Low-fat croissants

Ingredients for 1 servings:

• 500 g flour
• 1 cube of yeast, fresh
• 175 ml milk (0.3% fat)
• 50 g butter, reduced fat
• 5 g sweetener (granulated sweetener)
• 10 g salt
• 2 m.-sized eggs
• 250 g butter, reduced fat
• 1 m.-sized eggs
• 1 tbsp milk (0.3% fat)
• Flour for the work surface

Instructions

Working time approx. 1 hour; Rest time approx. 3 hours; Cooking/baking time approx. 15 minutes; Total time approx. 4 hours 15 minutes

Suitable for WW, makes approx. 14 – 16 croissants

Dissolve the yeast in some of the milk. Put the flour into the bowl of a food processor, make a well, and pour in the yeast-based milk. Cover with a little flour and let stand for 5 minutes. Now add the powdered sugar, the remaining milk, and the eggs and knead everything together, adding the butter in small pieces. Finally, sprinkle in the salt. Let the smooth, non-sticky dough rest for 15 minutes. Now form the dough into a ball and let rest for another 10 minutes. Meanwhile, roll out the butter between cling film into a square with sides measuring approximately 15 cm, or flatten it with the heel of your hand. Chill the butter slab for another 10 minutes. Now cut a cross into the dough ball with a sharp knife. Roll out the resulting ends to form a cross (the dough should be slightly thicker in the middle). Place the butter slab in the center of the cross and fold the ends over it so that the butter is completely enclosed. Roll out the dough on a floured work surface into as even a rectangle as possible, brush off any excess flour, then give it a single fold. To do this, fold the dough in three like a business letter: Place 1/3 of the dough from the short side in the middle and then fold the single-folded third of the dough over it. Cover the dough with cling film and refrigerate for 30-40 minutes. Now give it a second single fold. To do this, roll the dough out again into a rectangle and fold it in three, cover again and refrigerate for 30-40 minutes. Finally, give the dough a double fold: Roll out the dough into a rectangle again, then fold the two short ends in the middle so that the edges meet. Now fold the dough in half again so that it is in 4 layers on top of each other. Cover with cling film and refrigerate for a final 30 minutes. Make sure that the work surface is well and evenly floured each time you roll it out. Occasionally, lift the dough with both hands at the short sides and gently “fluff” it to ensure it doesn’t stick to the work surface. You can also run a spatula under the dough or use it to add a little flour. It’s okay if small cracks appear and a little butter seeps through, provided there’s enough flour. However, before each fold, you should brush off any excess flour on the dough sheet. Now roll out the dough into an even rectangle measuring approximately 64 x 38 cm and straighten the edges. Fold the dough in half lengthwise, tucking the edges together only loosely. Cut the dough into triangles with a sharp knife, ideally using a template. For relatively large croissants, I use an isosceles triangle with a base of 15 cm and a side length of 18 cm (although you can also make smaller croissants if you like; use a template with a shorter base). Now separate the double pieces of dough again and cut them in half to create 14 complete triangles the size of the template and 2 offcuts. While you are shaping the croissants, you should cover the remaining pieces of dough to prevent the surface from drying out. Roll out each triangle again one at a time or stretch it out so that it is significantly longer than before. Then place the triangle on the work surface with the tip pointing towards the edge of the work surface. Cut a piece of dough from the offcuts and place it on the top edge of the triangle. Now fold the top edge over the piece of dough and roll it down tightly to the tip, pulling the two corners outwards to give the croissant a nice shape. Shape it into a croissant and place it on a baking tray lined with baking paper. Shape the remaining croissants in the same way. Cover the baking trays and let the croissants rise again for about 45-60 minutes, brushing them with the egg wash (mix egg yolk and 1 tablespoon of milk) after 30 minutes. Brush only the smooth strips with the milk, avoiding the edges if possible to prevent them from rising. Before baking, brush the croissants a second time with the egg wash. Bake the croissants in a preheated oven at 230°C for about 15 minutes until golden brown, pouring a cup of water onto the bottom of the oven at the beginning. You can freeze the croissants in their formed state and then let them rise after thawing. You can also refrigerate them in their formed state and let them rise slightly the next day.