Delicious Homemade Croissants: A Step-by-Step Guide
These Homemade Croissants are flaky, buttery, and irresistibly golden. With layers of dough and butter folded together, they bake up into a delightful breakfast or snack that will impress anyone. The process may take some time, but the results are well worth the effort!
Equipment
- - Stand mixer or mixing bowl
- Rolling Pin
- - Pastry brush
- - Baking sheet
- Parchment paper
- - Plastic wrap
Ingredients
- - 4 cups all-purpose flour
- - 2 tbsp sugar
- - 2 ½ tsp instant yeast
- - 1 ½ tsp salt
- - 1 cup cold unsalted butter cut into thin slices
- - ¾ cup milk whole or 2%
- - ½ cup water
- - 1 egg for egg wash
Instructions
- In a large mixing bowl or stand mixer, combine flour, sugar, yeast, and salt.
- In a separate bowl, mix milk and water, then add to the dry ingredients. Stir to combine and knead into a dough, either by hand or using the stand mixer with a dough hook for 8–10 minutes until smooth.
- Shape the dough into a ball, cover with plastic wrap, and let it rest for 1 hour at room temperature until doubled in size.
- Once the dough has risen, punch it down and turn it out onto a lightly floured surface. Roll it into a large rectangle (about 12x18 inches).
- Place the cold butter slices over two-thirds of the dough. Fold the dough over the butter like a letter, then roll it out again into a long rectangle. Fold it into thirds again, cover with plastic wrap, and refrigerate for 30 minutes.
- Repeat the rolling and folding process 2 more times (refrigerating the dough for 30 minutes each time).
- After the final fold, roll the dough into a rectangle about ¼ inch thick. Cut the dough into triangles and roll each triangle tightly from the wide end to form croissants.
- Place the croissants on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper and cover them with a towel. Let them rise for 1 hour, until puffy.
- Preheat the oven to 400°F (200°C).
- Beat the egg and brush it over the croissants to give them a golden finish.
- Bake for 20–25 minutes until golden brown and puffed. Let them cool slightly before serving.