Whole Grain Croissants

Show off your baking skills by ditching the canned dough and following this easy, fresh, made-from-scratch, wholesome whole grain recipe for croissants! This is a slightly time-consuming process, but the steps required are quite simple, but will give you bragging rights for "slaving all day in your kitchen".

Pronounced "kwah-soh", a croissant is a buttery, flaky product of French origin. The crescent-shaped morsels are PERFECT with a morning cup of coffee or served at brunch with the girls. They are so versatile, anything from adding fillings of Nutella or peanut butter, to lightly coating with cinnamon and powdered sugar! (I could even try some savory options, as well...)


Ingredients

• 3/4 C milk, warmed
• 2 T water
• 1 egg
• 3 C whole wheat flour, sifted or use bread flour
• 1 t salt
• 2 T sugar, sifted or use caster sugar
• 2 T butter, softened
• 1 1/2 t active dry yeast, or 1 packet pre-measured (1/4 oz)
• For later:
• An additional 3/4 C butter, softened; set aside 
• FOR EGG WASH: 
• 1 egg
• 1 T milk

Optional: "filling" ingredients, nuts, berries; my favorites are Nutella with almond slices, or pumpkin/pumpkin spices

Directions

*I do not have a bread machine, so these steps are by hand, apart from using my standing mixer for the first step. You do not, however, need either of these machines to make these!

1. Put first 8 ingredients in mixer, or in large bowl to mix by hand. If using mixer, attach dough hook and put on setting 2. 

2. Slowly, but thoroughly, incorporate until it forms a pliable dough.

3. On floured surface, knead dough for 8-10 minutes until smooth and elastic.

4. Put kneaded dough back in the bowl it was mixed, cover with warm hand towel, and allow to sit until the mound has doubled in size. (approximately 1-2 hours)

5. Take out and knead dough again until elastic on floured surface.

6. Put back in bowl, cover, and chill in refrigerator for an hour.

7. Come back to floured surface, and roll/shape into rectangle, roughly 20" X 8".

8. Divide butter remaining into 3 equal portions.

9. Use 1st to dot evenly over 75% of dough, allowing a border on the sides. 

10. Using un-buttered end, fold over the buttered portion.

11. Form "pockets" of air with rolling pin.

12. Give dough a 1/2 turn, and fold/roll again.

13. Carefully roll into shape again. 

14. Refrigerate for 30 min.

15. Repeat steps 9-13 until butter is used up.

16. Carefully roll to large rectangle, approximately 24" X 12".

17. Cut in 1/2 length-wise.

18. Divide halves into triangles.

19. Make egg wash, whisking ingredients.

20. Brush each triangle with egg wash.

***Optional: if fillings are desired, apply now, using thin coats

21. Starting on wider end of triangle, begin rolling, and skinny corner should end up on top and in the middle of each croissant. 

22. Brush the tops with egg wash.

23. On baking pan with buttery spray or baking parchment, place each croissant.

24. Allow to rise again for at least 30 min at room temperature.

***Preheat oven to 400° F*******************

25. Bake for 18-20 min, or until golden

26. SERVE FRESH AND ENJOY :)