Buttery, flaky, and oh-so-delicious croissants! This homemade croissants recipe may seem intimidating… But this recipe breaks down the process step-by-step, making it simple even for beginners!
With pantry staple ingredients, and a little patience, you’ll make croissants that rival those from your favorite bakery!
Patience is key… There are multiple resting and chilling periods in this recipe. This time allows gluten in the dough to relax and develop, making a flaky texture. Don’t rush the steps;)
Simple Croissants Ingredients
- 1/4 cup salted butter, softened.
- 4 cups bread flour (500 grams) plus 1/2 cup more for rolling/shaping. Bread flour has a higher gluten content that helps to create a flaky texture. But if you don’t have bread flour, all-purpose flour can also be used too.
- 1/3 cup granulated sugar, 65 grams
- 1 1/2 teaspoons salt
- 1 tablespoon instant yeast
- 1 1/2 cups cold whole milk
- Butter Layer: 1 1/2 cups butter, that’s been softened to room temperature, and 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
- Egg Wash: 1 egg & 2 tablespoons whole milk
How to Make Croissants
Before you start, watch the video first for step by step notes… Then read through the recipe, and make room in your fridge for 2 baking sheets;)
First, Make the Croissant Dough
- In the bowl of a stand mixer, use a dough hook attachment to combine the softened butter, the bread flour, granulated sugar, salt, and instant yeast.
- Slowly pour the cold milk into the bowl and flour mixture as your mixer works on low speed.
- Turn the speed up to medium, and continue to use the dough hook to knead the dough for about 6 minutes. Until the dough becomes nice and smooth and elastic.
- Your dough should be a bit tacky… not sticky. If your dough is too sticky, add 1 teaspoon of flour at a time to your work surface to make it soft… But don’t add too much flour or your croissants will be dry.
- Test Dough: Use your finger to poke your dough… If it bounces back, it’s ready to move onto the next step: first rest!
Refrigerate: Shape your dough into a round ball, and then put it on a lightly floured tea towel or silicone baking mat. Cover the dough with plastic wrap, and refrigerate it for about 30 minutes.
Roll & Shape Croissant Dough
- Remove dough from the fridge. Turn it out onto a lightly floured baking mat. (If you don’t have a baking mat, a baking sheet lined with parchment paper, and lightly floured works too😉 This helps the dough not stick after refrigeration;)
- Roll out the croissant dough into a rectangle that’s about 14 inches by 10 inches in size.
- Refrigerate: Cover your croissant dough with plastic wrap to prevent it from drying out, and put it back into the fridge for 4 hours, or overnight!
Make the Butter Layer
- In a medium mixing bowl, use an electric mixer to beat the softened butter and the flour till smooth and well combined.
- Then use a rubber spatula to shape the butter mixture into a 7 inch by 10 inch rectangle, on a plastic wrap lined baking sheet.
- Refrigerate shaped butter for 30 minutes.
Laminating Croissant Dough – Creating Layers
When rolling and folding the dough, use light pressure and be gentle so you don’t mess up the layers.
- Remove the chilled butter layer from your fridge.
- Place butter layer onto the center of the 10×14 inch dough rectangle. Now fold the sides of the dough over the butter layer. (Pictured above.)
- Roll your dough with butter layer inside into a 10 inch by 20 inch rectangle shape.
- Fold it into thirds lengthwise (pictured above), and refrigerate for another 30 minutes.
- Then you’ll repeat this lamination process two more times:
- Roll the croissant dough out: Take the dough and roll it out into a 10×20-inch rectangle.
- Fold the dough: into thirds lengthwise.
- Refrigerate: Cover with plastic wrap, and place the croissant dough back into the fridge for 30 minutes… Then repeat lamination one more time;)
- Last Rest: Refrigerate the dough for another 4 hours, or overnight.
Shape Croissants
Roll out the dough into an 8×20-inch rectangle, and cut the dough into triangles, as pictured above. Then, roll up each triangle into a crescent shape!
Proofing
- Put your shaped croissants a few inches apart on a parchment lined baking sheet.
- Use plastic wrap to cover raw croissants loosely.
- Let proof, or rise, on the counter at room temp for 60 minutes…. Then refrigerate raw croissants for at least 1 hour, and no more than 12 hours.
Bake Time
Preheat your oven up to 400°F.
Egg Wash: For a shiny, golden-brown finish, brush the croissants with a beaten egg wash before baking…. In a small bowl beat egg wash ingredients together with a fork: egg, and milk.
Apply: Use a pastry brush and apply the egg wash to tops of the croissants.
Bake in preheated oven at 400 degrees F for 20-25 minutes, or until golden brown! Pay close attention to the baking time. Overbaking can dry croissants out, and underbaking could leave them doughy.
Cool & Serve
Remove croissants from the oven to a cooling rack. And let them cool completely before serving... This helps croissants keep their shape and texture!
Make Ahead & Freezing Croissants
Croissants will taste the best the day that they’re baked…. But you can also freeze them!
Allow baked croissants to cool completely. Then, wrap croissants tightly and individually in plastic wrap to prevent freezer burn. Place wrapped croissants in a zip lock freezer bag, remove the excess air, and store in the freezer for up to 3 months!
When ready to serve… Thaw frozen croissants overnight in the refrigerator. Preheat oven to 350°F (175°C). Reheat thawed croissants for 10-15 minutes, or until warmed through and slightly crispy outside!
Simple Croissants Recipe Card
If you use this recipe, I’d really appreciate a star rating or review in the comments below! THANK YOU!
Simple Croissants Recipe
Ingredients
- 1/4 cup salted butter softened.
- 4 cups bread flour 500 grams
- 1/2 cup flour – for rolling and shaping
- 1/3 cup granulated sugar 65 grams
- 1 1/2 teaspoons salt
- 1 tablespoon instant yeast
- 1 1/2 cups cold whole milk
- Butter Layer: 1 1/2 cups salted butter that’s been softened to room temperature, and 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
- Egg Wash: 1 egg & 2 tablespoons whole milk
Instructions
- Make the Dough: In the bowl of a stand mixer, use a dough hook attachment to combine the softened butter, the bread flour, granulated sugar, salt, and instant yeast. Slowly pour the cold milk into the bowl and flour mixture as your mixer works on low speed. Turn your mixer speed up to medium, and use the dough hook to knead it for 6 minutes…. Until the dough is nice and smooth and elastic 😉
- Shape your dough into a round ball, and then put it on a lightly floured tea towel or silicone baking mat.
- Refrigerate: Cover dough with plastic wrap, and refrigerate it for about 30 minutes.
- Roll & Shape: Remove dough from fridge. Turn it out onto a lightly floured baking mat. (If you don't have a baking mat, a baking sheet lined with parchment paper, and lightly floured works too;)
- Roll out the croissant dough into a rectangle that's about 14 inches by 10 inches in size.
- Refrigerate: Cover your croissant dough with plastic wrap to prevent it from drying out, and put it back into the fridge for 4 hours, or overnight!
- Make the Butter Layer: in a medium mixing bowl, use an electric mixer to beat the softened butter and flour till smooth and well combined. Then use a rubber spatula to shape the butter into a rectangle that measures about 7×10-inches, on a plastic wrap lined baking sheet. Refrigerate shaped butter for at least 30 minutes or longer.
- Laminating Dough: Remove butter from the fridge, put it in the center of the 10×14 inch dough rectangle, and fold the sides of the dough over the butter layer. Roll dough with butter layer inside into a 10×20 inch rectangle. Fold dough into thirds lengthwise, and refrigerate croissant dough for another 30 minutes.
- Repeat this lamination process two more times: Roll the croissant dough out: Take the dough and roll it out into a 10×20-inch rectangle. Fold the dough: into thirds lengthwise. Refrigerate: Cover with plastic wrap, and place croissant dough back into the fridge for 30 minutes… Then repeat lamination process one more time;)
- Rest: Refrigerate the dough for another 4 hours, or overnight.
- Shape Croissants: Roll out the dough into an 8×20-inch rectangle shape. Then, use a pizza cutter or sharp knife to cut the dough into triangles. Roll up each triangle into a crescent shape.
- PROOF: Put your shaped croissants a few inches apart on a parchment lined baking sheet. Use plastic wrap to cover raw croissants loosely. Let croissants proof, or rise, on the counter at room temp for an hour…. Then refrigerate raw croissants one last time for at least 1 hour, and no more than 12 hours.
- Preheat your oven up to 400°F.
- Egg Wash: Brush the croissants with a beaten egg wash before baking…. In a small bowl beat egg wash ingredients together with a fork: egg, and milk. Use a pastry brush and apply the egg wash to tops of the croissants.
Bake in preheated oven at 400 degrees F for 20-25 minutes, or until golden brown! Pay close attention to the baking time. Overbaking can dry croissants out, and underbaking could leave them doughy.
Cool & Serve: Remove croissants from the oven to a cooling rack. Cool the croissants completely before serving… This will help your croissants retain their shape and texture!
Notes
Nutrition
About Juliea
Juliea Huffaker is the creator of Farmhouse Harvest, and dedicated to teaching from-scratch cooking, sourdough baking, gardening, and food preservation. With over 25 years of hands-on experience she has preserved hundreds of jars of produce, mastered the art of meats and sourdough baking, and nurtured a thriving organic garden. Her recipes and articles have been featured across the web. And she’s passionate about inspiring others to embrace a simpler, self-sufficient life style.
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