Yield: 4 Servings

Ingredients:

Stewed Apples:
• 2 pounds Bramely apples, peeled, cored and sliced very thin
• 1 cup sugar
• ½ teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon citric acid
• ½ teaspoon ground cardamom
• 1 teaspoon ground Korintje cinnamon
• 1 teaspoon ground Ceylon cinnamon
• 1 Mexican vanilla bean, scraped
• 1 cup Madeira
  
  Cultured Butter:
• 1 quart crème fraiche
• Sea salt, as needed
  
  Croissants:
• 1½ cups whole milk
• 1¼ teaspoon dry yeast
• 50 grams brown sugar
• 700 grams all purpose flour
• Cold water as needed
• 18 grams finely ground sea salt
• 350 grams butter
• Egg wash

Method:

For the Stewed Apples:
Place all ingredients in a stock pot and cook over low heat until the apples are tender and the liquid is gone.

For the Cultured Butter:
Place the crème fraiche in the bowl of a food processor and process until the butterfat separates from the liquid – about 5 minutes. Remove the butterfat from the liquid and wrap with cheesecloth. Place the butter in a colander and allow it to drain for several hours. Using a rubber spatula, spread the butter onto a clean baking sheet and mix to get the last of the liquid separated from the fat. Add sea salt to taste and mix well. Spread the butter into crocks, wrap well with plastic wrap, and store in the refrigerator until ready to serve.

For the Croissants:
Warm the milk to body temperature. Place the milk, yeast and brown sugar in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the dough hook and mix until the yeast is frothy and active. Add the flour and mix until the dough comes together. Have water ready to add if the dough seems too dry. Combine until a smooth dough forms – about 5 minutes. Add the salt, and mix for another 3 minutes. Remove the dough from the mixer, wrap loosely with plastic wrap and refrigerate for 2 hours. The dough will expand into the plastic wrap while chilling. Remove the rested dough from the refrigerator and roll it into a 10-inch by 10-inch square. Wrap with plastic wrap and refrigerate for another 2 hours.

Pat the butter into a 5-inch by 5-inch square. Wrap with plastic wrap and refrigerate. Remove the butter from the refrigerator approximately 30 minutes before you are ready to combine with the dough.

Place the butter, turned to form a diamond, on the square of dough. Fold the corners of the dough around the butter to enclose it like a package. Roll the package to form a rectangle approximately 30-inches by 10-inches. Fold the dough into thirds lengthwise, wrap with plastic, and refrigerate for 2 hours.

Turn the dough 90 degrees and roll it into a 30-inch by 10-inch rectangle again. Fold the dough into thirds lengthwise, wrap with plastic, and refrigerate for 2 hours. Repeat this rolling and folding process 3 more times for a total of 5 turns. Refrigerate the dough overnight after the final turn.

The next morning, remove the dough from the refrigerator and roll to a large rectangle 10 inches in depth. Cut triangles approximately 6 inches wide and 10 inches long. Roll the dough starting at the long end toward the tip of the triangle. Place each croissant on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper, cover the sheet pans loosely with plastic wrap and set them in a cool place to rise for about 1½ hours, or until doubled in size. (The scraps of dough can be sprinkled with cinnamon sugar and allowed to rise, then baked as a treat for the kitchen.) Pre-heat a convection oven to 350°F, lightly brush the croissants with egg wash, and bake until dark chestnut brown and flaking on top, approximately 30 minutes.

back to top