A novice baker, wife loves croissants so, I thought I'd tackle this for her. Lots of fun, ha ha, for my first time. I've actually made two batches in the past 3 days. The first batch, I followed the written KAF recipe (http://www.kingarthurflour.com/recipes/bakers-croissants-recipe). The procedure for the dough was challenging, having the proper equipment would help as well. I ended up with a large mess but managed to pull it all together. I'm a patient guy. The frustration was worth it. The flavor and flakiness was perfect except that my pans apparently badly burned the bottoms. I thought I'd try some short cuts on the second half of dough of the the first batch, bottom line… there are no shortcuts! They tasted like biscuits. My second attempt, I used the instructions listed on this page. Wow! Seemed easier and saved me lots of time wrestling with the dough. I pretty much have to hand mix/knead everything. They came out perfect except for the flavor wasn't there. I looked over the recipe(s) for comparison and I believe that the vanilla (optional) is left out of Susan's instructions. The ham and cheese tasted perfect but the plains didn't have that flavor the first batch had. Still loved them, my wife's co-workers thought they were a hit! Thanks Susan and KAF - I'm a confident croissant baker now. I learned my lesson on shortcuts, there are none. Follow the recipe and you will be fine. Being patient and neat on folding and lining up the dough is very important. Ready for next mission.

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