Flaky French Croissants (Print Version)
# Ingredients:
→ Dough
01 -
2 teaspoons salt
02 -
¼ cup (50g) granulated sugar
03 -
4 cups (500g) all-purpose flour
04 -
1¼ cups (300ml) warm whole milk
05 -
1 tablespoon instant yeast
06 -
2 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
→ Butter Layer
07 -
1½ cups (340g) unsalted butter, chilled
→ Egg Wash
08 -
1 large egg
09 -
1 tablespoon water
# Instructions:
01 -
Mix salt, sugar, flour, and yeast in a big mixing bowl. Add the warm milk and melted butter, then stir until you’ve got a dough. Knead it on a floured counter for about 5-7 minutes until it’s smooth and stretchy. Shape it into a ball, place in a greased bowl, cover up, and let it rise somewhere warm for about an hour until it’s doubled in size.
02 -
Take your chilled butter and place it between two parchment sheets. Use your rolling pin to pound and shape the butter into a uniform rectangle, about 8x5 inches. Pop it back in the fridge to firm up.
03 -
Roll your dough into a rectangle about 16x10 inches. Lay the cold butter block in the middle, fold the dough over it completely, and pinch the edges together to seal it in. Roll everything out to 20x10 inches, then fold it like a letter. Wrap it up and chill for 30-60 minutes in the fridge.
04 -
Roll, fold, and chill the dough two more times, cooling it for 30 minutes after each fold. This builds the flaky butter layers.
05 -
Roll the dough out to ¼ inch thick. Cut it into triangles with 4-inch bases. Make a small cut at the base, stretch the edges, then roll from the base toward the tip to form crescent shapes. Place them on lined baking sheets, tucking the tips under.
06 -
Loosely cover the pastries and let them proof at room temp for 1-2 hours, until they puff up and jiggle slightly. Preheat your oven to 375°F. Brush the tops with egg wash, then bake for 20-25 minutes until they’re golden and crisp. Cool them down on a wire rack for at least 10 minutes.
# Notes:
01 -
Keep butter cold the whole time while folding to ensure flaky layers.
02 -
Tastes best the day they’re made, but they’ll last on the counter for up to 2 days.
03 -
You can freeze the formed pastries for up to 2 months before baking.
04 -
Reheat in the oven at 300°F for 5-10 minutes to freshen up.