Salted Caramel Croissant

PASTRY

Feb 24

Caramel Pastry Cream, Sea Salt Caramel

Pastry Chef Samira Saade of Bachour | Miami

INGREDIENTS:

Croissant Dough:
375 grams bread flour
375 grams all-purpose flour
112 grams granulated sugar
Salt
400 grams whole milk
50 grams unsalted European butter, cold
35 grams fresh yeast
Nonstick cooking spray

Lamination:
450 grams unsalted European butter, cold
Flour

Caramel Pastry Cream:
720 grams heavy cream
360 grams whole milk
1 cup plus 2 tablespoons dark brown sugar
1½ teaspoons kosher salt
1 whole egg
3 egg yolks
5 tablespoons cornstarch
5 tablespoons unsalted European butter, melted
1½ tablespoons dark rum
½ tablespoon Vnlla Extract Co. pure vanilla extract

Sea Salt Caramel:
375 grams sugar
60 grams glucose
185 grams cream
1 vanilla bean
½ teaspoon Vnlla Extract Co. pure vanilla extract
½ tablespoon sea salt
300 grams European butter, softened

METHOD:

For the Croissant Dough:
In a mixer fitted with a hook attachment, add flours, sugar, salt, milk, and butter. Mix at low speed for 3 minutes, add yeast, then mix for 17 minutes. Pick up a handful of dough and stretch. If it does not break and creates a thin elastic dough, it is ready to rise. Place dough in a large bowl greased with cooking spray, then wrap well with plastic. Let rest at room temperature for 30 minutes.

Using a dough sheeter, flatten dough until it is roughly the size of a sheet pan. Place in a greased sheet pan and wrap well with plastic. Place sheet pan in blast freezer for 20 minutes to stop the fermentation, then refrigerate overnight.

For the Lamination:
Place a large piece of parchment paper on your work surface. Center butter on the paper. Top butter with another piece of parchment then, using a rolling pin, pound the top from left to right to flatten into a rectangular shape. Wrap in plastic and refrigerate. Once the butter is chilled, unwrap and roll to a 4-millimeter thickness. Wrap again and refrigerate.

The following day, using a dough sheeter, sheet and fold Croissant Dough to a 4-millimeter thickness. Lay Croissant Dough out on your work surface and place unwrapped butter block on its upper half. Fold bottom half of Croissant Dough over the butter block and run it all through the dough sheeter, lengthening its width. Turn the dough sideways and flatten dough to 4 millimeters again. Fold the laminated Croissant Dough’s lower half 2 times toward the middle then again on top of the upper half. Flatten the dough a bit, wrap, and place in freezer for about 1 hour.

Remove Croissant Dough from freezer, unwrap, then sheet the dough to add width. Turn Croissant Dough sideways and sheet until it is 3 millimeters thick. Dust work surface with flour and place Croissant Dough on top. Fold top half down halfway, cut lengthwise, then lay one half on top of the other. Cut out triangles, place on a sheet pan, wrap, and refrigerate 15 minutes. Remove from cooler and roll each triangle out to 8 by 35 centimeters and 3 millimeters thick. Each triangle should weigh 70 grams. Roll triangles into a croissant shape and freeze until needed.

For the Caramel Pastry Cream:
In a large bowl, combine cream and milk; set aside. In a large, heavy-bottomed pot over medium-high heat, combine brown sugar, ½ cup water, and salt. Cook until it becomes an amber color. Immediately deglaze with cream mixture. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to medium. In a medium bowl, whisk together egg, egg yolks, and cornstarch. Temper the hot caramel cream into the egg mixture by adding a cupful of caramel at a time, whisking constantly, until half is incorporated. Pour the egg mixture back into remaining caramel, stirring constantly with a whisk until the custard is very thick and the cornstarch is cooked, about 2 minutes. Remove the custard from heat and whisk in butter, vanilla extract, and rum. Transfer custard to a hotel pan, cover, and refrigerate.

For the Sea Salt Caramel:
In a small saucepan, combine sugar and glucose. Cook, stirring often, until it becomes a golden caramel. Deglaze with cream and continue stirring. Add vanilla bean, vanilla extract, and salt. Strain solids from liquid, remove from heat, and stir in butter. Let cool.

To Assemble and Serve:
Heat a proofing box to 82°F. Place croissants on a parchment-lined baking sheet. Proof in proofing box about 2 hours. Bake in a 350°F convection oven for about 20 minutes. Remove from oven and set on a cooling rack. Once the croissants have cooled, use a knife to slice a hole at the bottom. Pipe in the Caramel Pastry Cream, followed by the Sea Salt Caramel.

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