Ready for these super-sticky, extra-soft and (almost) guilt-free “cornetti”?
Cornetto is the Italian cousin of croissants but differs in that its texture is more similar to brioche, it’s more soft than flaky compared to croissant and has a lot less butter. This is one of my favourite version - it has hardly any sugar and butter but it’s nonetheless delicious! Hope you like it!
For the pre-ferment
62g type 1 (soft wheat) flour (see notes)
48g lukewarm water
2.5g brewers’ (fresh) yeast (see notes - or replace with 1g dry yeast)
Method:
Dissolve the yeast in the water, then add the flour to form a soft dough. Cover and rest in a warm place for 12 hours. It should triple in size.
For the dough
112.5g pre-ferment (above)
120g type 1 flour (you can buy @mulinocaputo )
80g finely ground wholemeal flour
120g lukewarm water
5g brewers yeast (or replace with 2g dry yeast)
40g butter (I used vegan butter)
26g brown sugar
3g salt
3 tbsp honey (or agave/maple syrup for a vegan version)
Method:
Mix all ingredients - except the honey - and knead to a dough. The dough will be extremely sticky and look terrible at first but don’t worry. Let it rest, covered for 20 minutes and then start folding (pull the sides of the dough towards the centre). This will help develop the gluten.
Repeat this step 4 times at 20 minutes intervals. You’ll notice that each time the dough will get smoother and really soft. Then let the dough rise for 5-6 hours or until doubled in volume.
Now the fun part! With a rolling pin, roll the dough to a large rectangle about 3mm thick. Cut into 8 triangles (they should be approx 8x28 cm in size). Starting from the shorter base of the triangle, roll the dough onto itself and then give it a half-moon shape. Place on a lined baking tray and rest, covered, for another 4 hours. They should double again in size.
Pre-heat the oven to 180C (fan) or 210C (static) and bake for 10-12 minutes. Keep an eye on them as the exact time will depend on your oven.
As soon as you take them out of the oven, brush the honey on top to create the gorgeous, shiny glaze.
Enjoy!
Notes:
*Type 1 flour is a traditional soft wheat flour preparation that is sifted less than the Type 0 and Type 00 preparations, so as to retain more of the original bran and wheat germ. This gives Type 1 flour a light brown colour with a distinctive flavour profile from the more refined Type 0/Type 00 preparations. You can buy this easily online.
*Fresh brewers’ yeast is sold in cubes and you normally find it in the refrigerator aisle at the grocer’s. It is mainly used in bakeries and it’s the main type of yeast we use in Italy. Fresh yeast is great in breads that require a long, slow rising time, as it activates more quickly than dried yeast and also stays active for a longer period of time. You can definitely replace it with dry yeast, though for this specific recipe fresh yeast will work better.