Croissant Recipe

Mix dry ingredients

In a large bowl or the bowl of a stand mixer, whisk together the flour, sugar, salt and instant yeast until evenly distributed. Keep yeast and salt on different sides of the bowl initially if you are not using instant yeast.

Combine liquids

Warm the milk until lukewarm (about 95–100°F / 35–38°C). Whisk the warm milk, warm water and the egg in a small bowl.

Form dough

With the mixer fitted with the dough hook (or by hand), pour the liquid mixture into the dry ingredients and mix on low speed until a rough shaggy dough forms, about 2–3 minutes. Add the softened butter and continue mixing on medium-low for 4–6 minutes until the dough is smooth, slightly tacky but not sticky. If mixing by hand, knead on a lightly floured surface 8–10 minutes.

First chill

Shape the dough into a flattened rectangle (about 1 inch thick), wrap tightly in plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 1 hour (up to 4 hours). Chilling relaxes gluten and firms the dough for lamination.

Prepare butter block

Cut the cold butter into chunks and place in the center of a sheet of parchment. Sprinkle the optional tablespoon of flour over the butter (helps stability). Fold the parchment over and beat and press the butter with a rolling pin until it forms a cohesive square about 7 x 7 inches and approximately 1/2 inch thick. Keep the butter cold but pliable; it should be the same firmness as the chilled dough.

Roll dough

On a lightly floured surface, roll the chilled dough into a rectangle about 10 x 20 inches and roughly 1/4 inch thick. Trim edges to make clean rectangle if needed.

Enclose butter

Place the butter square centered on the lower half of the dough rectangle. Fold the top half of the dough over the butter so the edges meet, encasing the butter completely. Pinch and seal the edges to prevent butter leakage. Turn the package so the sealed seam is on the side (like a book).

First letter fold (turn)

Roll the dough-butter package into a rectangle about 8 x 24 inches, rolling away from you to keep it even. Fold the right third over the center, then fold the left third over the right (a single letter fold). Wrap in plastic and chill in refrigerator for 30–45 minutes to relax and firm the butter.

Second and third folds

Repeat the rolling and letter fold two more times: roll to approximately 8 x 24 inches, perform a letter fold, then chill 30–45 minutes. After the third fold, chill the dough for at least 1 hour or overnight. You should have 3 single folds (equivalent to 3 turns). Keep dough cold between turns to prevent butter melting.

Final roll

After final chill, roll the dough on a lightly floured surface into a rectangle about 12 x 24 inches and about 1/8–3/16 inch thick. Try to keep edges straight and even thickness so croissants bake uniformly.

Trim and cut triangles

Trim the edges to square the dough (optional), then cut the dough into 4 columns and 3 rows to make 12 rectangles, or directly cut long triangles about 4–4.5 inches wide at the base and 8–9 inches tall. For classic croissants, cut 12 triangles with base about 4–4.5 inches.

Shape croissants

Take one triangle, make a small slit in the center of the base, place your thumb in the slit and gently stretch the base a little, then roll the triangle tightly toward the tip, ending with the tip underneath the croissant. Curve the ends slightly to form a crescent. Place shaped croissants on a baking sheet lined with parchment, spacing at least 1.5–2 inches apart.

Proof

Cover the croissants loosely with lightly greased plastic or a clean kitchen towel and proof at warm (75–80°F / 24–27°C) draft-free area until puffy and nearly doubled, about 1.5–2 hours. If your kitchen is cooler, proof longer or use a warm oven method: turn oven to 100°F (50°C) for 2 minutes, turn it off, then place croissants inside to proof (monitor temperature).

Preheat

Preheat oven to 400°F (200°C) with a rack in the middle position while croissants finish proofing. If using a baking stone or steel, preheat it as well.

Egg wash

Whisk together the egg and cold water until smooth. Gently brush the risen croissants with the egg wash, taking care not to deflate them. If desired, sprinkle coarse sugar on top of some croissants.

Bake

Bake at 400°F (200°C) for 10 minutes, then reduce oven temperature to 370°F (190°C) and bake an additional 8–12 minutes until deep golden brown and internal layers are set. Total bake time is about 18–22 minutes depending on size. Rotate the pan halfway if your oven has hot spots.

Cool

Remove croissants from oven and transfer to a cooling rack. Let cool 10–15 minutes before serving to allow layers to set but enjoy warm.

Timing: Active hands-on time is about 2–3 hours; including chilling and proofing the total time is 8–12 hours (can be spread over two days if chilling overnight). Keep ingredients cold and work quickly when laminating. For more lift, you can perform a double fold (book fold) instead of single folds, but adjust chilling to keep butter stable.