Homemade Croissants

For the Pre-dough:

• 1 1/3 cups (165 g) of soft wheat flour
• 2/3 cup plus 1 tablespoon (165 ml) of warm water or milk
• 1 1/2 teaspoons (7.5 g) of fresh brewer's yeast

For the Dough:

• 5 1/4 cups (735 g) of soft wheat flour
• 1 1/2 cups (375 ml) of room temperature milk
• 2 1/4 teaspoons (27 g) of fresh brewer's yeast
• 1 tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon (15 g) of salt
• 3 tablespoons (37.5 g) of granulated sugar
• 3 tablespoons (37.5 g) of brown sugar
• 2 tablespoons (30 g) of honey
• 1 tablespoon (15 g) of melted butter

For the Lamination:

• 1 1/4 cups (540 g) of butter

For Brushing:

• 1 large egg yolk
• 2 tablespoons (30 ml) of fresh cream

Preparation of the Pre-dough:
Dissolve the yeast in warm water or milk. Add the flour, mix well, and let it rise covered until it doubles in volume.

Preparation of the Dough:
Add the remaining yeast to the pre-dough, half of the milk, both sugars, honey, all the flour, salt, the remaining milk, and melted butter. Cover and let it rest for 30 minutes. Knead briefly, add more flour if necessary, and let it rest for another 15 minutes.

Preparation of the Butter:
Roll out the butter between two sheets of parchment paper to form a square of about 9-inch (23 cm) on each side. Put it in the fridge to cool.

Formation of the Dough:
Briefly work the dough and give it an elongated shape. Place it in the fridge for 12 hours.

First Lamination:
Roll out the dough, place the butter in the center, roll out and fold into quarters. Put it in the freezer for 15 minutes.

Second Lamination:
Roll out the dough again and fold it into thirds. First place it in the freezer and then in the fridge.

Shaping the Croissants:
Roll out the dough, cut into triangles, roll them up to form the croissants, and let them rise in a humid environment for about 2-2.5 hours.

Baking:
Brush with egg yolk and cream. Bake in a preheated oven at 430°F (220°C), add ice cubes to lower the temperature to 340°F (170°C), and bake for about 25 minutes.