Croissants - step by step

The key for good croissants is chilled dough and butter, and resting between rolling. Use the best butter you can find, as it makes big difference.
Following recipe is for 15-16 large croissants (I always freeze prepared and cut dough, and take out as many as needed), but you can half the recipe if you don't want to leave some dough for later.
Be aware!...they can be addictive!

Ingredients:
4 cups flour (600g)
1/4 cup sugar (50g)
3/4 cup milk
3/4 cup warm water
2 tsp (1 packet) instant yeast
1/2 tsp salt
1 butter (250g)
Method:
Make a soft dough out of all ingredients (except butter); use bread maker, mixer or hands. Leave to double, then refrigerate for 1/2 an hour (at least, or wrap well and leave it overnight in the fridge). Take out on floured surface and roll out into an oblong shape (pic1). Take butter out of fridge, cut into thin (3-4mm) pieces. Dust a piece of butter with flour on both sides and roll out to 1-2 mm thin. Place it  onto dough, then repeat with other pieces of butter until you cover 2/3 of dough (pic1); make sure your edges (1 cm) of dough are free from butter. Now lift uncovered side of dough and fold as an envelope (1 over 2, then 2 over 3, as shown in picture). Roll out to an long shape (pic 2), turn 45 degrees and fold as shown in pic 3-4. Dust both sides with flour, place onto cutting board, cover with clean tea towel and refrigerate. Let it rest for 30-40 min.
Take out, roll again to an oblong shape (as pic 4 shows). If your working space is narrow, let dough hang down - it's OK. Turn dough and fold again (pic 5). Refrigerate, then after 30-40 min take the dough  out and roll out to a long rectangle. Cut shapes as shown. Roll base of the triangle towards the end (you can cut base as shown - it helps hold specific shape). Place onto lined baking sheet and let it rest on a warm spot.
Preheat oven to 180*C, brush croissants with an beaten egg white (optional) and bake for 12 -15 min, or until golden brown. Enjoy while warm!

'Croissants' - Francuski Polumjeseci

Kljuc za dobre 'Polumjesece' (Croissants) je dobro rashladjeno tijesto i maslac, kao i odmaranje izmedju razvlacenja. Upotrijebite najbolji maslac koji mozete naci, jer cini veliku razliku u okusu.
Sljedeci recept je za 15-16 velikih polumjeseca (ja uvijek pravim po navedenoj mjeri, zatim izrezem tijesto i zamrznem, zatim vadim onoliko koliko mi treba) - recept mozete prepoloviti.
Upozorenje!...mozete postati ovisni!
Potrebno:
4 solje brasna (600 gr)
1/4 solje secera (50 gr)
3/4 solje mlijeka
3/4 solje mlake vode
2 k (1 paket) instant kvasca
1/2 k soli
1 maslac (250gr)
Nacin:
Umijesite tijesto od svih sastojaka (osim maslaca - mozete upotrijebiti mikser, ruke ili pekac), neka naraste, zatim ga smjestite pokriveno u frizider (ili dobro zamotajte i ostavite u frizideru preko noci).
Pobrasnite povrsinu za rad, zatim postavite tijesto i razvaljajte ga u pravougaonik. Izvadite maslac iz frizidera, izrezite ga na komade 4-5 mm. Uzmite 1 komad, pospite brasnom i razvaljajte ga do debljine 2-3 mm. Postavite na tijesto, pa isto ucinite sa preostalim maslacem. Na ovaj nacin prekrijte 2/3 tijesta, ostavljajuci 1 cm pri krajevima slobodno, slika 1.
Prebacite slobodnu stranu tijesta preko maslaca, zatim to ucinite jos jednom, slika 2. Sada razvaljajte tijesto (od sredine prema sebi i od sredine u suprotnom smjeru, kao sto strelice na slici 2 pokazuju. Okrenite tijesto za 45 stepeni, pa ga preklopite na 4 dijela kao sto slike 3 i 4 pokazuju. Pobrasnite obje strane, stavite na dasku za rezanje, pokrijte krpom i smjestite u frizider.
Nakon 30-40 min, ponovite ovaj postupak valjanja, preklopite tijesto (slika 5) i ponovo vratite u frizider.
Nakon 30 -40 min, izvadite razvaljajte u veoma dugacak pravougaonik (slika 6). Izrezite na trouglove kao na slici, zatim savijte kifle (ako zelite specifican izgled, razrezite sredinu dna trougla zavijte kao sto je prikazano na slikama. Ukljucite rernu na 180*C. Postavite  polumjesece na tepsiju oblozenu papirom i ostavite na toplom mjestu. Prije pecenja ih mozete premazati umucenim bjelancetom (po zelji). Pecite oko 12-15 minuta ili dok ne postanu zlatno-zute.
Konzumirajte dok je toplo!