I had only 1 egg at home; a little flour; a lot of fresh brewer's yeast; and an irresistible craving for cornetti (Italian croissants): How did I make them? Here’s the recipe for a simple and delicious one dozen croissants – that you bake immediately or store in the freezer for later. As for all cornetti, their delicious flavor and texture comes from eating them freshly baked.
The Recipe: Croissants
For 12 croissants
Ingredients:
10 oz flour, 1 egg, 3 ½ oz fresh milk, 3 oz brown sugar, 2 oz butter, ¾ oz fresh brewer's yeast
Method:
Dissolve the yeast in lukewarm milk (at no more than 100°F.) Melt the butter and remove from heat before it turns brown. Beat the sugar with the egg, then add all the other ingredients and knead by hand until you get a smooth compact mixture. Roll out the dough immediately into a 3-4 mm thick round disc. Divide it into slices, like a pizza, and roll cornetti from the base to the tip. Roll them out about 4 cm apart on a baking tray lined with baking parchment.
Let your cornetti rise in the fridge covered with plastic wrap overnight, or leave them in the oven (that’s turned off, of course) if you want to eat them the next morning. In this case, brush them with a little milk and sprinkle them with brown or granulated sugar. Bake them in a pre-heated oven at 350°F for 10 minutes and eat them immediately with chocolate cream or jam.
Filling and storage
If you’d like, fill your cornetti with a teaspoon of cream before baking, placing it at the base of the croissant before rolling it up. You can keep the croissants in the fridge for a couple of days. However, it’s important that you set them out at room temperature for an hour before baking. You can also store them in the freezer: Let them cool in the freezer for 1 hour on a tray, then put them in a plastic bag to protect from freezer burn.