Description
Discover how to bake soft croissants with our expert recipe. Perfect for breakfast or brunch, learn tips for achieving flaky layers and buttery perfection every time.
Ingredients
Scale
- 4 cups (500 g) all-purpose flour
- 1/3 cup (78.86 g) granulated sugar
- 4 teaspoon s (19.72 g) active dry yeast*
- 2 1/4 teaspoon s (11.09 g) kosher salt
- 1 1/4 cups (283.75 g) unsalted butter, cold (2 1/2 sticks)
- 1 cup (244 g) milk, cold (you may need slightly more or less)
- Egg wash, (1 large egg beaten with a teaspoon or two of water)
Instructions
- Combine the all-purpose flour, granulated sugar, active dry yeast, and kosher salt in a big bowl, then whisk them until they are blended.
- Cut the cold unsalted butter into slices about 1/8-inch thick and mix them into the flour mixture until they are coated.
- Pour in the cold milk and mix until a firm dough develops.
- Enclose the dough securely in plastic wrap and refrigerate it for 1 hour.
- On a surface dusted with flour, roll out the dough into a lengthy rectangle.
- Fold the dough into thirds like a letter, rotate it 90 degrees, and repeat this process 3 to 5 times, until the dough has visible butter streaks but remains smooth and flat. If the butter softens, refrigerate or freeze until firm.
- Wrap the dough well and refrigerate for another hour, then cut it in half and roll each half to a thickness of roughly 1/8-inch, forming a long rectangle about 10 inches wide by 22 inches long.
- Slice the dough into slender, elongated triangles, approximately 5 inches wide at the base.
- Make a small cut, about 1/2-inch, at the base of each triangle, then roll it up from the base to the tip, tucking the tip underneath the croissant.
- Arrange the croissants on a baking sheet lined with parchment, cover them lightly with plastic wrap, and let them rise until they double in size, which takes 1 to 2 hours.
- Heat the oven to 375 degrees F, and gently apply the egg wash to the croissants.
- Bake them for 15 to 20 minutes, or until they are puffed up, golden brown, and crisp.
Notes
- Keep the butter chilled while incorporating into the flour to ensure flaky layersnRefrigerate the dough if it warms during folding to maintain firmness and structurenApply the egg wash gently to prevent it from dripping onto the parchment and causing sticking
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 30 minutes
- Category: Breakfast
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: Française
Nutrition
- Calories: 300
- Fat: 12g
- Protein: 20g
Keywords: croissant dough, flaky croissants, buttery layers, homemade croissants, pastry rolling technique, proofing croissants
