Q&A: How To Make Delightful Croissants at Home
Discover a foolproof method of making homemade croissants that have the taste and texture of the classic croissants made in French bakeries in Paris. Yes, it can be done. Here's how!
Croissants are made with laminated dough. This is made by folding together layer upon layer of butter and dough. The layers are very thin and in the oven the butter melts and the liquid in the dough converts to steam. This puffs up all of those thin gluten-toughened dough sheets. Laminated dough is also the basis for puff pastry, kouign amann, and other types of flaky pastry. Croissants rise higher and puff up more because the dough includes yeast. The unique pastry recipe gives croissants a more bread-like finish rather than a flaky pastry the falls apart when eaten.
Homemade Croissants Recipe
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon of salt
- 2 cups of bread flour
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1/4 cup brown sugar, packed
- 1 free range egg for egg wash
- 1 1/2 cups milk, heated to lukewarm temperature
- 3 1/2 teaspoons active dry yeast (or 3 1/3 tablespoons of fresh yeast)
- 1 1/2 cups good quality butter unsalted, pressed into a thin rectangle shape and refrigerated until very cold
Method
Get the yeast started by adding the yeast (crumbled), warm milk and brown sugar to a standing mixer bowl. Whisk to distribute the yeast through the mixture. Cover the bowl and let it stand for about 5-8 minutes in a warm place. Then, add about 3 cups of flour and the salt to the bowl. Use the dough hook on your mixer, or similar tool. Mix on a low speed setting for about 5-7 minutes until the dough is combined well smooth and very soft. Add extra flour if the dough it too sticky, but it should be rather wet and sticky, rather than dry at this stage. Add about 1/4 cup at a time until you get the right consistency. Next, transfer the dough from the mixing bowl to your working surface and knead for several minutes. The dough should be soft and slightly sticky and not overworked. Transfer the dough back into the bowl. Wrap the bowl with plastic wrap and refrigerate it for about 60-75 minutes to ensure it is cold.
Next, prepare the butter by placing the sticks of side by side horizontally on a piece of plastic wrap. If the butter is in a rectangle rather than sticks slice it three times length-ways and align in a flat rectangle shape. Cover the butter rectangle with a second piece of plastic wrap. Press and shape the butter into a thin 8 by 5 inch (20 by 12 cm) rectangle. Refrigerate the butter for 15-20 minutes until cold. Note: both the dough and butter should be well chilled before processing them to make the croissants.
Laminating The Dough
Next, you need to laminate the dough. Start by adding a dusting of flour your work surface. Gently shape and roll out the dough into a large rectangle about 16 by 10 inches (40 by 24 cm) in size. Place the unwrapped chilled butter rectangle directly into the center of the dough. Then, fold over each end of the dough. Rotate the dough so that the shorter side of the rectangle is closer you. Rolling it out into another 16 by 10 inch rectangle shape. Fold the top and bottom thirds of the dough into the center so they overlap once again. Then, wrap the dough and refrigerate for 15 minutes. You do not want the butter to melt. It needs to remain sold as the layers are formed. Repeat this folding and rolling and chilling 4 more times so that it will make a total of 8 folds. After the last fold, refrigerate it for at least for 8 hours or better still, over night.
Forming and Shaping the Dough into Croissants
Slice the dough rectangle in half and roll out each half of dough into a long rectangle shape. The dough should be about 1/4 inch (6 mm) thick at this stage. Using a pizza cutter or a sharp knife, cut each rectangle into four triangles, as shown in the image. Take each triangle and begin to roll it up from the bottom (the wide side), while stretching out the top peak of the triangle. Keep rolling the croissant up until the top is folded over. Roll up all the remaining pieces of dough. Then, place the croissants onto a baking sheet, with about 1 to 2 inches (2-5 cm) between them. Cover and set the tray with the croissants aside for about 60-70 minutes, to allow them to rise. Then, brush the tops with egg wash. You can make the croissants ahead of time and refrigerate them for up to 18 hours before baking. If you’re making them ahead, make sure to cover the baking sheet with plastic wrap.
Bake the Croissants
Preheat your oven to 400 degrees F (200 degrees C). Place the baking sheet with the croissants in the oven and bake for about 8 minutes. Then, lower the heat to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C) and bake them for another 7 to 13 minutes, until firm and golden brown in color. Serve warm and enjoy!