Whisk dry yeast and water; let sit for 10 minutes until foamy on top.
In a mixer with a dough hook, place the flour, sugar, salt, milk, egg, butter, and yeast mixture and mix for 2 minutes until a soft moist dough forms on the hook. If most of the flour isn't moistened with this quantity of milk, add a tablespoon at a time until it is moistened and smooth. Turn mixer on high and mix for another 3- 4 minutes until very smooth.
Turn the dough out of the bowl onto a lightly floured work surface, cover with a clear plastic and allow it to rest for 15 minutes to relax the gluten. Remove the plastic and, using a French rolling pin, roll the dough into a 10 by 9-inch rectangle 5/8-inch thick. Wrap in plastic, then chill in the refrigerator for 1 hour and up to overnight.
Ten minutes before the dough is done resting in the refrigerator, prepare the butter. Beat it lightly with your rolling pin on a floured surface to soften it and form a rectangle 6 by 8 1/2 inches. Place it between 2 parchment paper and set aside. ( The butter temperature should be 62-65°F)
Remove the dough from the refrigerator and roll it on a floured work surface into a 10 by 15-inch and 1/4-inch thick rectangle. Brush any excess flour off the dough. Place the shorter side of the dough parallel to the front of your body on the work surface. Place the butter in the middle, long-ways. Fold the bottom up over the butter and brush off any excess flour and then fold the top down over the butter to overlap and encase the butter. Press down lightly with the rolling pin to push all the layers together and make sure they have contact.
Continue rolling the laminated (layered) dough to form a new 10 by15-inch rectangle. Fold into thirds, like a letter, brush off any excess flour and mark it with an indentation made by poking your finger once at the corner of the dough meaning you have completed the first "turn".
Wrap well in plastic and chill 1 hour. Repeat step #5 a second time and chill for 1- 2 hours or freeze dough overnight. If dough is frozen, remove from freezer 1 ½ -2 hours before shaping.
Roll croissant dough out to a 13 by 24-inch square that is a little less than 1/4-inch thick and cut out your croissants and shape them.
I roll out my dough and cut it with a sharp large knife or pizza cutter into 6-inch strips then cut them into triangles; 4 inches wide at the base of the triangle Stretch these triangles again 9 inches long, and then place on the work surface. Roll the triangles up towards you starting at the wide end and place them 4 inches apart on a parchment lined sheet pan. At Dolce & Ciabatta Bakery our croissants are straight instead of curved. You may freeze the unbaked croissants at this point for up to 2 weeks.
To proof the croissants, place them in an oven that is slightly warm but not turned on, (75-85°F) with a pan of hot water in the bottom to create a moist environment like a proof box. If the oven is too hot then the butter between the croissant layers will melt and you will end up with a croissant that is not flaky. Set aside to proof for 1 1/2 to 2 1/2 hours until puffed up and spongy to the touch, very gassy and more than doubled in size (they should slowly spring back when poked with your fingertip and jiggle slightly like gelatin when the tray is shaken.
Preheat the oven to 400°F and set the racks at least 4 inches apart.
In a small bowl, beat 2 eggs and brush the risen croissants evenly and gently with the egg wash. Reduce oven temperature to 350°F and bake without opening the oven, until the croissants begin to color, 15–20 minutes. Rotate the pans and continue baking until evenly golden, 6–8 minutes more. Let cool slightly before serving.