Flaky and Buttery Homemade Croissants
The Ultimate Guide to Baking Light, Airy Croissants at Home
Remembering the delightful croissants enjoyed with coffee, either fresh from the oven or with a warm cup, I decided to bake them after a long hiatus. During the cooler months, there’s nothing quite as comforting as freshly baked goods, and croissants or pie dough are perfect for winter baking. While margarine is often used as a shortening agent for croissants due to its ease of handling, using 100% pure butter in the colder season offers superior workability. This results in croissants with an unparalleled clean aroma and rich, nutty flavor that you simply can’t achieve with margarine. This recipe will guide you to create perfect, bakery-quality croissants in your own kitchen.
Dough Ingredients- 250g All-purpose flour
- 25g Butter for dough
- 135g Butter for lamination (cold, 100% butterfat recommended)
- 135g Water
- 25g Sugar
- 1 tsp Instant dry yeast
- 1 tsp Salt
Cooking Instructions
Step 1
In a stand mixer bowl, combine all dough ingredients except the lamination butter (all-purpose flour, dough butter, water, sugar, yeast, and salt). Mix on low speed for about 10 minutes until a smooth, cohesive dough forms. Transfer the dough to a lightly greased bowl, cover with plastic wrap, and let it undergo its first proof in a warm place for about 1 hour, or until doubled in size.
Step 2
Once the first proof is complete, gently punch down the dough to release the accumulated gases. Shape the dough into a round ball (this is called ’rounding’) and place it back in the bowl. Cover and let it rest for about 15 minutes for an intermediate proof. While the dough is resting, prepare your lamination butter: place the cold butter between two sheets of plastic wrap or parchment paper and roll it into a square shape, roughly the same size as your rolled-out dough will be. Chill it in the refrigerator until firm. (Tip: The butter should be cold but pliable, not rock-hard, to prevent the dough from tearing during rolling.)
Step 3
On a lightly floured surface, place the rested dough. Unfold the chilled butter square and place it on the center of the dough. Carefully fold the edges of the dough over the butter, encasing it completely. Pinch the seams together firmly to seal the butter inside. (This step is crucial! Ensure there are no gaps, or the butter will leak out during baking, ruining the layers and making handling difficult.)
Step 4
Generously flour your work surface to prevent sticking. Gently and slowly roll out the dough into a long rectangle, about three times its original length. Brush off any excess flour. Fold the dough into thirds, like folding a letter: bring the top third down to the center, then fold the bottom third up over that.
Step 5
Wrap the folded dough tightly in plastic wrap and refrigerate for 30 minutes. This chilling period helps the butter and dough firm up, making the next rolling step much easier. When you take the dough out of the refrigerator, rotate it 90 degrees so the folded edge is perpendicular to your initial rolling direction (imagine opening a book, with the folded seam facing you).
Step 6
Flour your work surface again and gently roll out the dough lengthwise, aiming to triple its length again. Brush off any excess flour. Fold the dough into thirds once more, just as you did in step 3.
Step 7
Wrap the dough and refrigerate for another 30 minutes. Remove from the refrigerator, rotate 90 degrees. Repeat the process: ‘roll to triple length → fold in thirds → refrigerate for 30 minutes’ two more times. In total, you will perform three sets of folds, creating the distinct flaky layers characteristic of croissants.
Step 8
After the final rest, roll out the dough to an even thickness of about 0.5 cm (approximately 1/4 inch). Cut the dough into long, isosceles triangles. Aim for a base width of about 12 cm (4.7 inches) and a height of about 20 cm (7.9 inches). Precision isn’t everything here; uniform thickness is more important.
Step 9
Make a small slit in the center of the wide base of each triangle. Starting from the base, gently stretch and roll the dough upwards towards the point to form the croissant shape. Place the shaped croissants on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Let them proof in a warm place for about 40 minutes, or until visibly puffed up. Brush the tops with egg wash for a golden sheen. Bake in a preheated oven at 200°C (390°F) for approximately 20 minutes, or until golden brown and puffed. Enjoy your homemade croissants!
