Classic French Butter Croissant Pastry

Prepare the Dough: In a large bowl, combine flour, cold water, cold milk, sugar, salt, and yeast. Mix until a shaggy dough forms. Add the 30g melted butter and knead for 5-7 minutes until smooth and elastic. Form into a ball, cover, and chill in the refrigerator for at least 2 hours, or preferably overnight.

Prepare Butter Block and First Turn: Remove the 250g cold butter from the fridge and place it between two sheets of parchment paper. Roll it into a 20x20 cm square. On a lightly floured surface, roll out your chilled dough into a 20x40 cm rectangle. Place the butter block on one half of the dough, fold the other half over the butter, sealing the edges. This is your first 'turn'. Chill for 30 minutes.

Perform Lamination Turns: Repeat the rolling and folding process two more times. For each turn, roll the dough into a 20x60 cm rectangle, fold it into thirds (like a letter), and chill for 30-45 minutes between each turn. Ensure the dough and butter remain cold throughout. You will have completed three 'single turns' in total.

Shape the Croissants: After the final turn and chill, roll the dough into a large rectangle, about 30x90 cm and 3-4 mm thick. Trim the edges to create clean lines. Cut the dough into triangles with a base of about 10 cm. Make a small slit in the middle of the base of each triangle, then gently stretch the base and roll tightly from the base to the point, forming the croissant shape.

Proof the Croissants: Place the shaped croissants on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper, leaving plenty of space between them. Proof in a warm, draft-free place (around 24-26°C) for 2-3 hours, or until they have doubled in size and are very puffy and jiggly. They should look light and airy.

Bake the Croissants: Preheat your oven to 190°C. Whisk the egg with 1 tbsp of milk to create an egg wash. Gently brush the tops of the proofed croissants with the egg wash. Bake for 18-22 minutes, or until deeply golden brown and flaky. Let cool slightly on a wire rack before serving. Bon appétit!