Homemade croissants require a bit of patience and precision but this detailed recipe will walk you through each step so you can make them successfully at home. They’re flaky, buttery and oh-so-delicious.
Prepare the doughIn a bowl, whisk together lukewarm milk, water, yeast and sugar. Add flour and salt, stir until a rough dough forms
Knead the dough for about three minutes until it’s smooth and elastic. Add the room-temperature butter and knead again until the butter is fully incorporated and the dough feels smooth.
Roll the dough into a rough rectangle, wrap it tightly in plastic and chill in the fridge for at least two hours or overnight to relax the gluten
Mix the butter block by combining room-temperature butter with a little flour. Sandwich it between parchment, roll it out to a neat rectangle, fold the edges of the paper around it to form a frame, then chill until firm but still pliable
On a floured surface, roll the chilled dough into a rectangle roughly twice the height and the same width as your butter block. Place the butter in the centre.
Fold the top and bottom edges of the dough over it so the butter is fully enclosed
Turn the dough so the seam is vertical, roll it into a long rectangle about 6 mm thick, fold it into thirds like a letter, wrap and chill for 30–60 minutes
Remove, roll and fold into thirds two more times, chilling for 30–60 minutes after the second fold and at least two hours after the third to build up the layers.
Roll the rested dough to about 60×30 cm and 5 mm thick, mark evenly along the edges, cut diagonal lines to form triangles.
Gently stretch each base and roll toward the tip, tucking it under to shape
Arrange croissants on parchment-lined trays, cover and proof at room temperature for 2–5 hours until puffy.
Brush with egg wash and bake at 200 °C for 20–22 minutes until deep golden, then cool on a rack before serving
Enjoy your homemade croissants! Check out the full post linked below for all the details including a calculator so you can time the recipe to your schedule.