Lemon-Filled Croissants

I love croissants! Love. Them. However, they are a lot of work. So, I don't love making them. But, I have been having a hankerin' for them for awhile now. Last Sunday we had family over. They were looking to escape the heat of their non-air conditioned apartment. Since it was such a scorcher, I made a very light lemon cheesecake. I used a few dollops of lemon pie filling on the top of each slice to intensify the flavor. Afterwards, I had over a half a can of pie filling left. So I decided to bake up these lovely little breakfast rolls to use up the pie filling. (Normally I would use a lemon curd with a deeper lemon flavor, but hey, waste not want not.)

This is a quick-version for croissants. You don't layer the butter or do three turns of the dough so the rolls aren't quite as flaky as full-blown croissants. In fact, since you incorporate the butter right into the dough, they are a bit more brioche-like. They are easy to put together and not too labor-intensive. I just mixed up the dough in the afternoon and let it sit overnight in the fridge. Rolled them up and baked them the next morning.

Lemon-Filled Croissants
1 C whole milk
1/4 C sugar
4 room temperature eggs, lightly beaten
4 C bread flour
1 Tbsp active dry yeast
1 1/4 tsp salt
1 1/2 C butter, softened
1 1/2 C lemon curd or pie filling
powdered sugar or icing

Heat milk in the microwave until lukewarm. Pour milk into large bowl and add sugar. Add 1 cup of the flour and, using the paddle attachment of your mixer, mix until smooth. Add eggs and mix completely. Add in yeast and 1 cup flour until well combined. Add in the salt and 1 1/2 C flour. Mix until the dough comes together.

Sprinkle a little flour on a flat surface. Turn dough out. Knead for about 3 minutes incorporating a little bit of the final 1/2 C flour at a time until it is all mixed in. The dough should be on the sticky side and will likely stick to your hands a little. Just add a little flour to your hands as you knead.

Place the dough back into the bowl. Add 1/4 of the softened butter and mix it into the dough with your hands. Once it is completely incorporated into the dough, add another 1/4 of the butter. Repeat this process until all the butter is mixed in. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and place in the fridge for a minimum of 4 hours and up to overnight. You should place a plate or some other weighted object over the top of the bowl if the dough is going to be in the fridge longer than 4 hours.

Next morning, lightly sprinkle counter with flour. Divide dough into two portions. Roll out each portion into a circle 15 inches in diameter. Cut the the dough into eight pieces. (I use a pizza cutter.) Add a heaping tablespoon of lemon curd or pie filling to the widest end of the triangle. Starting from the wide end, roll each piece up and curve the ends to form a crescent shape. Pinch the ends closed so the filling doesn't seep out. Place rolls on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Repeat the process with the other half of the dough. Cover rolls with plastic wrap and let rise for 45 minutes at room temperature.

Bake in a preheated oven at 350 degrees F. for 15-18 minutes. After baking, remove rolls to a wire rack and let cool. When cool, sprinkle powdered sugar over the tops or drizzle with icing.