Croissant Recipe

Mix dry ingredients

In a large mixing bowl or the bowl of a stand mixer, combine 500 g all-purpose flour, 50 g granulated sugar, 10 g fine sea salt and 10 g instant dry yeast. Make sure the salt and yeast are on opposite sides of the bowl so the salt doesn't kill the yeast on contact.

Add wet ingredients

Whisk together 270 ml warm (not hot) whole milk, 1 large egg and 30 g softened unsalted butter. Pour the milk mixture into the dry ingredients.

Mix the dough

Using a stand mixer fitted with a dough hook on low speed (or a spoon if mixing by hand), combine until a cohesive, slightly tacky dough forms, about 3–5 minutes. Avoid developing too much gluten; dough should be smooth but not elastic like bread dough.

First rest and chill

Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface, shape into a flat rectangle, wrap tightly in plastic wrap and chill in the refrigerator for 30–45 minutes. Chilling relaxes gluten and firms the dough so it’s easier to laminate.

Prepare the butter block

While the dough chills, place 280 g cold unsalted butter between two sheets of parchment paper. Using a rolling pin, beat and roll the butter into a rectangle about 20 x 15 cm and roughly 1 cm thick. Keep the edges straight and the thickness even. Chill the butter block until firm but still pliable (it should not be rock hard).

Roll the dough

On a lightly floured surface, roll the chilled dough into a rectangle roughly 40 x 20 cm and about 1 cm thick. Trim edges so the dough rectangle is even.

Enclose the butter

Place the butter block in the center of the dough rectangle lengthwise so the longer side of the butter is parallel with the long side of the dough. Fold the dough over the butter like a letter: fold one short end over the butter, then fold the other short end on top to fully encase the butter. Seal the edges so no butter leaks out.

First turn (book fold)

With the sealed edge to your left, roll the dough gently into a rectangle about 40 x 20 cm. Fold the right third over the center, then fold the left third over that (a three-fold). This is one single turn. Wrap in plastic and chill 30–45 minutes until firm.

Second turn

Repeat the rolling to 40 x 20 cm and perform a second three-fold. Wrap and chill 30–45 minutes.

Third turn

Repeat a third time: roll to 40 x 20 cm and perform a final three-fold. After folding, wrap tightly and chill for at least 1 hour or overnight. In total, aim for three single turns to create multiple layers of butter and dough.

Final roll

After the final chill, turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface and roll into a large rectangle approximately 50 x 30 cm and about 3–4 mm thick. Keep edges straight and even thickness to ensure uniform rise.

Cut triangles

Trim the rectangle into a neat 50 x 30 cm sheet. Cut the sheet into long strips 10 cm wide, then cut each strip into triangles with a base of 10 cm and height of 18–20 cm (isosceles triangles). You should yield about 12–16 croissants depending on trimming.

Shape croissants

Gently stretch the base of each triangle slightly, then roll from the base toward the tip, tucking the tip underneath to form a crescent. Place shaped croissants on baking sheets lined with parchment, leaving at least 4–5 cm between each for expansion. For classic croissants, curve ends slightly inward.

Egg wash and cold rest

Whisk 1 large egg with 1 tbs water to make an egg wash. Lightly brush each croissant (avoid heavy application which can seal layers) then cover loosely with plastic wrap or a lightly damp towel and refrigerate for 30 minutes to help the shape hold during proofing.

Proof

Move croissants to a warm (24–27°C / 75–80°F), humid spot to proof until they are noticeably puffy and have increased about 1.5–2 times in size — about 1.5–2 hours depending on ambient temperature. They should feel airy but still cool to the touch; overproofing will collapse the layers.

Preheat and egg wash

Preheat the oven to 200°C (400°F) with the rack in the middle. Right before baking, give the croissants a final gentle brush with the egg wash for a shiny, golden crust. If desired, sprinkle with 15 g coarse sugar for a slightly sweet top (optional).

Bake

Bake croissants for 10 minutes at 200°C (400°F), then reduce the oven temperature to 190°C (375°F) and bake for an additional 8–12 minutes, until deeply golden brown all over. Total bake time about 18–22 minutes — rotate pans halfway through if baking multiple sheets for even color.

Cool

Remove croissants from the oven and transfer to a wire rack. Let cool 10–15 minutes before serving; the interior will finish setting as it cools. Serve warm or at room temperature.