Croissants with crunchy salad and blue cheese

Preparation

Method for the croissant dough

1. Add the flour, salt and sugar to the mixing bowl. Then add the yeast, milk and water.
2. Knead all this together with a dough hook to obtain a full-bodied base dough.
3. Leave to prove for around an hour in the fridge.
4. Bash the cold butter with a rolling pin to soften it.
5. Roll out the pastry to form a square twice the size of the butter.
6. Place the butter in the centre, turned by a quarter, and fold the dough crosswise over the butter to form a square.
7. Turn the dough and level out the thickness by gently tapping it with the rolling pin in both directions.
8. Flour the work surface then roll out the dough into a rectangle. The length should be three times the width, with a thickness of 1 cm.
9. Make a double turn by folding the dough into a wallet shape.
10. Wrap it in a sheet of greaseproof paper and leave to chill for 25 minutes.
11. Spread out the dough again, keeping the fold to the right.
12. Make a single turn: fold the bottom of the dough up to 2/3 of the height and then fold the top down.
13. Chill for a further 25 minutes.
14. Flour the work surface, roll out the risen flaky pastry to make a 40x50cm sheet and cut in half.
15. Cut the pieces into a total of 18 triangles.
16. Make an incision at the base of each triangle, then roll them loosely.
17. Place them in quincunx pattern on baking sheets lined with greaseproof paper.
18. Brush the croissants with egg wash.
19. Leave them to rise in an oven for 1 hour at 30°C or for 2 hours at ambient temperature.
20. Apply a second coat of egg wash to the croissants, sprinkle with sesame seeds and then bake them at 200°C for 15 to 20 mins.
21. Remove the croissants from the oven and place them on a cooling rack.

Method for the garnish

1. Preheat the oven to 180°C.
2. Cut 6 croissants in half and place the bottom halves on a baking sheet lined with greaseproof paper
3. Finely chop the red onion and slice the tomatoes.
4. Spread a layer of green pesto onto the bottom halves, then add a few spinach leaves, some red onion slices, three slices of tomato and two slices of IQF blue cheese to each.
5. Heat in the oven for 5 minutes to melt the cheese.
6. Smear the tops of the croissants with melted butter and sprinkle on the pumpkin seeds.
7. Place the tops of the croissant onto the bottom halves and serve.