Known in France as croissants de boulanger, this yeasted dough is layered with butter and given a succession of folds that create the distinctive profile of classic croissants. Light and airy and shatteringly crisp, with a deeply caramelized buttery flavor, these croissants are a labor of love that’s absolutely worth the time.

Time Estimates

  • Prep Time: 45 minutes (active working time)
  • Bake Time: 40 minutes
  • Total Time: 7 hours (including all resting periods)
  • Yield: 4 pounds dough, enough for 24 croissants

Ingredients

Dough

  • 2 large eggs plus enough warm water to make 2 cups (454g) of liquid
  • 1/4 cup (50g) granulated sugar, divided
  • 5 1/2 to 6 cups (660g to 720g) all-purpose flour
  • 2 1/4 teaspoons instant yeast
  • 2 tablespoons (28g) butter, melted
  • 1/2 cup (56g) dry milk, optional
  • 1 scant tablespoon (16g) table salt
  • 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract, optional (for sweet pastry)

Butter Block

  • 30 tablespoons (425g) unsalted butter, cool to the touch
  • 3/4 teaspoon table salt
  • 1/2 cup (60g) all-purpose flour

Directions

Make the Dough

  1. Put the eggs and water in a large mixing bowl. Add 1 tablespoon of the sugar, 3 cups (362g) of the flour, and the yeast. Mix until well blended; set aside to let the sponge work.

Make the Butter Block

  1. Cut the butter into 1-inch chunks and combine with the salt and flour at low speed in a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment just until smooth, with no lumps. Be careful not to beat too much; you don’t want to incorporate any air.

  2. Spread the butter on a piece of plastic wrap and shape into an 8-inch square. Wrap and refrigerate for 30 minutes.

Finish the Dough

  1. Add the melted butter to the sponge.

  2. Whisk together the remaining sugar, 2 1/2 cups (298g) of the flour, the dry milk, and salt and add to the sponge. Mix until the dough forms.

  3. Knead for 5 minutes; touch the dough lightly with your finger. If it’s still sticky, add the remaining flour 2 tablespoons at a time until the dough is the desired consistency.

  4. Once the dough is smooth and elastic, pat it into a 9-inch square, then wrap and refrigerate for 30 minutes.

Laminate the Dough

  1. Remove the chilled dough from the refrigerator and gently roll it to a 12-inch square.

  2. Unwrap the butter square and place it in the center of the dough at a 45° angle, so it looks like a diamond in a square.

  3. Pull the corners of the dough into the center of the butter diamond. Moisten the edges with a little water and pinch the seams together well to enclose the butter. Dust the top with flour and turn the packet over.

  4. Tap the dough all over with a rolling pin, encouraging it into a rectangular shape. Once it’s pliable, roll it to a 20 x 10-inch rectangle, picking it up and dusting lightly with flour as needed.

  5. When you’ve reached the proper size, use a dry brush to sweep off any excess flour and fold the dough in thirds, like a business letter. Take care to keep the edges straight and line them up directly over each other. If the dough slides around, use a little water at the corners to tack them in place. This is your first turn.

  6. Rotate the dough out so it looks like a book about to be opened. Roll the dough out once more to 20 x 10-inch and fold it as before. This is the second turn. Wrap the dough and refrigerate it for 30 minutes to allow the gluten in the dough to relax.

  7. Give the dough two more turns after its rest, then wrap the dough well and refrigerate for at least 1 hour or overnight before using. You can also freeze the dough at this point.

Shape the Croissants

  1. Cut the packet of dough in half. Wrap and refrigerate or freeze one half.

  2. Roll the other half to a 13 x 18-inch rectangle. Trim the edges about 1/4-inch all the way around with a ruler and pizza cutter. This removes the folded edges that would inhibit the dough’s rise.

  3. Cut the dough in thirds lengthwise and in half down the center. This will give you six 4 x 9-inch pieces. Cut these pieces in half diagonally and arrange them so the points are facing away from you.

  4. Stretch them gently to make them a little longer, then cut a 1-inch notch in the center of the base of each triangle.

  5. Take the two inside corners of the notch and roll them up toward you, building a curved shape as you roll the base of the dough toward the tip. Make sure the tip ends up under the bottom of the croissant.

  6. Place the shaped pastry on a parchment-lined baking sheet, curving the ends toward each other. Refrigerate for 30 minutes.

Final Proofing and Baking

  1. Take the croissants out of the refrigerator, and let them warm and rise for 60 to 90 minutes at room temperature. They should expand noticeably, and when you gently press one with your finger, the indentation should remain.

  2. Towards the end of the rise time, preheat the oven to 425°F.

  3. Brush each croissant with an egg beaten with 1 tablespoon water.

  4. Bake for 15 minutes, then reduce the oven’s temperature to 350°F and bake for 10 to 15 minutes more, until deep golden brown and no raw dough is visible where the layers overlap.

  5. Remove from the oven and let cool on the pan on a rack for 20 minutes before serving.

Tips from our Bakers

  • Bubbles and leaks: It’s not unusual to have air trapped inside your laminated dough. If this happens, simply pop the bubble with a toothpick and press the dough down to lie flat. If there’s a bare spot where butter is coming through, dust the leak with flour, pressing down lightly so it sticks, and continue on with the fold. Refrigerate the dough as soon as the fold is done, to firm it up.

  • As you work, keep the dough, work surface, and your rolling pin well dusted with flour. Turn over the dough from time to time. As you roll, you tend to expand the top layers more than the bottom. By flipping the dough over, you’ll even that out.

  • Before folding the dough over on itself, use your pastry brush to sweep off excess flour. This will help the dough stick to itself after folding, so the layers don’t slide around.

  • When rolling the dough, especially for the first time, be sure the dough and butter are at the same consistency; this will make rolling much smoother and the layers will be more even.

  • To make Danish from this dough, add 1/2 teaspoon ground cardamom, 1/4 teaspoon nutmeg, and 1/8 teaspoon of ground cloves to the dough when mixing. Proceed with the rest of the recipe as shown until the dough is finished.

  • You can make rectangular, filled croissants, too. Fill croissants with ham and cheese, spinach, or use chocolate sticks for a special treat.

Detailed Time Breakdown

Note: For best results, you may want to spread this process over two days, refrigerating the dough overnight after step 8 (the fourth turn).

Day 1

Step Description Time Required Running Total
1 Make the initial sponge 15 mins 15 mins
2 Prepare butter block 10 mins 25 mins
3 First cooling (butter block) 30 mins 55 mins
4 Finish and knead the dough 15 mins 1 hr 10 mins
5 Second cooling (dough) 30 mins 1 hr 40 mins
6 First and second turns 20 mins 2 hrs
7 Third cooling 30 mins 2 hrs 30 mins
8 Third and fourth turns 20 mins 2 hrs 50 mins
9 Final cooling before shaping 1+ hr 3 hrs 50 mins

Day 2

Step Description Time Required Running Total
10 Shape croissants 20 mins 4 hrs 10 mins
11 Final cooling 30 mins 4 hrs 40 mins
12 Final rise at room temperature 90 mins 6 hrs 10 mins
13 Baking 30 mins 6 hrs 40 mins
14 Cooling 20 mins 7 hrs