Description
Indulge in the art of making homemade croissants with this easy-to-follow guide. With their signature flaky layers and rich buttery flavor, these delightful pastries are perfect for breakfast or brunch gatherings. You can enjoy them plain, stuffed with chocolate, or paired with your favorite spreads. While they may seem intimidating, this croissant recipe is accessible for bakers of all skill levels. Plus, you can prepare a batch ahead of time, freeze them, and have fresh croissants ready for quick breakfasts on busy mornings.
Ingredients
Scale
- 1/4 cup unsalted butter (softened)
- 4 cups all-purpose flour
- 1/4 cup granulated sugar
- 2 teaspoons salt
- 1 Tablespoon active dry or instant yeast
- 1 1/2 cups cold whole milk
- 1 1/2 cups unsalted butter (for layering)
- 2 Tablespoons all-purpose flour (for layering)
- 1 large egg (for egg wash)
- 2 Tablespoons whole milk (for egg wash)
Instructions
- In a mixing bowl, combine flour, sugar, salt, and yeast. Add cold milk and softened butter; mix to form dough.
- Knead the dough on a floured surface for about 5 minutes until smooth. Let it rise in a greased bowl covered with plastic wrap for 90 minutes.
- For the butter layer, mix softened butter with flour; shape into a rectangle between parchment sheets and chill while dough rises.
- Roll out the risen dough into a rectangle; encase the chilled butter layer completely. Roll out again and fold into thirds; chill for 30 minutes.
- Roll out and cut triangles from the dough. Roll each triangle tightly from the wide end to form crescent shapes.
- Place shaped croissants on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Let rise until doubled in size (about 45 minutes).
- Preheat oven to 400°F (200°C). Brush croissants with egg wash mixture and bake for about 18 minutes until golden brown.
- Prep Time: 30 minutes
- Cook Time: 18 minutes
- Category: Dessert
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: French
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 serving
- Calories: 250
- Sugar: 4g
- Sodium: 150mg
- Fat: 16g
- Saturated Fat: 10g
- Unsaturated Fat: 5g
- Trans Fat: 0g
- Carbohydrates: 24g
- Fiber: 1g
- Protein: 5g
- Cholesterol: 50mg