Easy Croissants

Ingredients

• 2 1/2 teaspoons instant yeast
• 1/2 cup lukewarm water
• 1 tablespoon sugar
• 1/2 cup cold milk
• 1 large egg
• 11 1/4 ounces all purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 stick salted butter, frozen
• 1 stick unsalted butter, frozen
• Optional: Chocolate or other filling

Directions

1. Pull the butter from the freezer and leave it at room temperature while you begin. It should stay very cold, but not so hard that you cannot cut it. In a medium bowl, combine the yeast, water and sugar, stirring until mixed. Leave it alone until the surface starts to foam, about 5 minutes. Stir in the milk and egg, beating just enough to loosen the egg and bring the mixture together.
2. Add the flour and salt to your food processor, then pulse to mix the salt through. Slice each stick of butter into tablespoon-sized chunks, and cut each chunk in half. Add every piece of butter to the flour mixture and pulse about 10 times, just enough to scatter the butter and knock the pieces down slightly. You are not aiming for tiny pie-crust bits here; bigger pieces are what you want.
3. Transfer the flour and butter mixture into the bowl with the liquid. Use a spatula to fold everything together gently until the flour is damp and the mixture is evenly combined, taking care not to smash the butter. At this stage, the butter should still feel pretty firm. The dough will look very wet, and that is fine. Cover the bowl and chill it overnight.
4. You can work with the dough the next day, or leave it in the refrigerator for an additional day if needed. When you are ready to continue, dust your work surface very generously with flour and keep extra flour nearby. Tip the dough onto the floured surface, flour the top lightly, and pat it into a rough square. Moving briskly, roll it to about a 16-inch square. The dough is soft and wet, so it should roll without much effort, though it may want to stick. Use more flour over and under the dough as necessary. Fold the dough into thirds, as you would fold a letter.
5. Fold the dough into thirds once more, forming a square. Repeat the rolling and folding process two more times. As you go, maintain a light coating of flour on the surface, using only enough to prevent sticking. The dough is soft enough that you should be able to move quickly before the butter turns too warm and squashy. If the butter does soften before you finish, refrigerate the dough and pick back up once the butter is firm again. After the final fold, press the dough slightly flatter, slide it into a plastic bag, and refrigerate it for at least an hour, or up to three days.
6. When it is time to shape the croissants, heat the oven to 400 degrees and cover a baking sheet with parchment paper. The dough will have puffed during its time in the refrigerator. Divide it into quarters.
7. Roll the first quarter into about a 6-inch square. Cut that square diagonally into quarters.
8. Pick up one right triangle of dough and roll or gently stretch it into a pie-shaped wedge that is at least seven inches long. If the dough is thick enough, you can stretch it longer, but at least seven inches gives you enough dough for good-looking wraps.
9. Beginning at the wide side, roll the dough up toward the point.
10. Set each shaped croissant on the prepared baking sheet with the point tucked underneath. Bend it into a crescent.
11. Cover the croissants with plastic wrap and let them rest for 30 minutes. They will not expand dramatically, but they should feel puffy rather than firm. If you like, brush them with an egg wash, or leave them as they are. Bake at 400 degrees for 20 minutes, until golden brown. Move them to a rack to cool.
12. For chocolate croissants, follow the recipe through the shaping preparation, then roll one quarter of dough into a rectangle about 10 x 6 inches. Slice it into strips about 2 1/2 inches wide x 6 inches long.
13. Place your favorite chocolate at one end of each strip, then roll it up. For the neatest result, the dough should be just a touch wider than the chocolate, so you can fold it over the chocolate as you begin rolling and help keep the filling from leaking in the oven. Arrange the rolls on the pan with the seam underneath, then let them rise and bake as directed for the plain croissants.