Croissants made with goat butter

Is life too short to make croissants?  Maybe, but when I get a husband frazzled by a hard week at work, worn down by a similar virus to the one which has been afflicting me, who says he is fancying croissants, and who cannot touch cow's produce, it is worth it!  He didn't want brioches, or anything with nuts, yes I'm the very nutty one!

At first I thought I would not be able to make any in time, as it takes more than one day to make them.  But I wanted to make an effort and got out my books and notes from the last time I made them at the beginning of last year.

I just worked out that if I started then late on Friday evening, rested the dough overnight in the fridge, and started the lamination with butter this morning, I would get some ready for at least Sunday morning.

Saturday 7 am, take the dough and bashed cold butter, and start the lamination.  Of course, cow's butter works just as well.  For 600g flour, I added 50g sugar, and used the ratio of 250g butter which is less than Paul Hollywood's recipe but the amount recommended by Andrew Whitley, but he does not use any sugar!

After breakfast, do the folding and turning etc.

An hour or so later, cut and shape the croissants, and freeze most for future weekends.

For the ones I was freezing, I left off the egg wash, lay them on a baking tray cover with cling film.  As soon as they are hard, I'll pop them into a bag, and they will separate easily when I need to take a couple out.  

I had written that for a breakfast, I'd take them out of the freezer the night before, leave them lightly covered in the fridge overnight, and at about 6 take them to room temperature for their final prove if they are not fully risen.  Well that might be OK if was quite warm.  We had to have breakfast at 10.  So another time I would just let them rise, covered with a bag, on the kitchen counter overnight.  They were just as good as freshly made and baked.

Egg wash and bake, and hey presto freshly baked croissants for breakfast.  I have enough for several more breakfasts, and since they keep for 6 months, will be spacing them out.

These four came out of the oven a 2 pm ready for tomorrow morning.  I layered the trimmings with a topping of chocolate in one little quiche dish, and apricot jam and almonds in another for me..nice tea time treat.