 cups (about half) of the flour. Mix well (it will look like a batter, not a dough), and let it sit for 10 minutes.

After 10 minutes, add the egg, salt, and enough flour to form a soft dough (you may not end up using the full 4 cups). Let the dough rest for 10 minutes.

After this second 10 minute rest, turn the dough out onto a floured surface, and knead until smooth, about 6-8 minutes. Grease a large bowl and add the kneaded dough to it, turning it over to let the top also be greased. Cover tightly with plastic wrap and set the bowl in a warm place to rise for 1-1 1/2 hours, or until doubled in size.

Once the dough has doubled in size, punch it down and place it back onto a floured surface. Roll it out to about 1/2 inch thick. Fold it in half to make it 1 inch thick, and roll over it lightly to make the two halves stick together. Let this rest for 10 minutes.

After those 10 minutes have passed, cut the dough into 2-inch squares and place on a greased cookie sheet. Cover the squares with a damp cloth and set in a warm place to rise for another hour.

Once they have doubled in size, preheat the oven to 350F. Place the rolls into the oven and bake for 10-15 minutes, or until they are light golden brown on top. Once they are removed from the oven, you may brush the tops with some melted butter. Enjoy while warm!

One way I enjoyed these rolls was with some delicious salmon! Click here for that recipe!