Kimchi & Blue Cheese Croissants
This is the first croissant we ever made and sold at Milk Bar. Deeply stinky and pungent in all the right ways, it is not for the faint of heart. It is a true marriage of funky, barnyardy, stringent kimchi and blue cheese, of our Korean roots to our Italian ones. It is for our soul sisters and brothers. Making croissants is one of the coolest bread techniques around. You spend time making many layers of bread dough and butter, folding and turning the dough all along. When baked, the croissants get their flakiness and volume from the steam that the layers of butter give off as the dough heats. The steam separates each dough layer ever so slightly, resulting in this massively puffy, impossibly flaky creation. And when you make them with a flavored butter, they’re even cooler! Though we have simplified the technique somewhat at Milk Bar, in terms of speed and precision, this recipe is still not for softbodies. It takes more time with the dough, more flour, more time with the rolling pin. But it will make you feel like a true pro when the oven timer goes off and you pull these bad boys out.
Recipe information
Yield
makes 5 croissants
Ingredients
Preparation
Step 1
Punch down and flatten the dough on a smooth, dry countertop. Dust the counter, the dough, and a rolling pin with flour, and roll out the dough to a rectangle about 8 × 12 inches and even in thickness. Grab the butter pad from the fridge and place it on one half of the dough rectangle. Fold the other half of the dough rectangle over the butter pad and pinch the edges shut around it. Drape with plastic wrap and let rest for 10 minutes at room temperature.
Step 2
To make the croissants, you will need to put 3 “double book” turns into the dough to create enough alternating layers of flour and butter to make the croissants rise and puff in the oven. To make your first double book turn, dust your counter surface, your rolling pin, and the dough with flour, remembering to dust under the dough as well. Roll the dough out again to a rectangle 8 × 12 inches and even in thickness. Be gentle with the rolling pin, making sure not to break into any part of the butter bundle or roll so hard that the butter rolls right out of the dough. (If this happens, push it back in and pull a little dough over the escape hole to patch it up.) Make sure there is not an excessive amount of flour left on or underneath your dough—dust off any excess with your hands.
Step 3
Visually divide your dough lengthwise into quarters. Fold the two outer quarters over to the center axis, or spine, of the rectangle of dough, so they meet in the center. Then close the book, bringing one edge to meet the other with the spine now to one side. (When I’m showing someone how to make a double book turn, I stretch my monkey arms out wide like I’m going in for a big hug, then I fold my arms at the elbow, so my fingers are touching my armpits, and fold my elbows in to touch one another. That is what your dough should look like. Book turn complete.) Wrap it loosely in plastic and transfer it to the fridge for 30 minutes.
Step 4
Repeat steps 2 and 3 twice more to make a total of 3 turns,. Each time you start a turn, make sure to have the open edges, or seam, of your dough facing away from you. Sometimes we write 1, 2, or 3 on the plastic we use to wrap the dough as we are putting the turns into it so we don’t lose count. If you put in one too many turns, it will not hurt your dough; if you skip one, you will end up very disappointed in your softbody croissants.
Step 5
For your last and final roll-out, dust your counter surface, your rolling pin, and your dough with flour, remembering to dust under the dough as well. Roll the dough out to a rectangle that’s 8 × 12 inches and even in thickness.
Step 6
With a paring knife or a pizza cutter, cut the dough into 5 triangles, each 8 inches long from the pointiest tip to the center of the side across it and 4 inches wide at the bottom. You should have 5 triangles (2 upside down and 3 right side up) plus some scrap on the right and left. Divide the blue cheese among the croissants, putting it into the center of the wide bottom end of each triangle. Starting at the blue cheese end, use one hand to begin rolling the dough toward the tip of the triangle while your other hand holds the tip and gently stretches it away. Continue until the triangle is completely rolled up into a crescent shape. Make sure the tip of the triangle is tucked underneath the body of the crescent, or it will unravel in the oven. Roll the scraps up into kimchi croissant knots or make baby pigs in blankets!
Step 7
Transfer the croissants to a parchment-lined sheet pan, arranging them 6 inches apart. Cover lightly with plastic and leave at room temperature to double in size, about 45 minutes.
Step 8
Heat the oven to 375°F.
Step 9
Whisk the egg and water together in a small bowl. Generously coat the top of your croissants with the egg wash, using a brush.
Step 10
Bake the croissants for 20 to 25 minutes, or until they double in size, caramelize on the edges, and have a crusty outer layer that sounds hollow when you tap them. They’re killer out of the oven and delicious at room temperature. If for some strange reason they don’t get eaten immediately, wrap them individually in plastic and keep them refrigerated for up to 3 days. We like to toast our croissants before eating on the second and third days.
