Celebrate National Croissant Day with this Fool-Proof Croissant recipe by TV & Radio Personality, Kriya Gangiah

Did you know that there is a day dedicated to Croissants? This pastry is so much loved that the 30th of January is National Croissant Day, celebrating the flaky goodness of this popular French-inspired treat. This pastry tends to have diva tendencies and is rather tricky to prepare. However, today it is a firm favourite around the world.

Croissants originate from Austria but gained its popularity in France through Marie Antoinette. She requested the royal bakers replicate the kipfel – her favourite snack from her homeland. As the years went on, the French put their own clever twist on this dainty pastry. The dough became lighter and more delicate. Eventually, the kipfel developed into what it is known today as the croissant.

“The croissant is one of the most popular symbols of French food culture today,” Wouter Vermeulen, General Manager Southern Africa, Air France-KLM explains. “This pastry is very popular around the world. The Covid-19 pandemic means that we are not able to travel to France to indulge in croissants this year. However, we can still create magic in our own kitchens this National Croissant Day”.

One personality who isn’t afraid to push herself in the kitchen is television and radio personality, Kriya Gangiah. The star continues to test her limits in the kitchen. She has developed a fool-proof recipe to bake fresh, flaky croissants from the comfort of your own home – with none of the frustration!

“I am a sucker for a culinary challenge,” Kriya says. “The croissant has intimidated me for months. I have tried and failed to make this pastry before. However, I have found a fool-proof recipe that a home cook on any level can succeed with!”

Pin

Print

Fool-Proof Croissant Recipe

0 from 0 votes

Recipe by Kriya Gangiah Course: SnacksCuisine: FrenchDifficulty: Moderate

Prep time

40

minutes

Cooling Time

120

minutes

Baking Time

20

minutes

Total time

3

hours 

Ingredients

• 4 cups all-purpose flour

• ⅓ cup granulated sugar

• 4 teaspoons active dry yeast

• 2¼ teaspoons kosher salt

• 1¼ cups unsalted butter, cold

• 1 cup milk (you may need slightly more or less)

• 1 large egg beaten with 1-2 teaspoons of water (egg wash)

Method

• Place the flour, sugar, yeast, and salt in a large bowl and whisk together until combined.
• Slice the butter into half a centimeter thick slices and toss in the flour mixture to coat.
• Add the milk and stir together until a stiff dough forms.
• Wrap the dough tightly in plastic wrap and chill for 1 hour.
• On a lightly floured surface, roll the dough into a long rectangle shape. Fold it into thirds (like a letter), turn 90 degrees, and repeat 4 to 6 times, or until the dough has large streaks of butter in it but it is smooth and flat. (If at any point the butter starts to feel soft, chill it in the refrigerator or freezer until stiff.)
• Wrap tightly and chill for 1 more hour, then divide the dough in half and roll each portion out to a thickness of about 0.3cm, in a long rectangle shape (approximately 25cm wide by 55cm long).
• Cut the dough into long, skinny triangles (about 12cm at the wide end). Notch the wide end of each triangle with about a 1cm cut, then roll from the wide end to the pointed end, tucking the point under the croissant.
• Place on a parchment-lined baking sheet, cover loosely with plastic wrap, and allow to proof until doubled in size (1 to 2 hours).
• Preheat the oven to 190°C, and gently brush the croissants with egg wash.
• Bake for 15 to 20 minutes, or until puffed, golden brown, and flaky.

Did you make this recipe?

Tag @the.south.african on Instagram and hashtag it #recipes

Like this recipe?

Follow us @thesouthafrican on Pinterest

Looking for more delicate pastry recipes to try out at home? We have a great variety of delicious suggestions for you to try, just check out our recipes.