ITALIAN CROISSANT RECIPES

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 375°. Unroll crescent dough; separate into triangles. Spread each with 1 teaspoon pesto. Roll up from the wide end and place pointed side down 2 in. apart on ungreased baking sheets. Curve ends down to form a crescent shape. , Brush with egg white; sprinkle with Italian seasoning. Bake until lightly browned, 10-13 minutes.

Steps:

• The day before, add the bread flour, the all-purpose flour and the salt in the bowl of a stand mixer.
• Dissolve the yeast in the milk, whisk well and add it into the flour, then add the water and the lightly beaten eggs. Knead at low speed for about ten minutes with the hook attachment.
• Add the butter cut into small pieces, then the sugar mixed with the seeds of the vanilla bean and the grated zest of the oranges. Knead for ten more minutes with the hook attachment at low speed, until the butter has been completely incorporated. You should get a smooth, elastic dough: eventually it should form a ball and clean the sides of the bowl, remaining attached just to the bottom of the bowl.
• Remove the dough from the bowl and scrape it into a plastic bag that has enough space to allow the dough to double. Store it in the fridge for 24 hours.
• Prepare also the butter sheet to laminate the croissants, so that the day after you will have all the ingredients ready. Use the butter at room temperature and with the help of a rolling pin gently spread it in between two sheets of parchment paper, about 3/16in (5mm) thick, to get a square sheet, as regular as possible. Store it in the fridge.
• The next day, remove the dough from the fridge and place it on a well-floured surface.
• Roll it with a rolling pin on a disk slightly larger than the butter sheet.
• Place the butter in the centre of the dough and gently pull the four sides of the dough over the butter, to close it inside as in an envelope.
• Seal the edges.
• With the help of the rolling pin and some flour, roll out the dough so that it could triple its length, keeping the same width.
• Now make a three-fold: mentally divide the dough into three equal parts and fold on the middle part the right side, then the left one.
• Seal the edges by pinching the dough together.
• Rotate the dough, keeping the folds the sides, and roll out again the dough in a rectangle sheet so that it quadruples its length, keeping the same width.
• Now is the time to give a four-fold: mentally divide the dough into four equal parts and fold the two outer parts on the two parts inside.
• Fold again to close the dough as a book. Seal the edges by pinching the dough together.
• Wrap the dough in plastic wrap and let it rest in the fridge for about one hour.
• After this time, remove the dough from the fridge and roll it into a 3/16in (5mm) thick rectangular sheet.
• With a sharp knife or a pizza wheel, cut out two long strips, then long and narrow triangles. You should get 20 pieces, and each triangle should weigh about 2oz (60 g).
• Wrap the triangles on themselves from the short side, keeping the tip of the triangle under the cornetti so that it won't open while rising. Arrange the cornetti in a tray lined with baking paper, keeping them well spaced.
• Let them rise in a warm place for about 2 hours, or until they have doubled their volume.
• While the croissants are raising, prepare the syrup to brush them once bakes. Pour the water in a small saucepan, add the sugar and the open vanilla pod and bring to a simmer on low flame. Simmer for about 5-8 minutes, until the syrup becomes thick and slightly golden. Set aside to cool down.
• When the cornetti have doubled, heat the oven to 375°F (190°C).
• Just before baking the cornetti, brush them gently with milk, then bake them for about 15-17 minutes, until golden brown.
• As soon as the cornetti are out of the oven, brush them with the vanilla syrup. Serve them immediately, or wait until they are slightly warm.