These crescent-shaped rolls of leavened dough are one of the most pleasing bread presentations out there. These matcha croissants are a touch of hard work and patience yet have a very rewarding taste.
Ingredients:
- 3 tablespoons unsalted butter plus 24 tablespoons (3 sticks) unsalted European-style-butter, very cold
- 1 3/4 cups whole milk
- 4 teaspoons instant or rapid-rise yeast
- 4 1/4 cups (21 1/4 ounces) all-purpose flour
- 4 tbsp matcha powder
- 1/4 cup (1 3/4 ounces) sugar
- 2 teaspoons kosher salt
- 1 large egg
- 1 teaspoon cold water
- black sesame seeds
- filling of your choice (I used chocolate peanut butter and bite-sized snickers)
- icing sugar
Instructions:
- Melt 3 tablespoons butter in medium saucepan over low heat. Remove from heat and immediately stir in milk (temperature should be lower than 90 degrees). Whisk in yeast; transfer milk mixture to bowl of stand mixer. Add flour, matcha powder, sugar, and salt. Using dough hook, knead on low speed until cohesive dough forms, 2 to 3 minutes. Increase speed to medium-low and knead for 1 minute. Remove bowl from mixer and cover with plastic wrap. Let dough rest at room temperature 30 minutes.
- Transfer dough to parchment paper–lined baking sheet and shape into 10 by 7-inch rectangle about 1 inch thick. Wrap tightly with plastic and refrigerate for 2 hours.
- BUTTER BLOCK: While dough chills, fold 24-inch length of parchment in half to create a 12-inch rectangle. Fold over 3 open sides of the rectangle to form 8-inch square with enclosed sides. Crease folds firmly. Place 24 tablespoons of cold butter directly on counter and beat with rolling pin for about 60 seconds until butter is just pliable but not warm, then fold butter in on itself using bench scraper. Beat into a rough 6-inch square. Unfold parchment envelope. Using a bench scraper, transfer butter to center of parchment, refolding at creases to enclose. Turn packet over so that flaps are underneath and gently roll until butter fills parchment square, carefully to achieve even thickness. Refrigerate at least 45 minutes.
- LAMINATE: Transfer dough to freezer. After 30 minutes, transfer to lightly floured counter and roll into a 17 by 8-inch rectangle with long side parallel to edge of counter. Unwrap butter and place in center of dough. Fold sides of dough over butter so they meet in center. Press seam together with fingertips. With rolling pin, press firmly on each open end of packet. Roll out lengthwise into 24 by 8-inch rectangle. Starting at bottom of dough, fold into thirds like a business letter into 8-inch square. Turn dough 90 degrees counterclockwise. Roll out lengthwise again into 24 by 8-inch rectangle and fold into thirds. Place dough on sheet, wrap tightly with plastic and return to freezer for 30 minutes.
- Transfer dough to the lightly floured counter so that top flap opens on right. Roll out dough lengthwise into 24 by 8-inch rectangle and fold into thirds. Place dough on sheet, wrap tightly with plastic and refrigerate for 2 hours or up to 24 hours.
- SHAPE: Transfer dough to freezer. After 30 minutes, transfer to lightly floured counter and roll into 18 by 16-inch rectangle with long side of rectangle parallel to edge of counter. Fold upper half of dough over the lower half. Using ruler, mark dough at 3-inch intervals along the bottom edge with bench scraper (you should have 5 marks). Move ruler to the top edge of dough, measure in 1 1/2 inches from left, then use this mark to measure out 3-inch intervals (you should have 6 marks). Starting at the lower-left corner, use a sharp pizza wheel or knife to cut dough from mark to mark. You will have 12 triangles and 5 diamonds; discard scraps. Unfold diamonds and cut into 10 triangles (making 22 equal-size triangles in total).
- Position 1 triangle on counter. (Keep remaining triangles covered with plastic.) Cut a 1/2-inch slit in center of short side of triangle. Place a dollop of peanut butter or bite-sized snickers (if using) in the center of the bottom of the short side. Grasp triangle by 2 corners on either side of slit and stretch gently, then stretch bottom point. Place triangle on counter so point is facing you. Fold-down both sides of slit. Roll-top of triangle partway toward point. Gently grasp point with 1 hand and stretch again. Resume rolling, tucking point underneath. Curve ends gently toward each other to create crescent. Repeat with remaining triangles.
- Place 12 croissants on 2 parchment-lined sheets at least 2 1/2 inches apart. Lightly wrap with plastic. Let stand at room temperature until nearly doubled in size, 2 1/2 to 3 hours. (Shaped croissants can be refrigerated for up to 18 hours. Remove from refrigerator to rise and add at least 30 minutes to rising time.)
- After croissants have been rising for 2 hours, adjust oven racks to upper-middle and lower-middle positions and heat oven to 425 degrees. In small bowl, whisk together egg, water, and pinch salt. Brush croissants with egg wash. Sprinkle with black sesame seeds. Place croissants in the oven and reduce temperature to 400 degrees. Bake for 12 minutes, then switch and rotate baking sheets. Continue to bake until deep golden brown, 8 to 12 minutes longer. Transfer to wire rack and cool about 15 minutes. Dust with matcha powder and icing sugar if desired. Serve warm or at room temperature.
- TO MAKE AHEAD: After shaping, place 10 croissants 1 inch apart on parchment-lined sheet. Wrap with plastic and freeze until solid, about 2 hours. Transfer to zipper-lock bag and freeze for up to 2 months. Bake frozen croissants as directed from step 8, increasing rising time by to 2 hours.
This recipe is made by Colleen Xie from Ethereal Eats
This recipe is a part of our "Top 10 Bread and Dough Recipes with Matcha" that can be downloaded here.