Maninis Gluten Free Pasta Cooking Instructions

Maninis Gluten Free Fresh Pasta is so unique, you can make your favorite hot and cold pasta dishes! The following are recommendations for cooking Maninis Gluten Free pasta in hot or cold recipes:

1. After placing the pasta in a dedicated* pot of boiling water, do not stir for the first 2 minutes.

2. If you wish to cool the pasta, it should be done by submerging the pasta in room temperature water. Do not shock in cold or ice water; the texture will be compromised.

*In order to prevent cross contamination to highly sensitive people who are intolerant of wheat pasta, it is highly encouraged you dedicate a pot to the gluten free pasta and only cook gluten free pasta in that water.

	For use in hot sauce and rebake:	For holding pasta:	Pasta salads:
Spaghetti Linguini Fettuccini		Boil pasta for 1 minute 45 seconds. Strain and use room temp water to cool. Do not shock in cold or ice water.	Cook for 2 minutes and 30 seconds. Strain and use room temp water to cool. Do not shock in cold or ice water. Combine with salad ingredients. Vinegar / acidic dressings can deteriorate pasta quality.
		Toss cooled pasta with small amount of oil to prevent sticking.
Lasagna	Cook for 3 minutes using directions above. A small amount of oil in cooking water can help prevent sheets from sticking to themselves. Place hot noodles directly into lasagna pan. Lasagna can be baked right away or frozen.
Rigatoni	For macaroni and cheese, cook 45 seconds. Strain and place directly into hot cheese sauce. Mac and Cheese can be baked right away or frozen.	Cook 2 minutes 45 seconds. Strain and use room temp water to cool. Do not shock in cold or ice water.	Cook 3 minutes. Strain and use room temp water to cool. Do not shock in cold or ice water. Combine with salad ingredients. Vinegar / acidic dressings can deteriorate pasta quality.
		Toss cooled pasta with small amount of oil to prevent sticking.
Macaroni	For macaroni and cheese, blanch pasta for 15 seconds. Strain and place directly into hot cheese sauce. Mac and Cheese can be baked right away or frozen.	Cook 1 minute. Strain and use room temp water to cool. Do not shock in cold or ice water.	1 minute 30 seconds. Strain and use room temp water to cool. Do not shock in cold or ice water.
		Toss cooled pasta with small amount of oil to prevent sticking.	Combine with salad ingredients. Vinegar / acidic dressings can deteriorate pasta quality.

Chocolate Mousse Mounds Torte

Chocolate Mousse Mounds Torte made with MANINIS Gluten Free Multiuso Multipurpose Mix

 

         

This can be made round by baking your cake mix in two 8 or 9 inch round cake pans, then slicing each layer in two using unflavored, unwaxed dental floss. OR, you can make it a rectangular shaped layer cake by baking the cake in a rectangular cake pan and then slicing that up into whatever sized layers you want.

Baked chocolate cake – recipe for 2 layer cake

Coconut Filling – recipe attached

Mousse Frosting – recipe attached

Chocolate Glaze – recipe attached

On a cake serving plate, layer, repeating 3 times:

1 layer of cake

Spread ~1/4 of cooled* coconut filling almost to the edge

Spread ~1/4 of the chocolate mousse to about 1 inch from the edge   

On the 4^th layer of cake, optionally put more mousse (I omit this on the top, Tracey adds it), then put the rest of the coconut filling, then pour the chocolate glaze so that it runs over all of the edges.

Refrigerate until serving.  (This is very important because the mousse will melt!)

 

*VERY IMPORTANT: This must be cooled or it will melt the mousse and you will have a mess!!

VARIATION:  You could add the glaze in your layers too, if you want it even more chocolaty. Just make sure it is just cool enough not to melt the mousse, but not so cool that it won’t flow. So, I would probably put it on the cake, then coconut, then the mousse in layers.

 

Coconut Filling                                2 cups

½ cup milk (I use canned coconut milk)

½ cup sugar

9 large marshmallows

2 cups flaked sweetened coconut

½ tsp. cornstarch

Combine ½ cup milk, sugar, and marshmallows in a medium saucepan; cook over medium heat 5 minutes or until marshmallows are melted.  Stir in coconut and cornstarch; bring to a boil.  Cook 1 minute, stirring constantly.

Wesler, C. A. (2000). The Complete Cooking Light Cookbook. Birmingham: Oxmoor House, Inc., page 115.

Chocolate Mousse Frosting                                                  About 3 ½ cups

This frosting has a light, appealing mousse-like texture.  Try it between layers of any angel cake, a moist sponge cake, or a devil’s food cake.

Whisk together in a medium heatproof, preferably stainless-steel,bowl:

2 large eggs

2 cups powdered sugar

½ cup milk, strong coffee, or water   ( I use water or almond milk)

1/8 tsp salt

 

Set the bowl in a large skillet of barely simmering water and heat, stirring constantly, until the mixture registers 160°F on an instant-read thermometer.

Remove from the heat and stir in:

4 ounces unsweetened chocolate, finely chopped

6 tbsp. (3/4 stick) unsalted butter, cut into small pieces

1 tsp. vanilla

Stir until the chocolate and butter are melted and the mixture is smooth. Set the bowl in a larger bowl of ice water and beat on high speed until the frosting holds a shape. Use immediately or refrigerate for up to 4 days.  Soften and beat until smooth before using.

The All New All Purpose Joy of Cooking by (Rombauer, Becker, & Becker, 1997), Page 1005.

 

Bittersweet Chocolate Glaze or Frosting                                      about 1 cup

A very sophisticated glaze or frosting to use on rich European chocolate or nut torts.  For an even more bittersweet effect, substitute 1 ounce unsweetened chocolate for 1 ounce of the bittersweet or semi-sweet chocolate.

In the top of a double boiler or in a microwave on medium, heat, stirring often, just until the chocolate is melted and smooth:

                6 oz. bittersweet or semi-sweet chocolate, coarsely chopped

                6 tablespoons water, freshly brewed coffee, or milk (I use almond breeze unsweetened almond milk)

                2 Tbsp. sugar (optional)

                Pinch of salt (optional)

Remove from the heat.  With a rubber spatula, stir in 2 or 3 pieces at a time:

                6 tablespoons (3/4 stick) unsalted butter, cut into small pieces

Continue to stir (do not beat) until perfectly smooth.

Stir in:

                1 to 2 Tbsp. liqueur (optional, and I never use it)

For a pourable glaze, let stand at room temperature, stirring occasionally, until the mixture cools to 90°F.  For frosting, let stand until spreadable.  IF the frosting becomes too stiff, set the pan in a larger pan of hot water and stir gently with a rubber spatula; or remelt and cool to 90°F for use as a glaze.  This keeps for up to 3 days at room temperature or up to 3 weeks refrigerated.  Of freeze for up to 6 months.  Soften or melt before using.

The All New All Purpose Joy of Cooking by (Rombauer, Becker, & Becker, 1997), Page 1003.

Rigatoni with Jimtown Chopped Olive

 

A salad EVERYONE can enjoy at your summer picnics that includes our new favorite condiment!

 

INGREDIENTS:

9 ounces (one package) of MANINIS GLUTEN FREE Fresh Rigatoni

7 ounces (one tub) Jimtown Chopped Olive Spread

1 Cup Roasted Red Bell Peppers cut in 1″ strips

1/4 cup chopped parsley

2 Tbs sliced scallion

Salt and pepper to taste

DIRECTIONS:

Cook the rigtoni in boiling water for 2 minutes.

Drain. Toss all the ingredients together and serve.

Makes about 8 cups, or 4-6 people

 

 

Eggs and Cholesterol – How Many Eggs Can You Safely Eat?

by Kris Gunnars

Eggs are among the most nutritious foods on the planet.

Just imagine… a whole egg contains all the nutrients needed to turn a single cell into an entire baby chicken.

However, eggs have gotten a bad reputation because the yolks are high in cholesterol.

In fact, a single medium-sized egg contains 186 mg of cholesterol, which is 62% of the recommended daily intake.

People believed that if you ate cholesterol, that it would raise cholesterol in the blood and contribute to heart disease.

But it turns out that it isn’t that simple. The more you eat of cholesterol, the less your body produces instead.

Let me explain how that works…

How Your Body Regulates Cholesterol Levels

Cholesterol is often seen as a negative word.

When we hear it, we automatically start thinking of medication, heart attacks and early death.

But the truth is that cholesterol is a very important part of the body. It is a structural molecule that is an essential part of every single cell membrane.

It is also used to make steroid hormones like testosterone, estrogen and cortisol.

Without cholesterol, we wouldn’t even exist.

Given how incredibly important cholesterol is, the body has evolved elaborate ways to ensure that we always have enough of it available.

Because getting cholesterol from the diet isn’t always an option, the liver actually produces cholesterol.

But when we eat a lot of cholesterol rich foods, the liver starts producing less (1, 2).

So the total amount of cholesterol in the body changes only very little (if at all), it is just coming from the diet instead of from the liver (3, 4).
Bottom Line: The liver produces large amounts of cholesterol. When we eat a lot of eggs (high in cholesterol), the liver produces less instead.

What Happens When People Eat Several Whole Eggs Per Day?

For many decades, people have been advised to limit their consumption of eggs, or at least of egg yolks (the white is mostly protein and is low in cholesterol).

Common recommendations include a maximum of 2-6 yolks per week. However, there really isn’t much scientific support for these limitations (5).

Luckily, we do have a number of excellent studies that can put our minds at ease.

In these studies, people are split into two groups… one group eats several (1-3) whole eggs per day, the other group eats something else (like egg substitutes) instead. Then the researchers follow the people for a number of weeks/months.

These studies show that:

In almost all cases, HDL (the “good”) cholesterol goes up (6, 7, 8).
Total and LDL cholesterol levels usually don’t change, but sometimes they increase slightly (9, 10, 11, 12).
Eating Omega-3 enriched eggs can lower blood triglycerides, another important risk factor (13, 14).
Blood levels of carotenoid antioxidants like Lutein and Zeaxanthine increase significantly (15, 16, 17).

It appears that the response to whole egg consumption depends on the individual.

In 70% of people, it has no effect on Total or LDL cholesterol. However, in 30% of people (termed “hyper responders”), these numbers do go up slightly (18).

That being said, I don’t think this is a problem. The studies show that eggs change the LDL particles from small, dense LDL to Large LDL (19, 20).

People who have predominantly large LDL particles have a lower risk of heart disease. So even if eggs cause mild increases in Total and LDL cholesterol levels, this is not a cause for concern (21, 22, 23).

The science is clear that up to 3 whole eggs per day are perfectly safe for healthy people who are trying to stay healthy.

Bottom Line: Eggs consistently raise HDL (the “good”) cholesterol. For 70% of people, there is no increase in Total or LDL cholesterol. There may be a mild increase in a benign subtype of LDL in some people.

Eggs and Heart Disease

Many studies have looked at egg consumption and the risk of heart disease.

All of these studies are so-called observational studies. In studies like these, large groups of people are followed for many years.

Then the researchers use statistical methods to figure out whether certain habits (like diet, smoking or exercise) are linked to either a decreased or increased risk of some disease.

These studies, some of which include hundreds of thousands of people, consistently show that people who eat whole eggs are no more likely to develop heart disease. Some of the studies even show a reduced risk of stroke (24, 25, 26).

However… one thing that is worth noting, is that these studies show that diabetics who eat eggs are at an increased risk of heart disease (27).

Whether the eggs are causing the increased risk in diabetics is not known. These types of studies can only show a correlation and it is possible that the diabetics who eat eggs are, on average, less health conscious than those who don’t.

This may also depend on the rest of the diet. On a low-carb diet (by far the best diet for diabetics), eggs lead to improvements in heart disease risk factors (28, 29).

Bottom Line: Many observational studies show that people who eat eggs don’t have an increased risk of heart disease, but some of the studies do show an increased risk in diabetics.

For the rest of the article please go to:

http://authoritynutrition.com/how-many-eggs-should-you-eat/

The statements in this website or any of its links are for
informational purposes only.They have not been evaluated
by the US Food and Drug Administration and are not intended
to diagnose, treat, cure or prevent any known or suspected,
disease. Any recommendations made are with the intent to
support the normal psychological and biochemical processes
of healing and good health.

 

 

English Crumpets

1 ½ cups milk
1 cup water
2 ½ tsps. yeast
1 ½ tsp. sugar

In a saucepan, warm water and milk to approximately 100 d. Add yeast and sugar, allow to develop for 10 minutes.

3 cups Maninis Multiuso Flour Mix
1 ¼ tsp. salt

In an electric mixer, mix the flour to break up and aerate. Slowly add milk mixture, mix on medium speed for 2-3 minutes until smooth. Cover and place in a warm spot for 90 minutes. Return to mixer, mix on medium for 30 seconds.

¾ tsp. baking soda
1 tbsp. warm water

Dissolve baking soda in water. Add to mixer bowl and mix for 30 seconds on medium speed. Cover and allow dough to rest for 20 minutes.

Preheat griddle on medium heat. Use butter to grease inner surface of English muffin rings (3-4” cookie cutters or well cleaned tuna can rings would work) and place on griddle. Spoon batter to fill rings (approximately 1/3 cup) and use a wet spoon to spread and smooth the batter.

Cook for approximately 8-10 minutes. Typically, bubbles indicate that the crumpet is ready to be turned, but the thickness of this batter made it difficult to see them. Instead, look for the surface to appear dry and the bottom to turn golden brown. Flip the crumpet, remove the metal ring, and cook for an additional 8-10 minutes until golden brown. Serve immediately, or, if they survive long enough, toast them.

A bit time consuming, but couldn’t be easier or more satisfying. My English husband pronounced the flavor and texture “perfect.” This recipe yielded 12.

Recipe provided by Rebecca Berg

Chocolate Cupcake Recipe using MANINIS Flour

1 ¾ cup Multiuso Multipurpose Mix

1 cup Cocoa Powder

2 ½ Teaspoons Baking Powder

1 teaspoon Baking Soda

¾ cup Butter, room temperature

¾ cup Brown Sugar, packed

1 cup White Sugar

3 Whole eggs

2 Egg Yolks

2 teaspoons Vanilla Extract

1 ¼ cup Buttermilk

¼ cup Brewed Coffee

Oven Temp: 350 F Bake Time: 17 minutes

Method

1. Pre-heat the oven to 350 F. Scale and mix together the Multiuso Mix, cocoa powder, baking powder, baking soda. Continue scaling the rest of the ingredients separately.

1. In a kitchen Aid using the paddle attachment or a hand mixer cream the butter with the white and brown sugar until fluffy. Then beat in the whole eggs one at a time until fully incorporated. Repeat this process with the egg yolks. Then add the vanilla extract and coffee.

1. On low speed alternate between the buttermilk and Multiuso Mix allowing it to incorporate each time you add it to the mixer. Once it’s all in the mixer stop it and scrape down the sides then continue mixing for 1 minute.

1. In a non-stick cupcake tin scoop the batter filling it 2/3 of the way high. Bake for 17 minutes or until you can insert a tooth pick that comes out clean. Once it’s done allow it to cool for a couple of minutes in the pan then remove the cupcakes and continue cooling on a rack.

Chef Note:

*If you do not have or want coffee measure out 1  1/2 cups of buttermilk.

*Substitute for buttermilk. You can use your choice of milk (Whole, Hemp, Coconut, etc.) Add 1  1/8 cup of milk to 1/8 cup of apple cider vinegar.

Easy Gluten-free Dairy-free Bread in your Bread Machine

by Michelle Palin ~ My Gluten-free Kitchen

in Yeast Breads

I hear from celiacs, gluten-intolerant, and wheat intolerant folks over and over how much they miss just good plain bread. Most gluten-free bread available in the stores is expensive, lacking in whole grains and fiber, needs to be kept frozen, and needs to be toasted to be edible. Most of it is just not very good. Many of us moms just want to be able to make easy, healthy lunches for our families and miss the ease of sandwiches. Today I bring you an easy to make, delicious, healthy, gluten-free, whole grain, rice-free bread that has the taste and texture of “regular” bread, and isn’t expensive! Can I get an AMEN?!

A couple of years ago, my local gluten-free store, Jake’s Gluten Free Market, started carrying this new line of flour and bread mixes called Manini’s. They started making and selling bread made from their mixes and I couldn’t believe how good it was! Unfortunately, at $7 a loaf, I knew I couldn’t afford to buy it for our family all the time. Thankfully, the staff at Jake’s was willing to share how they made it, just following the directions on the Maninis Classic Peasant Bread Mix, so that any of us customers could make it at home too. As you know, making homemade bread can be quite time-consuming. I spent the past year tweaking their recipe to get it to turn out just right in the bread machine, and according to our family’s preferences. I finally got it just perfect and am ready to share the recipe with you!

It takes me literally 10 minutes of work to make this bread in my bread machine!

Really… 10 minutes, and it costs me about $4.50 a loaf! I store this bread at room temperature in a container on my counter, and just slice as I am ready to make sandwiches. Our whole family loves this bread, and when we have gluten-eating guests, they do too! When my in-laws are visiting, they like the bread so much that I end up making a loaf every day so there is enough for everyone for toast in the morning and sandwiches at lunch. I don’t mind since it is so easy!

Two things you must buy to make this bread:

For rest of blog go to: http://mygluten-freekitchen.com/easy-gluten-free-dairy-free-bread-in-bread-machine/

The Original Classic Beef Stroganoff made gluten free

Sautéed Beef and Mushrooms in Soured Cream Sauce

Beef Stroganoff was invented by a French chef working for a Russian general, Count Pavel Stroganov, in the 1800s.  It became popular in the U.S., beginning in the 1950s, when servicemen returning from Europe after WWII had learned of the dish.  Although many Americans know the dish featuring ground beef, the classic recipe, with sautéed filet mignon cube or strips is much preferred.  Traditionally, it is served over a bed of egg noodles, such as fettuccini or wider tagliatelle.  The key to a successful outcome is careful timing and not overcooking.  This is not your Grandmother’s Stroganoff.  Serves 8.

Ingredients

2 ounces peanut oil

1 ounce butter

1 teaspoon paprika

2 ounces red wine vinegar

2 lbs lean beef cubes or strips

1 garlic clove, very finely sliced

1 large white onion, finely sliced

1 lb Crimini mushrooms, cut into ¼ inch slices

½ pint veal stock

1½ pints sour cream or crème fraîche

1 teaspoon Provence herbs

1 ½ lbs fresh Maninis Gluten Free Roasted Garlic Fettuccini or Lasagna Sheet cut into wide 1/2 inch noodles

3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

½ cup julienne sun-dried tomatoes and ¼ cup Italian flat leaf parsley, chopped

Sea salt and freshly ground pepper, to taste

Preparation

Heat the peanut oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat, until the oil begins to bubble.  Stir in the butter, paprika and vinegar until all are thoroughly blended.  Quickly sauté the beef pieces until just browning, remove the beef pieces and set them aside.  Start the water for noodles (see next paragraph).  Add in the sliced onions and garlic, sauté until translucent but not browning, add in the sliced mushrooms and continue cooking over medium heat, until mushrooms are cooked through.  Stir in the veal stock, stir in the sour cream or crème fraîche and herbs, and reduce until sauce thickens.  Add back the beef pieces and any beef juice, stirring in gently.

In a separate stock pot, bring 3 quarts of salted water to a rolling boil, over high heat, stir in the noodles and cook until they are “al dente”; just cooked completely.  Move the noodles to a colander, strain off the water and drain.  Return the noodles to your stock pot and stir in the olive oil.

To serve, place a bed of noodles on each warmed plate or wide, shallow bowl, ladle stroganoff on to the noodles bed, as shown in the photograph, and garnish with sun-dried tomato slices and chopped parsley.

For this dish, almost any red wine that you like, will work well.

French Bread

Recipe by Gluten Free Foodies

 

Ingredients

7/8 cup warm water – *105 – 110 degrees

2 tsp active dry yeast

3 Tbs *Grapeseed oil gives a buttery flavor

1 Tbs apple cider vinegar

1 large egg and 1 egg white – *save the egg yolk for egg wash on top of bread just before baking

2 cups Maninis Miracolo Pane Bread Mix

Tools

parchment paper

French Bread pan

Pyrex measuring cup

baking thermometer

cling wrap

standing mixer with paddle attachment

silicone flat spatula or spoon

medium spring scoop

silicone pastry brush

baking rack

In a Pyrex measuring cup heat the water to 105-110 degrees. Use the thermometer to test the temperature. This is very important to activate the yeast but not kill it, if too hot.

Mix in the yeast and let it sit for 10 minutes until it becomes frothy and creamy.

Add the oil, vinegar and eggs.

Add 2 cups of GF Miracolo flour to the bowl of the standing mixer. On the slow setting begin to mix the flour and slowly add the wet ingredients. Use the silicone spatula to make sure that all of the flour has been incorporated into the dough. Increase the speed just slightly and continue to mix for 3-5 minutes.

Place a sheet of parchment paper over the French Bread pan.

Use the spring scoop to scoop out the dough onto the pan in a row just about an inch in from the edges.

Use both sides of the pan and all of the dough. Add 2 scoops on top in the middle if needed and then use the silicone spatula to smooth out the top of the bread. Cover the dough and pan with cling wrap and let rise in a proofing oven. You can also add a clean dish towel loosely on top of the cling wrap and place in a warm area at least 72 degrees for 1 hour.

This is the dough after 1 hour of proofing or rising.

Notice the expansion and holes!

Looks good!

Pre-heat the oven to 375 degrees.

Mix up the egg yolk and use a silicone pastry brush to gently apply the wash on top of the bread.

Place the pan on the middle rack in the one oven and bake for 20 minutes. Turn the pan and bake for another 20-22 minutes or until the center of the bread is 200 – 205. Take the bread out of the oven and let cool on pan for 5 minutes. Remove the bread with the parchment paper and let cool on top of a cooling rack for 15 minutes or until ready to serve.

If there are any leftovers, not likely, store in a self sealing bag in a cool place in the kitchen. Great to use for French toast the next day or to chop up and toast for croutons for later. If you would like to freeze this bread, I suggest slicing it before putting it into a freezer bag. Don’t forget to put the date on the bag. You can also make bread crumbs out of the leftovers or ends as well.

For more information about Maninis Gluten Free flours please go to their website to order directly from them or shop at Whole Foods Markets in the Pacific Northwest. Maninis Gluten Free flours offer a variety of mixes to create all of your favorites including pasta, pizza dough, buns, bread and more!

I love love love Maninis Gluten Free Flours!

Enjoy!

Lisa

Croissant Recipe

 

Who would not want a gluten-free croissant that could be mistaken for the real thing? This recipe requires that you turn and fold the dough 6 times. Five are tri-folds and the last is a book-fold. That’s a little more than a conventional croissant would need, but it is just enough for our gluten-free croissant. Be sure to read through the post, the links provided, the directions and the recipe more than a couple of times until you are familiar with the information. Before you begin make sure all your ingredients are room temperature. This recipe will make about 10 regular croissants or pain au chocolat.

Ingredients

Dough

• 220 grams Maninis Multiuso Multipurpose Mix (plus 45-50 grams more for rolling etc.) (1 2/3 cups plus a heaping 1/3 cup for dusting) (see notes)
• 1/4 teaspoon pectin
• 2 teaspoons kosher salt
• 85 grams superfine sugar (7 tablespoons)
• 2 tablespoons plus 1 teaspoon powdered milk
• 85 grams whole milk (not low fat or non fat), room temperature (1/3 cup)
• 2 tablespoons yeast (use instant or bread machine Red Star or SAF)
• 2 tablespoons soft unsalted butter, cut into small chunks.
• 115 grams San Pellegrino, room temperature (1/2 cup)
• 1 large or x-large egg white, room temperature

Butter Package

• 195 grams unsalted chilled butter (1 stick plus 5 tablespoons or 13 tablespoons)
• 1 tablespoon Maninis Multiuso Multipurpose Mix

Finishing

• 1 whole large egg (for brushing croissant dough)
• optional for pain au chocolat: 25-30 bittersweet chocolate chips

Instructions

1. Mix the flour with the pectin, salt, superfine sugar and 2 tablespoons powdered milk. Whisk to combine. Set aside. Whisk the yeast, one teaspoon of powdered milk with the room temperature whole milk in a small glass container. Whisk again to fully incorporate. Set aside.
2. Add 2 tablespoons of very soft butter pieces to the flour and work it in lightly with a fork or your fingers, leaving large pieces. Don’t get overzealous with the mixing. Using a fork add the San Pellegrino and stir well. Add the egg white and stir to thoroughly distribute. Add the milk/yeast mixture and work that in with the fork until everything is well mixed. It will be very wet and very sticky – like muffin batter sticky. Take a teaspoon of flour and dust the top of the dough. Switch to a silicone spatula and get all the dough off the sides of the bowl and turn the dough over mixing in the new flour. Add one more teaspoon of flour just to get the dough to turn with the spatula as you fold it. It will still be quite wet and sticky which is perfect. Cover with plastic wrap and place in a warm, draft free place for at least two hours or until it somewhat doubles in size. It won’t get that large, but it will rise and needs a lot of time to do that. Don’t rush. What the dough looks like: it should look more like batter than dough at this point. The spatula will come away with some sticky residue on it. That is perfect.
3. Once it has risen or a couple of hours go by, just place the whole bowl into the refrigerator. Leave it in there for about an hour or so. A couple of hours is even better. At the end of that time, grab the dough ball and wrap the plastic around it and place it in the freezer for about 30 to 45 minutes. What the dough looks like: It will have risen slightly and should look shaggy. After the refrigerator it should look only slightly like the dough it will become later – it is still shaggy and sticky.

Butter Package

1. Before you remove the dough from the freezer, gather your butter and cut each stick in half length-wise. Place it on a piece of plastic wrap that has been dusted with a little flour and form the pieces into a square shape. Add a little more flour on top and cover with more plastic wrap. Using a rolling-pin, hit the butter until it flattens somewhat to about half its depth. Roll and pat into a smooth 6 inch square. Place the butter in the refrigerator to get a little less smooshy. What the butter package looks like: it should be a 6 inch square about 1/4 to 1/3 of an inch thick and will be speckled flour.

Working the Croissant Dough

1. Remove the dough from the freezer. Using two silpats or parchment lined up to create a long rectangle and dusted with the 50 grams of flour, under and on top of the dough. Place the dough and pat into a rectangular shape. Cover with plastic wrap and press with a rolling-pin from the center out to the edges. Pressing is done until the dough is able to be rolled. Roll the dough gently to smooth it into a long rectangle about 3x longer than it is wide. Leave a thick, padded dough square in the center that is a little bigger than the butter package (think padded-top mattress). Using a pastry brush remove the excess flour from the dough. Place the butter on the padded portion and fold the rolled edges over each other and the butter. Pinch the edges closed with your fingers. Press the top with your palm and then the rolling-pin – very gently to seal the butter in there. What the dough looks like: The butter package will be invisible to the eye but you should be able to just feel it. Make sure the dough is thickly padding it on the top and bottom and pinch those sides closed. It should be rather smooth at this point and square.
2. First sets of tri-folds: Dust with more of the same flour, cover with plastic wrap and press with the rolling-pin to flatten but making sure you don’t pop the butter through the dough. That is very important. Once it is pressed and flattened, roll the dough so that it is 3 times longer than wide (wide side is always facing you). Brush off the excess flour with a pastry brush. Fold the dough from the length ends like a business letter – in thirds – a tri fold. Brush off excess flour as you go. Turn the folded dough package 90 degrees, clock wise and repeat that process. Wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate the dough for at least an hour and more is fine. What the dough looks like: It won’t be sticky, but it will look rather rough yet. But it should fold without cracking. See trouble shooting if it cracks.
3. Repeat the process: press, roll, tri-fold: turn, press, roll, tri-fold: refrigerate
4. Repeat the process: press, roll, tri-fold: turn, press, roll, book-fold, refrigerate overnight. Book fold description: Brush off excess flour. Take each end (length) and bring those to meet in the center like you are bringing pages of a book to the center. Brush off any excess flour again. Now bring one side over the other just like closing a book. Wrap in plastic and refrigerate overnight. What the dough looks like: smooth, smooth, smooth. You might see some butter but it will be under the layers of dough. You should not see much butter. Butter might poke out of the edges – pay no attention. If you’ve been pressing rather than rolling you will have great layers within the dough but you should not be able to see any visible layers. The dough should fold easily with no cracking at all.
5. Prepare two baking sheets by lining them with parchment.
6. Rolling the croissants: Press the dough and roll exactly as before. This time you are rolling the dough into a rectangle about 25 inches long by 9 inches wide (the 9 inch wide side is facing you). It should be about 1/8 inch thick – take care to roll the evenly so it is the same thickness throughout.
7. Trim the edges using a pizza cutter so that you have a nice, clean edged rectangle.
8. Using the pizza cutter, mark off every 5 inches and slice vertically through the width. You should end up with 5 pieces about 5 inches wide by 9 inches tall. For regular croissants, use the pizza cutter to cut each of those pieces in two from opposite corner to opposite corner creating triangles. You should get two triangles out of each piece. They aren’t perfect triangles – but don’t worry about that.
9. For Pain au Chocolat, leave the pieces 5×9 inches. Cut each of those in two so that they now measure 5 by 4.5 inches.
10. For regular croissants take each triangle and brush off the excess flour. Pick it up from the bottom of the triangle and try to gently work it into a straighter bottom. If it feels like it will break, don’t work it. Make a small vertical slice in the bottom of the triangle and begin rolling up by fanning out those flaps keeping the dough rolling evenly. The tip should be on the bottom when you are done, like a little tail. See JoePastry link in the post (croissants) for a photo of what that looks like.
11. Place on the parchment lined baking sheet and repeat. Leave a couple of inches between each croissant.
12. For Pain au chocolat: Place about 6 bittersweet chocolate chips or disks at one end of each of the square pieces of croissant dough. Roll up. Place seam side down about 2 inches apart on the prepared parchment lined baking sheet.
13. Cover with plastic wrap and let them rise (proof) about an hour to 1.5 hours only. Over proofing will make them deflate in the oven and leak butter.
14. Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Remove plastic wrap and brush the croissants with the egg wash 3x. Begin at one end of the pan and repeat twice more. Bake at 400 for 2 to 3 minutes and then turn oven to 350 and bake about 18-20 minutes more or just until they are dark golden brown, have risen and their internal temperature is 200 degrees. Don’t over bake them. Let them cool about 30 minutes for best flavor – if you can wait that long. Try – it is worth it.