Croissant/Puff Pastry

This is a buttery flaky pastry which has a crescent shape. This recipe is all about butter and needs your time plus patience to get the best results. The pastry dough which we will prepare in this recipe can be used even to make puff pastries, puff vegetable pastries or cream pastries.

Makes 8-10
Ingredients
3 cups of all-purpose flour
2- ½ cups of cube shape butter
1 teaspoon of salt
2 teaspoons yeast (quick rise)
Nearly a cup of cold chilled water

Ingredients for the spinach filling:
2 cups finely chopped spinach
2 cups of Indian cheese (paneer)
1 teaspoon turmeric powder
1 teaspoon red chilli powder
1/2 teaspoon garam masala powder
salt as per taste
1 tablespoon oil
a pinch of asafetida
1 teaspoon cumin seeds

Process: Put your butter and water inside the freezer for around 30 minutes. After 30 minutes, On a clean countertop first place all-purpose flour. Add the salt, yeast and mix well. Dig a hole in between the flour and add the butter to it.
After that cover all the butter with the flour. Gradually add the cold water and gently mix in with the flour. Squeeze the mixture and also start cutting the butter with a big knife. Squeeze more with your hand and keep on doing that until you get a round dough.

Some of the flour and butter will stick to the counter, use knife and scrape off that part. Add it to the dough and knead again. The butter chunks should be still seen in the dough. Dust some flour on the counter and on the rolling pin. Roll the dough and press it with the rolling pin and shape it in a rough rectangle. Fold the dough in half twice. Cover with a plastic wrap, tie with an elastic band. And keep it in the fridge for nearly 30 minutes. Repeat this process 6 more times.

Process for the spinach filling : Heat oil in a skillet, add the cumin seeds, asafetida and sauté for few seconds. Add the spinach and paneer along with the remaining spices. Cook on medium heat for around 5 minutes. Turn off the stove and allow it to cool at room temperature.

Continue the process for the dough :
And on the seventh time dust some flour on the countertop, roll it with a rolling pin. Stretch it little thicker than the chapati dough in rectangular shape. You will notice that the dough has become very soft and smooth. Cut one half of the dough for the puff pastries. With the remaining part, start making diagonal cuts from the beginning to the end in equal triangle parts. Take one part and stretch it little with the rolling pin. Take the two end and start rolling inward until it reaches the single point (roll each part in such a way let the layers stick together but not so much so as to damage the layers). Do this to all the triangle parts, place them on paper and let them sit for another 15 minutes.

For the pastries divide them into four parts in rectangle shape. Add one side the spinach filling and close well by folding from one side to another. Keep aside along with the croissant. By that time preheat the oven on 400 F. Once the oven is heated place the croissant tray on the middle rack and bake until they turn golden brown. Once they are done remove them out and brush with some butter. The croissants are ready to serve.

Note: If you don’t want to use your pastry sheet on the very same day then you can store the dough into the freezer for nearly two weeks. Remove it a night before and keep it in the fridge to use them next day. Covering with plastic wrap is important so as to avoid breaking of the dough.

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