Croissant Recipe
Nothing beats a croissant straight from your own oven — crisp, golden and shattering on the outside, soft and honeycombed within. This classic recipe walks you through the folds so you can bake bakery-worthy croissants at home.
- Prep time
- 1 hr 30 mins
- Cook time
- 20 mins
- Total time
- 1 hr 50 mins
- Servings
- 4 servings
- Calories
- 420
Ingredients
- 500 g strong white bread flour
- 10 g salt
- 60 g caster sugar
- 10 g instant yeast
- 300 ml cold whole milk
- 280 g unsalted butter, cold, for laminating
- 1 egg, beaten, for glazing
- 1 tablespoon plain flour, for dusting
Instructions
- Combine the flour, salt, sugar and yeast in a large bowl, pour in the cold milk, and knead for 8 minutes until smooth and elastic. Shape into a rectangle, wrap, and chill for 1 hour.
- Beat the cold butter between baking paper into a flat 20 cm square, then chill until firm but flexible.
- Roll the dough into a rectangle twice the butter's size, lay the butter on one half, and fold the dough over to enclose it completely, pinching the edges shut.
- Roll out into a long rectangle and fold into thirds, like a letter. Chill for 30 minutes, then repeat the roll and fold twice more, chilling between turns.
- Roll the dough to a rectangle about 50 by 25 cm and trim the edges straight. Cut into long triangles with a base of about 10 cm.
- Roll each triangle from the base towards the tip, tucking the tip underneath, and curve the ends slightly. Prove on a lined tray for 1 to 2 hours until doubled and wobbly.
- Brush gently with beaten egg and bake at 200°C for 18 to 20 minutes, until deep golden and crisp. Cool briefly before serving.
Pro tips
- Use good-quality unsalted butter with a high fat content for the best flavour and flakiest layers.
- If the dough resists rolling, rest it in the fridge for 15 minutes rather than forcing it and tearing the layers.
- Prove in a warm, draught-free spot — cold croissants prove slowly and unevenly.
- Freeze baked croissants and reheat in a 180°C oven for 8 minutes for a just-baked taste.
Frequently asked questions
How long does it take to make croissants?
The hands-on time is about 1 hour 50 minutes, but with chilling and proving the full process spans a day or two — most of it is waiting, not working.
Why are my croissants dense inside?
They were probably under-proved or baked before the layers had fully risen. Wait until they look puffy and jiggle softly when the tray is shaken.
Can I use salted butter?
Unsalted butter is best so you control the salt, but salted butter works if you reduce the salt in the dough to 5 g.
What is the honeycomb crumb?
It is the open, airy interior created by many thin layers of dough and butter separating during baking — the mark of a well-laminated croissant.
