This recipe will allow you to have Flaky Croissants like at the café with very little yeast.

For this version, you need to start the day before, here’s a schedule idea:
Day 1:
9 PM: prepare the dough and put it in the fridge to rise for about 14 hours
Day 2
11 AM: take out the butter to soften a bit
11:30 AM: start rolling out the softened butter, refrigerate for 30 minutes
12 PM: insert the butter into the risen dough with a three-fold, 1 hour in the fridge
1 PM: first four-fold, 1 hour in the fridge
2 PM: second four-fold, 1 hour in the fridge
3 PM: third four-fold, 1 hour in the fridge
4 PM: shape the croissants, let rise in a covered, sheltered place for about 3 hours
7 PM: bake the Flaky Croissants like at the café
Rising times may vary depending on the temperature and the season.

Difficulty: Medium
Cost: Economical
Rest time: 6 Hours
Preparation time: 3 Hours
Portions: 12 croissants
Cooking methods: Oven
Cuisine: Italian

Ingredients

2 cups Manitoba Flour
2 cups All-purpose Flour
1 tsp instant dry yeast
1/2 cup Sugar
1 lemon zest (grated)
2/3 cup Milk
2/3 cup Water
2 tsp vanilla extract (paste)
1 cup Butter (for laminating)

Preparation

In the container of a mixer, put the two flours, the yeast (this yeast does not need to be activated), the sugar, and mix quickly.
Gradually add the water and milk together, the vanilla flavoring, and the zest of half a lemon.
Mix until the dough is well combined.
If necessary, knead a little more by hand on a work surface.
You need to obtain a smooth and homogeneous dough ball.
Place it in a container, cover it with a sheet of plastic wrap and a clean towel on top.
Let it rise in the lower shelf of the refrigerator for about 14 hours.
The following day, prepare the butter to be inserted into the dough, take it out of the fridge about half an hour before so it softens.
Take a piece of parchment paper, form a rectangle of dimensions 8×10 inches.
Fold the edges upwards.
Place the butter block inside, now turn the parchment paper opening downwards, use a rolling pin to spread the butter to fill the entire surface of the paper.
Around 12 PM, take out the dough ball which should have risen, work it on a kitchen surface.
With parchment paper, prepare a rectangle of dimensions 16×12 inches, dust it with flour, use a rolling pin to roll out the dough to cover the entire rectangle.
Place the butter block on top of the dough sheet, slightly towards the top part, as shown in the picture.
Fold the bottom part towards the center and then the top part downwards, closing the dough (making a three-fold).
Now wrap it with plastic wrap and place it in the fridge for an hour.
Take out the dough, place it with the opening to the right, use a rolling pin to roll it to a length of about 16 inches.
Fold the dough again: fold the bottom part towards the center and then the top part always towards the center, then fold the dough in half (thus obtaining a four-fold).
Cover with plastic wrap and place in the fridge for an hour.
Repeat this operation two more times, letting the dough rest about an hour in the fridge each time.
Finally, the foldings are finished, roll out the dough to a length of 24 inches and a width of 10 inches with a rolling pin.
Now cut triangles with a width of 4 inches.
Make a small cut in the center of the base.
Slightly widen the corners of the base, then roll the dough onto itself, up to the tip.
To make the croissants more beautiful, gently pull the tip to slightly elongate the dough.
Make sure to place the tip under the croissant, otherwise they will tend to open during baking.
At this point, you can freeze them, when you want to consume them you need to take them out of the freezer at least 6 hours before and proceed as indicated in the phase below.
The croissants now need to rise for about 3/4 hours outside the fridge.
Place them in a sheltered place (if you want, inside the turned-off oven) covering them with a clean towel.
They should at least double in size.
Bake at 350°F for 15/20 minutes.