Fourth of July

S'mores Croissants

May 25, 2015
4
2 Ratings
Photo by James Ransom
  • Makes 18 croissants
Author Notes

Puff pastry made with graham flour turns a classic American bonfire treat into a refined French pastry. —sugarmountaintreats

Test Kitchen Notes

WHO: Sugarmountainsweets is a champion of the hybrid pastry (have you seen her Churro Eclairs??).
WHAT: A fireside favorite meets a classic French pastry.
HOW: Make a classic croissant, substituting some of the all-purpose flour for graham flour. Fill the croissants with mini marshmallows and milk chocolate before rolling them up. Allow them to rise, and bake them until they're deeply golden-brown—no campfire needed.
WHY WE LOVE IT: Camp nostalgia and songs aside, this hybrid is exactly the kind of thing that would inspire us to write a note back home to Mom. The weight of the graham flour creates a heavier croissant that's slightly more substantial than the French version, and the fillings had us begging for s'more. —Victoria Ross

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Ingredients
  • For the graham puff pastry:
  • 2 1/2 teaspoons active dry yeast
  • 1 1/4 cups warm milk
  • 1 cup graham flour
  • 1 1/2 cups plus 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour, divided, plus more as needed
  • 1 tablespoon wheat gluten flour
  • 1/4 cup dark brown sugar
  • 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 25 tablespoons (3 sticks, plus 1 tablespoon) unsalted butter, divided
  • For the croissants and assembly:
  • 9 ounces (about 6 standard Hershey bars) milk chocolate
  • 12 ounces mini marshmallows
  • 1 egg, beaten
Directions
  1. For the graham puff pastry:
  2. First, make the dough: In the bowl of a stand mixer, combine the yeast and warm milk and set aside.
  3. In a large bowl, combine the flours, brown sugar, and cinnamon. Whisk together. Check to make sure that the yeast is foamy, then add the dry ingredients to the stand mixer.
  4. Using a dough hook, knead the dough on low speed until a ball forms, about 3 minutes. Add 1 tablespoon of butter and continue to knead until the dough is smooth and pliable but not sticky, about 5 minutes. (You may need to add a few more tablespoons of flour if the dough is too sticky.) Wrap the dough in plastic wrap and refrigerate.
  5. In the bowl of the stand mixer (no need to put too much effort into washing it), combine 2 tablespoons of flour and the remaining 24 tablespoons of butter. Beat on medium-high speed with a paddle attachment until the butter is smooth and pliable.
  6. Roll out a sheet of plastic wrap (about 14 inches long). Using a rubber spatula, scrape the butter mixture directly onto the plastic and form it into an 8-inch flat square, then fold the remaining plastic wrap over to cover. Refrigerate for 1 hour.
  7. On a well-floured surface, roll the dough into a 10-inch square. Place the butter square on top of the dough diagonally (at a 45° angle from the dough square). Fold the dough edges into the middle in an envelope fold.
  8. Gently roll the envelope out to a large square, then fold the right third into the middle and the left third over that. Turn the dough 90°, roll out it into a flat square, and repeat. Do one more turn, then refrigerate for at least two hours.
  9. Repeat the turning process four more times, then chill for 1 hour. Your dough is now ready to use.
  1. For the croissants and assembly:
  2. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper. Set aside.
  3. Cut your puff pastry into thirds, lengthwise. Roll out each third to a thickness of 1/4 inch, then cut into 6 equal rectangles, for a total of 18.
  4. Leaving a 1/2-inch border, place 1/2 ounce milk chocolate on the short side of the edge of the rectangles (not in the middle). Top with mini-marshmallows. If you have a creme brûlée torch, toast the marshmallows gently, as this will keep them from exploding in the oven.
  5. Gently wrap the pastry dough over the filling and tuck underneath so that the seam is on the bottom. Transfer to a baking sheet. Repeat with the rest of the rectangles until you have 18 croissants, 9 on each baking sheet. (If you plan to freeze these for later, do so now. Flash freeze on the sheet, then wrap each croissant with plastic wrap and place in a freezer bag. Bake directly from the freezer, just add 5 minutes to the baking time.) Cover loosely with plastic wrap and let rise at room temperature for 1 hour.
  6. Preheat oven to 400° F. Gently brush each croissant with the beaten egg. Bake for 15 to 20 minutes, turning the baking sheets halfway through, or until they are deeply golden-brown and some of the marshmallow has bubbled out. Let cool for at least 5 minutes. Croissants will keep, in an airtight container at room temperature for about 3 days.
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2 Reviews

Tanya May 30, 2015
Genius!
boulangere May 25, 2015
Brilliant.