Description
Giant Vanilla Cream-Filled Croissant is a bakery-style pastry with a crisp golden shell, airy laminated layers, and a thick vanilla pastry cream center. This oversized croissant is made from scratch with a rich dough, a cold butter block, and a silky custard filling for a dramatic brunch or dessert pastry.
Ingredients
Scale
- 4 cups bread flour
- 1/3 cup granulated sugar
- 2 1/4 teaspoons instant yeast
- 1 1/4 teaspoons salt
- 1 cup cold whole milk
- 1/4 cup heavy cream
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened
- 1 large egg
- 1 1/4 cups unsalted butter, cold but pliable
- 1 large egg
- 1 tablespoon milk
- 2 cups whole milk
- 1/2 cup granulated sugar
- 4 large egg yolks
- 3 tablespoons cornstarch
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 1/8 teaspoon salt
Instructions
- Prepare the Dough: Combine bread flour, sugar, yeast, and salt in a large bowl. Add cold milk, heavy cream, softened butter, and egg. Mix and knead for 6 to 8 minutes until the dough turns smooth.
- Chill the Dough: Shape the dough into a rectangle. Wrap it tightly. Chill for at least 1 hour.
- Make the Butter Block: Place butter between parchment sheets. Pound or roll into a 7×9-inch rectangle. Chill until firm but flexible.
- Enclose the Butter: Roll the dough into a rectangle slightly larger than the butter block. Place the butter in the center. Fold the dough over it and seal the edges.
- Complete the Folds: Roll the dough into a long rectangle. Fold into thirds like a letter. Chill 30 to 40 minutes, then repeat twice more.
- Cook the Pastry Cream: Heat the milk until steaming. Whisk sugar, yolks, cornstarch, and salt in a bowl. Slowly add hot milk, return to the pan, and cook until thick. Stir in butter and vanilla. Cover the surface and chill completely.
- Shape the Giant Croissants: Roll the laminated dough to about 1/4 inch thick. Cut into large long triangles. Roll each triangle from the wide end to the tip.
- Proof the Croissants: Place them on lined baking trays. Cover loosely. Let them rise 2 to 2 1/2 hours until puffy and jiggly.
- Bake the Croissants: Heat the oven to 400°F. Brush with egg wash. Bake 10 minutes, then lower to 375°F and bake 12 to 18 minutes more until deeply golden.
- Cool and Fill: Cool the croissants completely on a wire rack. Cut a wide opening in one side. Pipe or spoon in the chilled vanilla pastry cream very generously.
Notes
- Prep Time: 3 hours
- Cook Time: 30 minutes
- Category: Pastry
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: French
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 croissant
- Calories: 600
- Sugar: 20g
- Sodium: 300mg
- Fat: 35g
- Saturated Fat: 20g
- Unsaturated Fat: 10g
- Trans Fat: 0g
- Carbohydrates: 60g
- Fiber: 2g
- Protein: 10g
- Cholesterol: 150mg
Keywords: Giant Vanilla Cream Filled Croissant, Pastry, Bakery