DAY ONE INSTRUCTIONS: Pre-Ferment
In a small saucepan, bring 1 cup of skim milk to just below room temp.
Add 1 Tbsp of yeast and 1⅓ cup of all-purpose flour.
In a medium bowl, mix together, cover, and let sit in the refrigerator overnight.
DAY TWO INSTRUCTIONS
Take your pre-ferment and put it in the bowl of your stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment.
Add 1 cup of whole milk, 1 Tbsp of melted butter, and 1 Tbsp of yeast. Mix until blended.
Add 6 cups of all-purpose flour, ⅓ cup of white granulated sugar, 1 Tbsp of salt, and 1 cup of whole milk. Mix until blended.
Place in a bowl and cover with plastic wrap (we use shower caps) and let it rise at room temperature for 20 minutes.
After that rest, roll out the dough on a floured surface to make a 27"x12" rectangle. Fold the rectangle on itself in thirds.
Prep a small baking sheet with parchment paper and flour. Place the folded plaque in this and wrap it in plastic.
Place the wrapped plaque in a refrigerator for 4 hours.
After 4 hours, it is time to laminate. Cut the chilled, unsalted butter into cubes and put in your stand mixer. Beat on high with the paddle attachment until the butter is whipped.
While the butter is being whipped, remove your plaque from the refrigerator and roll it out on a floured surface until it is 27"×12".
Spread the butter on ⅔ of it, leaving one side uncovered. Fold the uncovered side over the middle and fold the opposite side over that. Roll it out again to 27"×12", fold it on itself, then put it back in its baking pan, wrap in plastic wrap, and return to refrigerator for 90 minutes.
After 90 minutes, roll it out one more time and fold it on itself again.
Cut it in half and wrap each half in plastic wrap and put it into the freezer for at least 2 hours (it can stay in there for about 2 weeks until the night before you need to use it).
When ready to bake, be sure to remove the plaque from the freezer the night before and put it in the refrigerator.
DAY THREE INSTRUCTIONS:
The next morning, roll it out and shape it as demonstrated in the episode.
Beat the eggs, and brush the shaped croissants with eggwash.
Set the croissants on a baking sheet and let rise for an hour.
Preheat the oven to 425℉.
When proofed, put croissants in the oven and immediately drop the temp to 375℉.
Bake for 9 minutes, then rotate the pan and bake for 9 minutes more.