Homemade Croissants

This flaky, buttery French pastry, ‘Croissants de Boulanger’, is a yeast-based dough laminated with layers of butter and then shaped to create this distinct crescent shape. Today, I will show you my simple and easy method to make homemade croissants from scratch.

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Croissants hated me for a long time before I finally felt I could make them confidently. They would turn out too dark, or I’d have a pool of butter on my baking tray. And, if they had a good color on the outside, they’d still be underdone inside. Has any of this happened to you? Well, then, you’ve come to the right place.

Today, I will teach you how to make perfect homemade croissants every single time. With my step-by-step progress pictures as well as a video tutorial, you will master them on your very first attempt.

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Step-By-Step: Easy Homemade Croissants Recipe

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Croissant Dough

• In the bowl of a stand mixer with the dough hook attachment, combine water, milk, and yeast. Add the sugar and combine well.
• Add salt to the flour, then add the flour to the mixer bowl (see video).
• Combine at medium-high speed until all flour is incorporated. You may or may not need the extra flour for kneading.
• Knead on medium speed for 2 minutes until you have a smooth, elastic dough.

• Next, add the room-temperature butter, one cube at a time. Once all the butter is in, knead for two minutes more.
  Pro tip – The dough should be soft, smooth, and elastic. Don’t over-knead, as we will still be laminating and rolling the dough a few more times.
• Remove the dough from the stand mixer and shape it into a ball. Place in a lightly oiled bowl. Cover and chill in the fridge for 30 minutes.
  Pro tip – Chilling will help to relax the gluten. The butter in the dough will chill, making it easier to work.

Butter block

• In the same stand mixer with the paddle attachment (no need to clean the mixer), add the butter.
• Cream for 30 seconds, then add the flour and cream 30 seconds more
  Pro tip – Cream the butter to ensure there are no lumps. But, don’t over-mix as we do not want to whip air into the butter.
• Butter template – Use an 8-inch square baking pan or a ruler to measure the piece of parchment paper. Fold it so you have an 8-inch square guide (see video).
  Pro tip – You can also line the 8-inch square baking pan with plastic wrap and create an 8-inch square block of butter.
• Transfer the butter onto the parchment paper. Use an offset spatula to spread the butter to an 8-inch square using the guide you created.
• Fold the paper over the butter into an 8-inch square. Then, use the rolling pin to spread the butter into the corners (see video).
  Pro tip – If the butter block is not a proper square, you will have gaps in your lamination.
• Place in the fridge for just 20 to 30 minutes.
  Pro tip – The butter must be chilled but still flexible so that when we roll it, it spreads rather than cracks into the dough.

Laminate the dough

• Remove the dough from the fridge onto a lightly floured surface. Roll to a 12 x 12-inch square.
• Place the chilled butter block diagonally on the square. Then, fold the dough over and seal the edges well (see video).
  Pro tip – Try to seal the butter in the dough as much as possible so that it does not come out when rolling.

• Now, roll in one direction, so you have a long 10 x 20-inch rectangle. Dust off excess flour as you go.
• First fold – Fold the dough lengthways into thirds like a business letter (see video). Wrap and place into the fridge to chill for 30 minutes.
  Pro tip – Always turn the dough and roll lengthways. This will make it easier to roll and prevent the folds from opening when rolling.

• Second fold – Roll the dough lengthways again with the short side facing you (see video) to about 10 x 20 inches long again. Fold the dough into thirds again like a business letter (see video). Place in the fridge for 30 minutes if necessary.
  Pro tip – It is very important that the dough is well chilled before using it. Otherwise, the layers will blend, ruining all your effort.
• Third fold – roll the dough again lengthways with the short side facing you to about 10 x 20 inches long. Fold the dough one last time into thirds again like a business letter (see video).
• Chill in the fridge for an hour or until well chilled. This can be chilled for up to 24 hours.

Measure the dough

• Roll the dough onto a lightly floured work surface to 6 x 12 inches. Divide into two. Place one in the fridge while you work on the second one.
  Pro tip – Do not use too much flour when rolling, and keep a dry brush to dust off excess flour.

• Roll the dough into a long rectangle about 10 x 19 inches (we actually need 9 x 18 inches; the extra is to cut edges).
  Pro tip – I always roll a bit extra so I can trim off the edges. This will open the edges, and the layers will open during baking.
• Use a sharp knife to cut the edges on all sides, ensuring you have a 9 x 18-inch rectangle (see video).
  Pro tip – If you find that the dough is shrinking, it means the gluten needs to relax. Let it rest on the counter for 10 minutes or in the fridge.
• Mark every 4 inches so you have 4 x 9-inch rectangles. (see video)
  Pro tip – A standard croissant is 4 x 9 inches, but you can make smaller or larger ones, too.
• Then, take each rectangle and cut it diagonally, which will give you two triangles (see video). Each triangle makes a croissant (total – 8 croissants).

Shape the croissants

• Take each triangle. Stretch it lengthways slightly, cut a slit or notch at the wide end.
  Pro tip – Do not stretch the dough too hard, or you will break/lose those layers. Be gentle.
• Then, hold the two sides of that slit and roll onto itself until you reach the tip (similar to a jelly roll). (see video)
• You can bend the two ends towards you to make a curved crescent shape.
  Alternatively, you can roll without making a slit or notch and keep the two ends straight. (see video)

Proof and bake

• Place the croissant on a baking sheet, making sure the tips are on the bottom.
  Pro tip – If the tips are on top, they will open, so make sure to tuck them under. If you press slightly, they will sit well.
• Cover and let proof at room temperature for an hour or until almost doubled in size. Then, place it into the fridge for 30 minutes.
  Pro tip : Letting them chill in the fridge for 30 minutes works better for homemade baking. You can also cover and let the croissants prove in the fridge overnight for up to 12 hours.

• Preheat the oven to 400°F/200°C / Gas mark 6. Brush the croissants with egg wash.
  Pro tip – It is very important that the oven be preheated well for at least 10 minutes. Otherwise, the butter will melt, baking a soggy pastry.
• Bake for 10 minutes, then reduce the temperature to 190 °C / 375°F / Gas Mark 5 for 15 minutes more until golden brown.
  Pro tip – The initial high heat will help the layers open as the butter melts, creating steam. Then, the lower heat will ensure the pastry is baked through before browning too quickly.
• Remove from the oven – cool on the tray for at least 10 minutes, then transfer to wire racks to cool completely.
• Enjoy!

Tips for making croissants

• Knead the dough to a soft, not firm consistency. This will make it easier to roll. So, avoid adding too much flour.
• Chill the dough well before lamination; this will help the butter in the dough chill and make it easier to roll.
• When laminating the dough, ensure the butter is cold but not hard. Seal the butter properly so it does not come out.
• While chilling the dough is important, overchilling can cause the butter to shatter into pieces when rolling.
• Fold the dough – for home baking, we have used the classic book fold. This is done three times for croissants. There are other types of folds that we will cover in future recipes.
• It is very important to chill the dough for at least 30 minutes between folds so the butter is cold but still spreadable, not hard.
• After folding three times, the dough can be kept in the fridge for up to 48 hours. Alternatively, you can freeze it for up to 3 months. I divide my dough into 3 portions and use one portion at a time (6 croissants).
• Don’t roll the dough too thin. This will give you more croissants, but the layers will be lost.
• Ensure the tips of the croissants are at the bottom of the baking pan to prevent them from opening up.
• I like to proof at room temperature first, then chill for 30 minutes before baking. This works better for a home oven.

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Troubleshooting

• My homemade croissants melted, and all the butter melted. If the butter has melted and the pan has lots of melted butter, it means the oven temperature was too low or the oven was not properly preheated. Ensure your oven is preheated for at least 20 minutes before you put the croissants in.
• My croissants are too big. If you follow the above measurements, you should get a standard croissant that is 4 inches or 6 inches long. You can also make mini croissants by cutting smaller rectangles/ as well. For example, 4 x 4-inch squares.
• My croissants are hard. It is important to roll the dough chilled and make sure not to roll it too thin. This is one of the reasons we have measurements. Rolling the dough too thin will fuse the layers together, so you will have a dense, not flaky pastry when baked.
• My croissants are not flaky. Too many turns will not make more layers but rather destroy the layer. So, three folds are a good number to fold, followed by cutting, shaping, proofing, and baking.

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Frequently asked questions