Salenjaci, Croissants, Bread rolls

For years, I have wanted to do croissants, but after looking at the recipes with all their steps in rolling out the dough with the butter, I read half way through the recipe and then say forget it! 

Until I saw Salenjaci in Cooking with Zoki's blog, I decided to try out the recipe.

I have been following different European blogs which has opened up for me at times ways to prepare products in a different spin.  I particularly like the creative ways bread is shaped and presented!


Most blogs do translate into English, but sometimes do not translate well! 

Usually I can find the specific recipe using google that has been written in English, but this time I could not find Salenjaci, so I followed Zoki's recipe.  The recipe translated well but the number of cups for 1.2 kg of flour varied in different sites so I added flour until I had the right consistency based on the amount of liquid.

Here is my modified version of the recipe

Ingredients

• 6 1/2 cups flour
• 1 T traditional dry yeast
• 1 tsp salt
• 1/2 cup lukewarm water
• 3 eggs
• 2 cups of lukewarm milk
• 1/2 cup of butter

Soften the yeast in the water and sugar.   Let the mixture proof until there are bubbles on the surface. 
Beat the  eggs and add the lukewarm milk and salt.  Add  proofed yeast mixture to  egg and milk mixture.

Add flour cup by cup to the wet mixture and mix with spoon until you can no longer do this.
Turn dough over on to lightly floured surface and knead, adding flour as you go along until the mixture is combined and soft but not sticky. 

Place into a greased bowl and give it a spin so that the top of the dough is greased. Cover with a saran wrap and refrigerate overnight.

Next morning
Roll out the dough into a rectangle, spread butter on half of the surface, fold over and roll out again. Repeat this 2 more times.

Cut your vertical strips into 3 inches, then horizontal strips of about 6 inches

Cut each block diagonally 

Wrap each piece starting from the widest part and curve the ends to get the croissant look if you wish.

I let the rolls sit until double the size, then brushed them with water and egg wash before baking. 

Bake at a preheated oven of 400 degrees F for 18 minutes. I did turn the oven down after 15 minutes of baking as the rolls were browning too quickly.

Things I have learned from this recipe

The results were lovely, but I would either roll out the dough thicker or make the strips larger to have a bigger roll.

I used very little butter and the results were flaky, more butter would increase the amount of flakiness. 

Since I only baked a quarter of the dough,I am experimenting with keeping the other quarter of the made up rolls in the refrigerator for breakfast tomorrow.  The other half is frozen to make cinnamon rolls or more Salenjaci.