Jeri asked for this recipe. It will probably overwhelm those of you who don't bake a lot of yeast breads, but as these things go, it's an easy recipe. If you are surprised at the amount of butter, keep in mind the store bought ones probably have even more fat in them. Croissants may seem light and airy, but they are not low calorie.

These croissants come out pretty close to the real thing with a fraction of the work rolling, folding, and chilling. If you want to use all white flour, it probably takes less liquid.

1 package dry yeast (scant tablespoon)
1 cup warm water
3/4 cup evaporated milk
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
1/3 cup honey
1 egg
3 cups whole wheat flour
4 tablespoons butter, melted and cooled
3 cups all-purpose white flour
1 cup (1/2 pound) firm butter, cut into pieces
1 egg beaten with 1 tablespoon water

Put the yeast and water in the mixer bowl and let stand until bubbly (5 to 15 minutes). Add milk, salt, honey, the 1 egg, and 2 cups of the whole wheat flour. Beat on medium speed until smooth. Stir in the 4 tablespoons melted butter.

In another large bowl, stir together the white flour and remaining 1 cup whole wheat flour. Use a pastry blender or 2 knives to cut in the 1 cup firm butter until particles are the size of peas. Pour in the yeast mixture and stir gently just until flour is evenly moistened. Cover tightly and refrigerate for at least 4 hours up to 4 days.

Turn dough out onto a well-floured board and knead for about 5 minutes. Divide dough into 4 equal portions. Work with one portion at a time and keep the rest in the refrigerator. Roll out on a well-floured board into a 17-inch circle (dough will be stiff). Use a floured sharp knife to cut the circle into 8 wedges. Loosely roll each wedge from wide end toward the point. Shape each roll into a crescent and place, point down, 1 1/2 inches apart on an ungreased baking sheet. Cover and let rise until almost doubled, about 2 hours. Don't try to hurry this step by putting in a warm place.

When ready to bake, brush rolls with egg-water mixture. Bake 25 minutes at 325 degrees or until lightly browned. Serve warm. Can be cooled completely on racks, wrapped airtight, and frozen. To reheat, arrange thawed rolls on baking sheets and heat uncovered in a 350 degree oven for about 10 minutes. Makes 32 rolls.

I think I'll make some of these tomorrow.