324-layer croissant

In a stand mixer combine all-purpose flour, bread flour, sugar and yeast; dissolve the salt in the milk.

Mix the dry ingredients with the hook on low until incorporated; add the salted milk and softened butter.

Beat a couple of minutes until smooth, scraping down with the hook a couple of times.

Transfer to an oiled bowl with a bowl scraper; rest 10 to 15 minutes to relax the gluten.

Roll into a rectangle about the size of a quarter sheet pan; cut parchment to the size of the butter block; slide onto a tray and chill.

Beat a block of butter with all-purpose flour using the non-hook attachment, scraping down with a spatula.

Shape the butter paste in a parchment envelope sized by the smaller parchment, pressing with the rolling pin into the corners; chill.

Peel the butter onto one side of the dough, brush off excess flour at the seams, fold over and pinch the sides closed; reshape to a rectangle, wrap and chill several times. The butter must stay cold.

Dust with bench flour, make four indents across with the rolling pin, roll to a long rectangle, brush off flour.

Do a three-quarters fold: one side 75% of the way across, the other side meeting it. Chill.

Indent, flour, roll out and do a book fold; stretch the corners to the edges. Repeat with a second book fold while the dough is still cold.

Chill and repeat the flour, indent, roll and fold twice more, for 324 layers by the cook's count.

After a final chill, roll to a large rectangle about a quarter inch thick; trim the edges and cut strips with the pizza cutters, then bisect each along the diagonal into triangles.

Make a small knife cut at the base of each triangle; stretch the strip, open the legs and roll tightly, stretching as you roll, anchoring the tip to the work surface.

Proof the shaped croissants.

variation: sprinkle the trimmed scraps with granulated sugar, roll into rough shapes and proof, as a rough kouign-amann.

Make a simple syrup, and an egg wash from a separated egg yolk, a little sugar and cream.

Brush half the rolls with egg wash and half with sugar syrup, keeping it off the cut layers so they can rise.

Bake in a pretty hot oven, around 400 to 450 degrees.

Brush each with sugar syrup and return to the oven at the same temperature for a deep caramelized crust, until dark, almost burned on top.

Cool, then crack off the dark shell with a spoon to reach the golden croissant inside.