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Croissants

Servings: 9 croissants
Course: Breakfast, Dessert
Cuisine: French

Ingredients
  

Dough
  • 240 ml 1 cup whole milk, 100–110°F
  • 2¼ tsp active dry yeast
  • 50 g ¼ cup granulated sugar
  • 1 large egg room temperature
  • 390 g 3¼ cups all-purpose flour
  • 1¼ tsp fine sea salt
  • 60 g ¼ cup unsalted butter, softened
Butter Block
  • 225 g salted European-style butter
  • Target size: 7.5 × 7.5 inches
Egg Wash
  • 1 egg
  • 1 egg yolk
  • 1 Tbsp water

Equipment

  • Stand mixer or hand mixer
  • Rolling Pin
  • Bench scraper or long knife
  • Parchment paper
  • Baking sheets
  • Plastic wrap
  • Pastry brush
  • Cooling rack
  • Tape measure
  • Thermometer

Method
 

DAY 1 – DOUGH, LAMINATION & SHAPE
    ACTIVATE YEAST
    1. Add warm milk to the mixer bowl.
    2. Whisk in yeast + 1 Tbsp of the sugar.
    3. Rest 5–10 minutes until foamy.
    MIX DOUGH
    1. Whisk flour, remaining sugar, and salt together.
    2. Add to the yeast mixture.
    3. Add egg.
    4. Mix until combined, then knead 5–6 minutes until smooth and elastic.
    ADD BUTTER
    1. Add 60 g softened butter in small pieces.
    2. Mix 5 minutes more until fully incorporated and dough is smooth again.
    INITIAL CHILL
    1. Form dough into a rectangle, wrap tightly.
    2. Chill 1 hour 30 minutes.
    BUTTER BLOCK
    1. During the last 15 minutes of the dough’s chill, make the butter block.
    2. Place butter in parchment.
    3. Fold parchment into a 7-inch square.
    4. Roll the butter inside — it will naturally spread into a 7.5-inch square.
    5. Chill until butter is cold but pliable (you can bend it without it cracking).
    LOCK IN BUTTER
    1. Roll dough into an 11 × 11-inch square.
    2. Place the dough diagonally over the butter block so it forms a diamond shape on the butter square.
    3. Fold each corner of dough into the center and seal completely so the butter is fully encased.
    TURN 1 — BOOK FOLD
    1. Roll the butter package into a 9 × 24-inch rectangle.
    2. Fold the left side in so it covers about ¾ of the length.
    3. Fold the right side in so it covers the remaining ¼, so the two edges meet in the center (they should touch, not overlap).
    4. Take the longer folded side (left side) and fold it over the shorter side, like closing a book.
    5. Lightly press with the rolling pin to even it out, wrap, and chill 1 hour.
    6. → This is Fold 1.
    TURN 2 — LETTER FOLD
    1. Place the dough so it looks like a horizontal log
    2. (long sides at top and bottom, short sides on the sides).
    3. Roll into a 9 × 24-inch rectangle again.
    4. Fold in thirds:
    5. Fold the left side over about ⅓ of the way.
    6. Fold the right side all the way over the left, overlapping it.
    7. Wrap and chill 1 hour.
    8. → This is Fold 2.
    TURN 3 — REPEAT LETTER FOLD
    1. Again, place the dough as a horizontal log (long sides at top/bottom).
    2. Roll into a 9 × 24-inch rectangle.
    3. Fold in thirds exactly as in Turn 2:
    4. Left side over ⅓ of the way.
    5. Right side all the way over the left, overlapping.
    6. Wrap and chill 1 hour.
    7. → This is your third and final turn.
    FINAL ROLL & SIZE
    1. Place the dough so it looks like a horizontal log again.
    2. Roll out to about 10 × 20 inches, ¼-inch thick.
    3. The most important thing: even thickness and fairly straight edges.
    TRIANGLE CUTTING SYSTEM
    1. Bottom long edge:
    2. Mark every 4 inches → 4, 8, 12, 16
    3. Top long edge:
    4. Offset by half that distance → 2, 6, 10, 14, 18
    5. Use a sharp knife or pizza cutter to cut diagonals between the marks to create 9 long triangles.
    SHAPE
    1. Gently stretch each triangle to lengthen it without squishing the layers.
    2. Starting from the wide base, roll up fairly tightly.
    3. Tuck the tip underneath.
    4. Place on a double-stacked sheet pan lined with parchment, leaving space between each.
    REFRIGERATE OVERNIGHT
    1. Cover very lightly with plastic wrap (no squishing).
    2. Refrigerate 8–12 hours.
    DAY 2 — PROOF & BAKE
      PROOF
      1. Let croissants proof at 75–78°F for 1½–3 hours.
      2. They’re ready when they:
      3. jiggle like Jell-O when you gently shake the pan
      4. look puffy, marshmallowy, and clearly layered
      5. no longer look dense or doughy
      6. feel feather-light when gently lifted
      EGG WASH & BAKE
      1. Position oven rack in the upper third.
      2. Preheat oven to 385°F.
      3. Whisk egg, yolk, and water.
      4. Brush croissants lightly with egg wash, making sure to coat the sides.
      5. Bake:
      6. 385°F for 8 minutes
      7. without opening the door, reduce to 365°F
      8. bake 14–16 minutes more, until deeply golden and crisp
      COOL
      1. Transfer immediately to a wire rack so air can circulate underneath.
      2. Cool at least 20–30 minutes before cutting so the interior sets.
      3. Best the day they’re baked; leftovers are perfect for sandwiches, casseroles, or bread pudding.

      Notes

      ALTERNATE METHOD — SAME-DAY DINNER CROISSANTS

      Day 1:
      • Make dough
      • Refrigerate dough
      • Make butter block and freeze
      Day 2:
      • Temper dough and butter
      • Laminate (all 3 turns)
      • Final roll, cut, shape
      • Proof
      • Bake for dinner