Croissants

1. Combine the flour, sugar, salt, yeast and the lukewarm milk and water, then knead for 6 to 8 minutes to a smooth elastic dough, shape into a flat rectangle and chill overnight to relax the gluten and develop flavour.
2. Beat 250 g of cold butter into a neat 18 by 18 cm square between parchment, keeping it firm yet bendable so it laminates without cracking or melting, and reserve the rest for greasing.
3. Roll the dough into a rectangle twice the butter's size, enclose the slab fully, then perform a double book fold followed by a single fold, resting the dough chilled for 45 minutes between turns so it stays cold.
4. Roll the block to a 4 mm thick sheet, trim the edges square, then cut tall triangles roughly 9 cm at the base and 24 cm long for a classic crescent shape.
5. Notch the base of each triangle, stretch the tip slightly, roll up firmly without compressing the layers, then set tip-down on lined trays spaced well apart.
6. Prove covered for about 2 to 2.5 hours until almost doubled and wobbly, glaze twice with beaten egg, then bake at 200 C for 18 to 20 minutes until richly bronzed.
7. Rest the baked croissants for about 15 minutes so the honeycomb crumb finishes setting before you pull one apart to check the open, flaky layers.

You'll use: Oven