Darling, Breakfast Is Served: Croissants & Blanc de Blancs

Food By Caly Ball Bendyk

In celebration of Breakfast at Tiffany’s turning 65, we’re taking inspiration from Holly Golightly and giving breakfast the Hollywood treatment. These buttery, flaky croissants are made for lingering over with a glass of Frank Family Blanc de Blancs—because some mornings call for a little glamour. With Hollywood in our own family history, it feels only fitting to celebrate this timeless classic with a little Napa Valley glamour of our own.

Serving: 6 Croissants

Ingredients

For the initial dough

25 gWater
55 gFlour
8 gFresh yeast

For the dough

110 gFlour
33 g Sugar
16 gButter
1Medium egg
33 gMilk
3 gSalt
4 gHoney

Butter for laminating

75 gButter

For egg wash

1Egg yolk beaten with 1 teaspoon milk

Optional topping

  • Powdered sugar

Instructions

Make the starter (poolish)

  1. Mix water, flour, and yeast in a small bowl until smooth.
  2. Cover and let rest 30–60 minutes at room temperature, until slightly bubbly.

2. Make the main dough

  1. In a mixing bowl, combine starter, flour, sugar, butter, egg, milk, salt, and honey.
  2. Knead until smooth and elastic (~8–10 minutes by hand or 5–6 minutes in a stand mixer).
  3. Cover the dough and let it rest 30 minutes.

3. Prepare the butter block

  1. Flatten the 75 g butter between parchment paper into a rectangle (~10 × 7 cm).
  2. Chill in the fridge until firm but pliable.

4. Laminate the dough

  1. Roll the dough into a rectangle slightly larger than the butter block.
  2. Place butter in the center, fold dough over to encase it completely.
  3. Roll the dough gently into a long rectangle (~25 × 10 cm).
  4. Perform a single fold (or “turn”): fold one third of the dough over the center, then fold the other third on top.
  5. Chill for 30–45 minutes. Repeat 2 more times, chilling between each turn.

5. Shape the croissants

  1. Roll the laminated dough into a rectangle (~25 × 15 cm).
  2. Cut into 6 triangles of roughly equal size.
  3. Starting from the wide end, roll each triangle toward the tip to form the croissant shape.
  4. Place on a parchment-lined baking sheet, tip side down.

6. Proof

  1. Cover loosely with plastic wrap or a clean towel.
  2. Let croissants rise 1.5–2 hours, until puffy but not doubled.

7. Bake

  1. Preheat oven to 375°F.
  2. Brush each croissant with egg wash.
  3. Bake 15–20 minutes, until golden brown and puffed.

8. Finish

  1. Let cool slightly.
  2. Give your croissants a light dusting of powdered sugar before serving—for a sweet and pretty finishing touch. Enjoy!