VIENNESE PASTRY DOUGH
(FOR CROISSANTS, CHOCOLATE CROISSANTS, AND SWEET RAISIN ROLLS)
Ingredients (for 12 pastries)
130 g of active starter
190 ml of warm milk
40 g of egg yolk
350 g of high-gluten wheat flour
100 g of type T110 or type T150 wheat flour (whole wheat or dark whole wheat)
25 g of softened butter
50 g of powdered sugar
8 g of salt
250 g of butter for flaking (82% fat)
Glaze: 1 egg beaten + 1 tablespoon of water
STEPS
Preparing to soak: Pour all of the ingredients except for the butter for flaking into the bowl of the food processor and knead them until the dough is smooth. Wrap it in plastic wrap and put it into the refrigerator overnight.
In the meantime, roll out the butter for flaking between two sheets of parchment paper to give it a square shape, which will make it easier to integrate it into the dough during the folding phase. Chill the butter.
Folding and rest: The next day, first take out the butter and leave it at room temperature for 20 minutes so that it will have the right texture, will not be too hard, and will be easier to spread. Take the dough out of the refrigerator and spread it into a square. Place the butter in the center, and then close the edges back up like an envelope, enclosing the butter in the center.
On a very lightly floured work surface, spread the dough into a rectangle three times as long as it is wide and make three simple folds in total, letting it stand in the refrigerator for at least 30 minutes between each fold.
After all the folds are done, put the flaked dough back into the refrigerator for at least an hour and a half. This resting time will make the shaping easier.
Shaping and glazing: To make croissants, roll the dough into a 5 mm-thick rectangle and cut it into 10 triangles. Make a small incision at the base of each triangle, stretching it and rolling it to shape croissants without pressing too hard. Give each croissant a first glaze.
To make chocolate croissants, or pains au chocolat, roll the dough out, again to a thickness of 5 mm. Place little sticks of chocolate along the edges; these will serve as markers for cutting out rectangles. Then fold the dough over each little stick of chocolate and place another little stick of chocolate on top, before rolling the dough over onto itself to make a chocolate croissant. Give each chocolate croissant a first egg glaze.
You can also use this dough to make sweet raisin rolls.
Rest: Let the pastries stand for several hours—an average of 4 hours, although it will depend on the room temperature and could take up to 6 hours. The pastries must have risen before you bake them.
Baking: Glaze the pastries a second time before putting them into an oven that has been preheated to about 400°F (200°C). Bake for 10 minutes at 400°F (200°C) and then turn the temperature down to 350°F (180°C) and bake for another 15 minutes. The pastries should be nicely golden when you take them out of the oven.
