St. Martin’s croissants are one of the most recognizable Polish baked goods. In my house they are prepared every year on November 11. Just like grandma did.
Anyone who has ever tried to prepare Saint Martin’s croissants knows that their success depends on the quality of the ingredients. It is not only a matter of tradition, but also of appropriate proportions. The secret ingredient that makes them exceptionally soft and fluffy is full fat milk 3.2%. This is what gives the cake its unique delicacy. Ingredients for the cake:
- 1 kg of wheat flour (necessarily sifted),
- 400 ml of warm milk 3.2%,
- 120 g sugar,
- 20 g of fresh yeast,
- 2 eggs + 1 yolk,
- 3 g soli,
- 300 g of cold butter (for flaking),
- 120 g of melted and cooled butter (for the dough).
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Ingredients for the filling:
- 500 g white poppy seeds,
- 85 g of butter,
- 400-500 g of sugar,
- 85 g chopped almonds,
- 85 g raisins,
- 40 g candied orange peel,
- 300 g biscuit crumbs,
- 4-5 eggs,
- a few drops of almond flavor.
All ingredients should be of high quality. They decide whether the croissant will melt in your mouth. And when the dough combines with the fragrant white poppy seed filling, you will understand why a baking that the whole of Greater Poland is proud of.
Dissolve the yeast in a little warm milk with sugar and flour and then set aside for about 20 minutesto start working. In a large bowl, mix the flour, salt and sugar, add the leaven, the rest of the milk, eggs and melted butter and knead until you obtain a smooth, elastic dough. Cover it and set it aside in a warm place for about half an hour to double its volume. Prepare cold buttergrate or roll them into thin sheets, and then spread them over two thirds of the dough surface. Fold the whole thing like an envelope, turn 90 degrees, roll out again and chill in the refrigerator for half an hour. Repeat this process three more times to obtain a perfectly flaky puff pastry. After the last rolling, put them in the fridge for a few hours or overnight.
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Rinse the poppy seeds, pour boiling water over them and cook covered over low heat for about 30 minutes. Drain thoroughly using a sieve or cheesecloth, and then grind very finely – preferably three times through a grinder or blender, until you obtain smooth mass. Melt the butter in a pan, add the sugar and stir until it dissolves. Add poppy seeds, almonds, raisins and candied orange peel, then fry over low heat for a few minutes, stirring constantly. Set the mixture aside to cooladd crushed biscuits and eggs with a bit of almond extract, then mix thoroughly until you obtain a uniform, thick consistency. If the mixture is too loose, put it in the fridge to harden and make it easier to spread on the cake.
Once the dough and filling are ready, roll the dough out a rectangle about half a centimeter thickcut into triangles and put a portion of the filling on the wide base of each of them. Roll up towards the top, form a horseshoe shape and place the croissants on a baking tray lined with baking paper. Set them aside for about thirty minutes to rise. Preheat the oven to 180 degrees and in the meantime brush the croissants with beaten egg and a little milk. Place the baking tray and bake for about twenty minutes until the cake is golden and fragrant. Remove the croissants, let them cool slightly and then pour icing over it from powdered sugar and hot water or milk. Finally, sprinkle them with almond flakes or finely chopped nuts.
