Croissant...This delicious pastry originated in Budapest in 1686, when the Turks were besieging the city. To reach the centre of the town, they dug underground passages. Bakers, working during the night, heard the noise made by the Turks and gave the alarm. The assailants were repulsed and the bakers who had saved the city were granted the privilege of making a special pastry which had to take the form of a crescent in memory of the emblem on the Ottoman flag.
Alan Davidson, the author of Oxford Companion to Food, expresses his doubts. Culinary mythology--origin of the croissant According to one of a group of similar legends, which vary only in detail, a baker of the 17th century, working through the night at a time when his city (either Vienna in 1683 or Budapest in 1686) was under siege by the Turks, heard faint underground rumbling sounds which, on investigation, proved to be caused by a Turkish attempt to invade the city by tunnelling under the walls. The tunnel was blown up. The baker asked no reward other than the exclusive right to bake crescent-shaped pastries commemorating the incident, the crescent being the symbol of Islam. He was duly rewarded in this way, and the croissant was born.
The story seems to owe its origin, or at least its wide diffusion, to Alfred Gottschalk, who wrote about the croissant for the first edition of the Larousse Gastronomique [1938] and there gave the legend in the Turkish attack on Budapest in 1686 version; but on the history of food, opted for the 'siege of Vienna in 1683' version."

1. In a mixer with a dough hook, place the yeast, flour, sugar, salt and the milk and mix for 2 minutes until a soft moist dough forms on the hook. If the dough is not moist, add more milk, half tablespoon at a time until it is moist and smooth, using not more than 2 tablespoons. Increase speed and mix until the dough is very smooth and elastic, about 2-3 minutes. Cover the dough and rest for 30 minutes in fridge.
   酵母，面粉，砂糖，食盐和牛奶放入搅拌盆，揉成较湿润且柔软面团。如果面团稍干的话，可适量添加一些牛奶，每次加入半勺将面团揉成稍微湿润即可，用量不要超过2大勺为宜。提速继续搅打面团至光滑有弹性，2-3分钟。面团盖上保鲜膜冷藏松弛30分钟。
   
2. Roll the dough on a lightly floured board to a 9 by 16 inch rectangle. Soften the butter by beating with a rolling pin. Place the butter over two-thirds of the length of the rectangle. Starting from the the unbuttered third, fold the dough, like a business letter, into thirds. Turn the dough a quarter degree, so that the open sides are at 12 and 6 o'clock. Roll again the laminated dough to a rectangle and fold into thirds. Wrap the dough with plastic film tightly and chill over night to ease the gluten.
   工作台洒些面粉，放上面团擀成9x16寸的长方形。用擀面杖将牛油捶打至软身，将其铺放在三分之二的面团上。从未铺牛油的三分之一面团入手，折信般将面团三折。将面团转90度，让开口两端朝6点和12点。擀成长方形后再三折。面团包入塑料保鲜膜隔夜冷藏，松弛面筋。
   
3. Remove from the fridge and perform the 3-fold three more times. Or two more times of 3-fold and a 4-fold turn for the final, which is to fold both ends into the center and then fold to close, like a book. Chill for 30 minutes to relax the dough between each turn. After the completion of the final turn, relax the dough in the fridge for 2 hours or overnight to fit your schedule. At this point the dough can be frozen until needed. Thaw the dough overnight in the fridge before shaping.
   取出面团后重复3次3折或是2次三折后，然后四折收尾。所谓四折就是将擀开的面团头尾两端折向中心，然后再对折。每次折好后要冷藏松弛面团30分钟。完成最后一折后，面团需要至少2小时或是隔夜冷藏。这时面团可以冷冻保存，使用前必须提前放到保鲜柜退冻后才能使用。
   
4. On a lightly floured surface, roll out the dough to a rectangle with about 4mm in thickness. Trim irregularities and divide the dough with a pizza cutter or knife (using croissant cutter if available) into triangles, about 4-inch wide, or wider if you prefer croissants more curved. Gently stretch the base of the triangle to widen it slightly, while one hand holds the base, pull the dough with the other to lengthen the dough, so that a quality croissant with multi layers. Roll up starting at the wide bottom to make a curved cresent shape and place them on a baking paper lined pan.
   将面团放到铺了少许面粉的台面上，擀成4毫米左右厚度的长方形。 用皮萨饼轮刀或刀子（要是有专用羊角包割面刀就更佳了）将其切成4寸宽三角块。如果喜欢面包两角更有弯度的话，可以宽一些。轻轻将三角面团的底部拉宽一些，一手按住底部，另一手轻轻将面团拉长，这样面包的层次会更加清晰。从宽底部将其卷起成新月状放入铺放了烤纸的烤盘上。
   
5. To proof the croissants, place them in an oven that is warm but not turned on, with a pan of hot water in the bottom to create a moist environment, which is beneficial to the proofing. Let rise until croissants puffed up and spongy to the touch, 2-3 hours. Remove from the oven. Preheat the oven to 200F/400F. Mix egg and milk together in a bowl. Brush with the egg wash and bake the croissants for 22 to 25 minutes until golden brown. Allow them to cool on a rack before serving.
   烤箱不要通电，并且在底部放入一大盘热水营造湿润温暖的环境，有利于醒面。将整形好的面包胚放入烤箱进行发酵。2-3小时后，面包明显膨胀，手触面团有弹性。取出面包后，预热烤箱至200C/400F。牛角包表面刷上鸡蛋和牛奶混合液，入预热后的烤箱烘焙至金黄色，22-25分钟。取出后放到架上晾凉。

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