Easy Croissant Recipe

There is quite literally nothing as satisfying as making homemade croissants. They’re crispy and golden brown around the edges while being light and airy in the center. They’re so beautiful with all the layers when you slice them open and can be served alone or in so many different ways. 

Why you’ll love these croissants

1. There is NOTHING like a homemade croissant. If you think you don’t like croissants, you just haven’t had a fresh one. If you love any kind of croissant, after this you’ll be a croissant snob lol. 
2. It really is intimidating BUT it’s not as bad as you think. It’s a simple bread dough that is just snobby about its rest time and gets layered with butter. If you don’t rush it and follow the steps accurately, it’s really not hard. 
3. You don’t need any special tools, just your hands (or a stand mixer), a rolling pin and a baking sheet. 

If you love croissants, I also have a chocolate version and a croissant french toast casserole.

I also have a fabulous Italian bread, homemade bagels and sandwich bread recipe.

How To Make Croissants

Croissant dough

This is literally the easiest dough to make. It’s just a simple bread dough that’s not too sticky. 

1. Combine the dry ingredients in the bowl of a stand mixer
2. Add the water and allow the mixer to knead for 5-7 minutes, until the dough peels itself away from the edge of the bowl. At this point, the dough will feel a little tacky but should not be too sticky to work with. 
3. Roll it out into a rectangle – the gluten might not let it stretch far so it doesn’t matter if it’s quite 10×16 yet. Wrap the pan in plastic wrap and refrigerate it for at least 4 hours or overnight. 

Shape the butter for laminating

There are so many ways to shape butter for laminating and this was just my preferred method. It really doesn’t matter how you choose to shape it as long as the butter is the right shape and temperature when you begin laminating. 

1. Fold a large piece of parchment paper into an 8×10” rectangle by folding each end in until one side measures 8″ and one side measures 10″.
2. Slice the sticks of butter in half just so they’re easier to spread out.
3. Place the slightly chilled butter (not fresh out of the fridge but not too soft either) in the parchment paper and use a rolling pin to smush it into the size of the rectangle.
4. Refrigerate the butter for 10-20 minutes or longer but make sure to bring it back to a malleable temperature before laminating.

You could also let it soften to room temperature and just spread it out, using an offset spatula or a spoon, into that size on a parchment paper and then chill it again but make sure to give it more time to chill in the fridge then and bring it to the right consistency before laminating (malleable but not too soft or greasy).

Laminate the dough with the butter

This is the hard part. And the only part that’s hard is knowing when the butter is the perfect temperature for laminating. The butter has to be firm enough to bend – not spreadable, not greasy but also not too hard that if you press on it or bend it, it cracks. You want the butter to be able to be malleable. 

1. Now that the dough has relaxed, roll it out into a 10×16” rectangle, onto a floured surface. Try to get it nice and even around the edge – you can slightly trim it if it’s not straight but it’s not a big deal. 
2. Place the butter on top of the dough, in the center, lining up the edges so you’ll have the 10” side of the dough parallel with the 10” side of the butter. 
3. Fold the top ⅓ of the dough down over the butter and then fold the bottom ⅓ of the dough up on top of itself, so the two edges of dough meet in the middle of the butter. Seal the edges by pinching them together a little.
4. Then turn the dough 90 degrees and GENTLY roll it back out into 10×16”. I like to press the rolling pin into the dough a little, roll it 1/2 an inch or so and press down again (watch the video).
5. Fold it again into thirds, like an envelope this time so the bottom 1/3 overlaps the top 1/3 of the dough . 
6. Cover the dough with the plastic wrap again and refrigerate it for 10-20 minutes. 
7. Roll the dough back out into a 10×16” rectangle, fold it into thirds again, cover and refrigerate for another 10-20 minutes and repeat one more time after this.
8. Refrigerate the dough for at least 2 hours now. 

So after the butter is wrapped into the dough, you’re doing three more rounds of folds.

Shaping Croissants

1. Remove the dough from the fridge for about 15 minutes before rolling it out again into a 12×24” rectangle.
2. Slice the dough into triangles from long end to long end. I like to use a pizza cutter. 
3. Roll each croissant up starting with the fat end of the triangle. Press down on the tip a little so that they stay flat. Place on a baking sheet, cover with plastic wrap and let them rise for 2-3 hours at room temperature. 

Baking Croissants 

1. Beat an egg with a fork until it’s loose. Brush each croissant with the egg wash. I like to do this twice just so it gets nice coverage. 
2. Bake until they’re just a little darker than golden brown. 
3. Allow them to cool before serving. 

Why do I have to refrigerate and rest the dough 

Before laminating, the dough needs to rest in the fridge for at least 4 hours or up to overnight. Refrigerating is important for two reasons. One being that we want the dough cold so that the butter laminates in layers and doesn’t melt into the dough. 

The other reason is because after developing the gluten, it becomes too tough to roll out to the desired shape and letting it rest for a while will allow the gluten to relax. Resting happens twice, the first time after the dough is made and then again before shaping.

You’ll really notice this when you’re shaping the croissant dough. If you try to roll the dough out to 12×24” without resting it, the dough will just spring back to the shape/size it wants to stay at if the gluten hasn’t had enough time to rest.

Proofing croissants

Proofing the croissants is important because if they’re not proofed enough, the butter can leak out. This hasn’t been a huge deal for me, they still taste great even if the butter leaks a little but if they’re severely under-proofed and all the butter leaks out then they risk not rising and no flakey layers. 

To know when they’re done proofing, gently press your finger into the dough and if it leaves an indent, it should be done. Fully proofed croissants will also wobble if you gently shake the pan. 

I like to proof my croissants at room temperature (NOT in a warm environment) so that the laminated butter doesn’t melt. My room temperature is usually about 70F. Make sure to fully cover the dough with plastic wrap so that the dough doesn’t dry out but don’t make the plastic wrap tight on top of them, leave room for them to proof. 

Egg wash the croissants when they’re done proofing, while the oven is preheating. 

How to store croissants

Croissants are best served after they’ve cooled, the same day they were made. The outside is crispy and they’re soft and airy inside. Store them at room temperature in an airtight container or bag for 2-3 days or refrigerate for up to a week. 

To freeze them, place them in an airtight freezer bag and defrost them on the counter overnight. 

To reheat them, I prefer to bake them at 350F in the oven or toaster oven for a few minutes until they’re warm.

Classic croissants usually take at least two days to make but I have made these croissants in about 12 hours, so you are welcome to start early in the day and finish late!

Feel free to spread it out over two days if you want to though. I hope you guys have success with these and let me know if you have any questions!  

As always, have a blessed and happy baking!

Love, B