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Homemade French Croissants Recipe

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3.8 from 73 reviews

  • Author: Maggie
  • Total Time: 7 hours 35 minutes
  • Yield: 6 croissants

Description

This homemade French croissant recipe guides you through the traditional lamination process to create flaky, buttery pastries. Designed as a small batch for six servings, the method involves making a yeast-based dough, incorporating a cold butter block, multiple folds for lamination, proofing, and finally baking until golden and airy. Perfect for a special breakfast or brunch, these croissants deliver authentic texture and rich flavor with detailed step-by-step instructions.

Ingredients

For the Dough (Détrempe):

  • 85 g milk (⅓ cup), lukewarm
  • 60 g water (¼ cup), lukewarm
  • 6 g active dry yeast (about 2 tsp)
  • 5 g honey (1 tsp) (or malt syrup, or sugar)
  • 25 g butter (1½ tbsp), melted and cooled
  • 20 g white sugar (generous 1½ tbsp)
  • 250 g all-purpose flour (2 cups, spooned and leveled)
  • 5 g salt (about 1 tsp)

For the Butter Block (Tourrage):

  • 140 g butter (10 tbsp), cold

For the Egg Wash:

  • 1 egg yolk
  • 2 tbsp milk and/or cream

Instructions

  1. Dissolve Yeast: Dissolve the honey in lukewarm milk in a mixing bowl, then whisk in the active dry yeast. Set aside for 10 to 20 minutes to activate the yeast.
  2. Make Dough: Add water, melted butter, sugar, flour, and salt to the yeast mixture in order. Stir with a spatula to form a scraggly dough.
  3. Knead Dough: Knead the dough by hand in the bowl for 1 to 2 minutes, then knead on a work surface for about 4 minutes until smooth but not stiff.
  4. First Proof: Place dough in a bowl, cover with plastic wrap, and proof in a warm place until doubled in size (about 1 hour).
  5. Shape and Freeze Dough: Turn dough onto floured surface, flatten to knock out air, place on parchment paper, fold parchment over, roll into approximately 7×10 inch rectangle, cover well and freeze for several hours or overnight.
  6. Prepare Butter Block: Slice cold butter thinly, arrange on parchment paper within a 5×6.5 inch rectangle, fold paper over butter, hit with rolling pin to make pliable, and roll out evenly. Chill until firm or overnight.
  7. Laminate – Enclose Butter: Remove dough from freezer and slightly soften if frozen solid. Place butter block on one half of rolled dough with parchment on top. Pat to adhere, then peel off parchment. Fold dough over butter and seal edges; chill dough if it softens.
  8. First Lamination – Double Fold: Flour surface, roll dough to 16 inches maintaining approx. 5 inch width. Brush off excess flour, trim edges for straightness. Fold one eighth of dough toward center, fold the opposite side to meet it, make small cuts in corners to release tension, fold in half, make corner cuts again. Wrap and chill 30 to 60 minutes.
  9. Second Lamination – Single Fold: Roll dough to 15 inches length (approx. 5 inch width), brush off flour. Fold one third of dough toward center, cut corners, brush flour again, fold opposite edge over first fold, cut corners, wrap and chill 30 to 60 minutes.
  10. Sheeting Dough: Place dough on floured surface with folds facing you, roll to 1 cm thickness and approx. 8-9 inch width, wrap and chill 30-45 minutes. Roll again to about 4-5 mm thickness and 9.5-10 inch width, ensure dough is not sticking. Chill if too soft.
  11. Cutting Dough: Trim edges to 9 inches wide, mark 3.5 inch intervals along one long edge and 9 cm intervals staggered on opposite edge. Connect marks with straight lines using a ruler and sharp knife. Cut into six triangles plus a leftover piece.
  12. Shape Croissants and Proof: Brush off flour from triangles. Make a 1 cm cut at base midpoint, roll up base gently widening it, then roll rest of croissant ensuring centered tip. Place on lined baking tray with tip under croissant. Cover loosely and proof at about 25°C (77°F) until doubled and pillowy (2-3 hours).
  13. Preheat Oven: Preheat oven to 375°F (190°C) at least 30 minutes before baking.
  14. Apply Egg Wash and Bake: Mix egg yolk with milk or cream for egg wash. Brush gently over croissants. Bake in conventional oven at 375°F (190°C) for 20-30 minutes until golden brown, rotating tray halfway if needed.
  15. Cool: Remove croissants from oven, let cool briefly on tray, then transfer to wire rack to cool further and set the crumb.

Notes

  • Ensure dough and butter block are at similar cold pliability before laminating to prevent butter breaking through the dough.
  • Use generous flouring during rolling to prevent sticking, but brush off excess flour before folding.
  • Make small cuts at fold corners to release tension and prevent tearing.
  • If dough or butter softens too much, chill before continuing to maintain lamination layers.
  • Proof croissants in a warm, draft-free environment until doubled for the best puff and texture.
  • Be gentle with the egg wash application to avoid damaging delicate croissants before baking.
  • Cooling croissants after baking is important to let the layers set and prevent a gummy interior.
  • Prep Time: 1 hour 30 minutes
  • Cook Time: 25 minutes
  • Category: Breakfast, Pastry
  • Method: Baking
  • Cuisine: French

Find it online: https://recipeworthsaving.com/homemade-french-croissants-recipe/