Puff Pastry Croissants

Method

1. For the lievitino (pre-ferment): Mix 125 g Manitoba flour, 50 g sourdough powder (or 25 g fresh yeast/10 g dry yeast), and 90 ml water (or 75 ml fresh yeast/70 ml dry yeast). Mix into a stiff dough, place in a bowl, cover with plastic wrap, and let rise in a turned-off oven for 2.5 hours until doubled in size.
2. In a mixer, combine 630 g Manitoba flour, 125 g sugar, 70 g soft butter (melted slightly), 1 whole egg plus 1 yolk, 15 g salt, 5 g vanilla, zest of an organic orange, and 250 ml milk. Add the risen lievitino and knead until the dough is smooth and not sticky.
3. Flatten the dough onto a baking sheet lined with wax paper, cover with another sheet, and press to an even thickness. Freeze for 30 minutes.
4. Meanwhile, take 350 g cold butter and place it between two sheets of wax paper. Flatten with a rolling pin into a rectangle about half the size of the dough sheet. Refrigerate.
5. After 30 minutes, remove the dough from the freezer. Place the cold butter rectangle in the center of the dough. Fold the dough over the butter to enclose it completely. Roll out into a long rectangle, fold into thirds (like a letter), and roll again. Repeat this folding and rolling process three times total, chilling the dough for 15 minutes in the freezer between each fold.
6. After the third fold, roll the dough out to a 3 mm thickness. Cut into triangles (about 10–12 cm base).
7. Optionally fill each triangle with a small amount of jam, chocolate, or pastry cream. Roll up from the base to the tip, shaping into a croissant.
8. Place the croissants on a baking sheet. Let them proof overnight (8–12 hours) in a turned-off oven.
9. The next morning, mix the leftover egg white with 1 teaspoon sugar to make a glaze. Brush over the croissants.
10. Bake in a preheated oven at 160°C (320°F) for 15 minutes, or until golden brown. Let cool slightly, then dust with icing sugar if desired.