Flaky Butter Croissants

Combine yeast and warm water in a large mixing vessel, allowing it to sit until frothy and bubbly, approximately 10 minutes. Stir in milk, salt, sugar, one egg, one cup of flour, and melted butter to create a smooth dough mixture. Mix until well combined; set aside.

Next, combine the remaining four cups of flour and cut in the one cup firm butter until the butter particles are roughly the size of dried kidney beans. Pour the yeast mixture over this and gently fold the ingredients together with a spatula to blend, just until all the flour is evenly moistened. Cover the mixture with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 4 hours or up to four days.

Remove the dough from the refrigerator and divide it into four equal portions. Shape one portion at a time, then refrigerate the remaining dough.

On a lightly floured surface, roll out one portion of the dough into a circle with a diameter of 17 inches. Using a sharp knife or pizza cutter, cut the circle into eight equal pie-shaped wedges. Gently roll each wedge towards its center and shape it into a crescent, placing it on an ungreased baking sheet. Leave about 1 1/2 inches of space between each roll.

Cover the rolls and allow them to rise at room temperature until they have almost doubled in size, approximately 2 hours. Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 325 degrees F (165 degrees C).

Brush the rolls with beaten egg and bake in the preheated oven for 35 minutes, until golden brown.