Description
Experience the delight of freshly baked homemade croissants with this classic French pastry recipe. These croissants feature flaky, buttery layers created through careful lamination, making them perfect for breakfast or brunch. With detailed steps for preparing the dough, incorporating cold butter, and achieving the perfect golden-brown finish, this recipe guides you to bakery-quality croissants straight from your oven.
Ingredients
Scale
Dough:
- 4 cups all-purpose flour
- 1/4 cup granulated sugar
- 2 1/4 teaspoons active dry yeast
- 1 1/4 teaspoons salt
- 1 1/4 cups warm milk
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
Butter for Laminating:
- 1 cup unsalted butter, cold
Egg Wash:
- 1 large egg
- 1 tablespoon water
Instructions
- Activate Yeast: In a large bowl, combine warm milk and active dry yeast. Let it sit for 5 minutes until it becomes foamy, indicating the yeast is active and ready for use.
- Make Dough: Add sugar, melted butter, and salt to the yeast mixture. Gradually mix in the all-purpose flour until a soft dough forms. Knead this dough for about 5 to 7 minutes until it is smooth and elastic.
- First Chill: Shape the dough into a ball, cover it, and place it in the refrigerator to chill for 1 hour. This resting period helps relax the gluten and prepares the dough for laminating.
- Prepare Butter Block: Place the cold butter between two sheets of parchment paper and pound or roll it out into a 7-inch square. Keep the butter cold to maintain its integrity in the dough.
- Enclose Butter: Roll the chilled dough into a 10-inch square. Place the prepared butter square diagonally in the center of the dough. Fold each corner of the dough over the butter to fully encase it.
- Roll and Fold: Roll the dough into a long rectangle, then fold it into thirds like a letter. Wrap the dough and refrigerate for 30 minutes to keep the butter firm.
- Repeat Lamination: Repeat the rolling, folding, and chilling process two more times, chilling for 30 minutes between each turn. These multiple folds create the signature flaky layers in croissants.
- Shape Croissants: After the last chill, roll the dough into a large rectangle about 1/4 inch thick. Cut the dough into long triangles. Starting from the wide end, roll each triangle tightly toward the tip to form crescent shapes.
- Proof Croissants: Place the shaped croissants on a parchment-lined baking sheet. Cover them loosely and let rise at room temperature for 1 to 2 hours until they become puffy and nearly doubled in size.
- Prepare Egg Wash: Preheat the oven to 400°F (200°C). Whisk together the egg and water to create an egg wash, then brush it evenly over the croissants to give them a beautiful golden color during baking.
- Bake: Bake the croissants in the preheated oven for 18 to 22 minutes until they are deeply golden brown and flaky.
- Cool and Serve: Allow the croissants to cool slightly on a wire rack before serving, enhancing their texture and flavor.
Notes
- Maintain the dough and butter cold throughout the process to ensure distinct flaky layers.
- If the butter begins to soften during rolling, refrigerate the dough before continuing.
- Croissants can be shaped and refrigerated overnight before the final rise and baking to prepare in advance.
