Butter Croissant Recipe

Mix dry ingredients

Whisk together the flour, sugar, salt, and instant yeast in a large bowl until evenly combined. Keep the salt and yeast distributed so salt does not directly contact concentrated yeast.

Combine wet ingredients

Warm the milk to about 95–105°F (35–40°C). Whisk the warm milk with the warm water, softened butter, and one whole egg until smooth.

Form dough

Make a well in the dry ingredients and pour in the wet mixture. Using a wooden spoon or dough hook on low speed, mix until a shaggy dough forms. If using a mixer, mix 3–4 minutes on low; by hand, mix until roughly combined.

Knead briefly

Knead the dough briefly—about 3–5 minutes—just until it comes together smoothly but still soft and slightly tacky. Do not overdevelop the gluten; you want some extensibility for lamination.

First chill

Shape the dough into a flat rectangle about 1-inch thick, wrap tightly in plastic, and refrigerate for 30–45 minutes until firm but still pliable.

Prepare butter block

Place the cold butter and the 1 tsp flour in between two pieces of parchment. Beat and pound the butter with a rolling pin to soften it slightly, then roll into a square approximately 7 x 7 inches and about 1/2-inch thick. Chill until firm but still pliable (about 15–20 minutes).

Roll out dough

On a lightly floured surface, roll the chilled dough into a rectangle roughly 10 x 20 inches and about 1/4-inch thick. Keep edges straight, turn the dough a quarter turn as you roll to keep an even shape.

Enclose butter

Place the butter block centered on the bottom two-thirds of the dough rectangle. Fold the top third of dough down over the butter, then fold the bottom third up over that (book fold), fully enclosing the butter. Press edges to seal so butter doesn’t escape.

First letter fold (single turn)

Roll the enclosed dough out gently to a 10 x 20-inch rectangle again. Fold into thirds (like a business letter). This completes the first single turn. Wrap and chill 30 minutes to firm.

Second and third turns

Repeat the roll-and-fold process two more times: roll to 10 x 20 inches, fold into thirds, then chill 30 minutes between turns. For best layers, chill the dough 30–60 minutes after the final turn until firm but not rock-hard.

Final roll-out

On a lightly floured surface, roll the laminated dough into a rectangle approximately 12 x 24 inches and about 1/8–3/16-inch thick. Try to maintain even thickness so croissants bake uniformly.

Trim and cut

Trim the edges to form a straight-sided rectangle. Cut the dough into three vertical strips about 8 inches wide and then cut each strip into triangles about 4–5 inches wide at the base and 8 inches tall. Use a ruler or bench scraper for clean edges.

Shape croissants

Take one triangle, make a small 1/2-inch slit at the center of the base, gently stretch the base, then roll the triangle toward the tip, stretching slightly as you roll to create tension. Place the croissant on a parchment-lined baking sheet with the tip tucked underneath to prevent unrolling. Curve the ends slightly to form a crescent if desired.

Proof

Cover loosely with lightly oiled plastic wrap or a damp kitchen towel and proof at 75–80°F (24–27°C) until nearly doubled in size and jiggly when shaken—about 1.5–2 hours depending on ambient conditions. Optionally, retard overnight in refrigerator for deeper flavor: proof in fridge for 8–12 hours.

Prepare egg wash

Whisk together the egg yolk, whole egg, and 1 tsp cold water until smooth to make a glossy egg wash.

Brush and score

Preheat oven to 400°F (205°C) with rack in middle. Gently brush the proofed croissants with egg wash, being careful not to deflate them. Optional: sprinkle a little coarse sugar on top of a few for a sweeter finish.

Bake

Bake the croissants for 12 minutes at 400°F (205°C), then reduce oven temperature to 375°F (190°C) and bake an additional 6–8 minutes until deep golden brown and crisp, rotating the sheet once halfway through if your oven bakes unevenly. Internal temperature should be about 195°F (90°C) in the thickest part.

Cool

Remove from oven and transfer croissants to a wire rack. Let cool 10–15 minutes before serving to allow interior to set and layers to separate slightly.