Croissant

Classic French Croissants

A buttery, flaky pastry that takes time and patience but rewards with authentic French flavor. This recipe guides you through the lamination process step by step.

Prep

60 min

Cook

20 min

Total

80 min

Serves

8 croissants

Difficulty

Hard

Recipe ingredients

• •500 g (1 lb 1½ oz) all-purpose flour, preferably French T45/T55, or null
• •10 g (2 tsp) salt
• •60 g (2¼ oz) granulated sugar
• •10 g (2 tsp) instant yeast, or 12 g fresh yeast, or null
• •140 ml (½ cup + 1 tbsp) whole milk, cold
• •140 ml (½ cup + 1 tbsp) water, cold
• •50 g (1¾ oz) unsalted butter, melted and cooled, for the dough
• •250 g (8¾ oz) unsalted butter, cold but pliable, European-style with high fat content, for the butter block
• •1 whole egg, for egg wash
• •1 tbsp milk, for egg wash

Steps

1. 1 Make the dough: In a large bowl, mix flour, salt, sugar, and yeast. Add milk, water, and melted butter. Stir until a shaggy dough forms. Turn out onto a lightly floured surface and knead for 5-7 minutes until smooth and elastic. The dough should be slightly tacky but not sticky. Shape into a rectangle, wrap in plastic, and refrigerate for at least 1 hour (or overnight).
2. 2 Prepare the butter block: Place the cold butter between two sheets of plastic wrap or parchment paper. Using a rolling pin, pound and roll the butter into a rectangle about 20x15 cm (8x6 inches) and about 1 cm (½ inch) thick. Keep it cold but pliable. Set aside.
3. 3 Laminate: On a lightly floured surface, roll the chilled dough into a rectangle about 40x20 cm (16x8 inches). Place the butter block on the right half of the dough, leaving a 1 cm border. Fold the left half over the butter, sealing the edges with your fingers. This is the first fold.
4. 4 Roll the dough out lengthwise into a rectangle about 60x20 cm (24x8 inches). Fold into thirds like a letter (book fold). Wrap in plastic and chill for 30 minutes.
5. 5 Repeat the rolling and folding two more times (total of 3 folds), chilling for 30 minutes between each fold. After the final fold, wrap and chill for at least 1 hour or overnight.
6. 6 Shape: Roll the dough out into a rectangle about 40x25 cm (16x10 inches) and about 4 mm (⅛ inch) thick. Trim the edges to make a clean rectangle. Cut into triangles: mark the long side at 10 cm (4 inch) intervals, then cut diagonally to create triangles. Each triangle should be about 10 cm wide at the base and 20 cm tall.
7. 7 Shape croissants: Gently stretch each triangle slightly, then roll from the base to the tip, tucking the tip underneath. Curve the ends inward to form a crescent shape. Place on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper, leaving space between them.
8. 8 Proof: Cover loosely with plastic wrap or a damp cloth. Let proof in a warm place (about 25°C/77°F) for 2-3 hours, until doubled in size and puffy. They should jiggle slightly when shaken.
9. 9 Preheat oven to 200°C (400°F). In a small bowl, whisk the egg and milk for the egg wash. Gently brush the croissants with the egg wash, being careful not to deflate them.
10. 10 Bake: Bake for 15-20 minutes, until deep golden brown and flaky. The internal temperature should reach at least 93°C (200°F). If they brown too quickly, reduce oven to 180°C (350°F) for the last 5 minutes. Cool on a wire rack for at least 10 minutes before serving.