How to make croissants - The Victorian Way

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Buy your copy of our 'Victorian Way' cookery book: http://bit.ly/2RPyrvQ Visit Audley End House and Gardens for yourself: https://bit.ly/31K6exp English Heritage is a charity that cares for hundreds of historic sites in every corner of England. Find out how you can support our work here: http://bit.ly/38Cv9lA Mrs Crocombe is making baked breakfast goods today in the shape of little crescents, or 'croissants' as the French would call them. Modern recipe: INGREDIENTS - 500g/1lb strong white bread flour; - 7g/2 tsp dried yeast; - 10g/2 tsp salt; - 150ml/5floz tepid water; - 150ml/5floz warm milk; - 25g/1oz butter; - 1 egg, beaten METHOD Start by activating the yeast in the milk – just put it in and leave for 5-10 mins until you see bubbles. Put the flour in a large bowl, make a well in the centre and pour in the milk mixture, sprinkling the top with flour from the sides. Leave for around 20 mins - the yeast should bubble through. Add the salt around the sides and dot in the butter. Mix in the yeast mixture, adding the water as you go until you have a soft, not-sticky dough (you may not need all the water). Turn this into a lightly floured kneading trough and knead for around 20 mins. Try not to add too much extra flour unless you really need it: the aim is to leave the trough dry and not gooed up with residue. (You can also use a food processor fitted with a kneading hook.) When you have a supple, smooth dough, put it into a bowl, cover with a damp tea towel (or silicon lid) and leave to prove for around two hours or until it doubles in size. Now you are ready to shape your croissants. Divide the dough into balls of around 75g/3oz each – you should manage 7-8 balls. You now have a few options: you can shape these into simple crescents; you can plait them and then shape them into crescents; or you can roll them into triangles and roll them up, starting with the long ends, to form tubes and then shape these into crescents. It's up to you! Leave these to prove for a further 1-15 mins, brush with beaten egg, and then bake at 200°C/400°F (conventional heat) for around 15-20 mins until they're golden brown. Ideally you want some steam in the oven, so you could put a baking sheet in the bottom of the oven and chuck some ice cubes in just as you put the rolls in – but be warned, this will make a mess of your oven. SUBSCRIBE TO OUR CHANNEL: https://goo.gl/c5lVBJ FIND A PLACE TO VISIT: https://goo.gl/86w2F6 FOLLOW US ON TIKTOK: https://bit.ly/3LPAF96 LIKE US ON FACEBOOK: https://bit.ly/3MevLDN FOLLOW US ON TWITTER: https://bit.ly/3pvFv3y FOLLOW US ON INSTAGRAM: https://bit.ly/3Balkei