Making homemade croissants from scratch is easy using this quick-method dough. Great for beginners and well worth the effort!
You will also love my Almond Croissants
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To celebrate 2014 and before I settle into a healthy diet lifestyle (ha!) I have to share this post… Croissants have been at the top of my to-bake list for an embarrassingly long time. Somehow I never got round to making any, put off by the lengthy dough making process.
When I came across Edd Kimber’s (winner of the first Great British Bake Off) recipe for 20 minute (!) croissant dough I knew I had no more excuses.
Edd was inspired by Julia Child’s Quick Danish Pastry dough recipe – actually a recipe by Beatrice Ojakangas which which she shared with Julia.
I have tweaked the recipe and method somewhat, but you can check the links to Edd’s recipe and the video of Bea and Julia.
This croissant dough super easy to make. The croissants themselves take some time to rise properly but the results are definitely worth the wait. I made two batches in two days and each one disappeared almost instantly!
Croissants Step By Step
Full measurements and instructions can be found on the printable recipe card at the bottom of the page.
Warm your milk until it is body-temperature. Add the sugar and yeast and whisk to combine. Let it stand until the yeast is frothy and milk has cooled completely. If it’s too warm it will melt the butter and undo all our good work.
Put your flour and salt in a food processor fitted with a metal blade. Add the cubed butter and briefly pulse a few times until mixture resembles chunky breadcrumbs.
Put the flour/butter in a large bowl and add the milk/yeast mixture. Gently combine using a spoon or pastry scraper until the dough just comes together. You want the butter to remain in pea-sized pieces so don’t be too enthusiastic when mixing the dough!
Turn the dough out of a lightly floured work top and press together to form a square. Wrap in cling film and put in the freezer for 30 minutes or in the fridge for a couple of hours.
Lightly dust your worktop and rolling pin with flour. Roll your dough out to a rectangle roughly two to three times as long as it is wide, counter space allowing (pic. 1). Initially the dough may be quite brittle but it will come together as you roll and fold.
Fold the short sides of the dough into the middle (pic. 2). Rotate the dough by a quarter turn. Roll out slightly to lengthen. Fold the short ends towards the middle.
Flip the dough over so the seams are underneath. Roll it out again repeating steps 5-7 three more times. The dough will become more elastic as you are rolling and folding it. Fold dough into a smallish rectangle, wrap it twice with cling film and put in the fridge for a couple of hours or overnight.
Roll the dough out to a rectangle three times as long as it is wide and at least 4mm thick. Trim the edges with a pastry scraper (pic.4).
Cut the dough into triangles about 30cm/12in long and 8cm/3in at the base. Score a small slit in the centre of each triangle base (pic 5).
Place, tip side down, on a large tray lined with baking paper. Repeat with the rest of the dough, spacing the croissants a few inches apart on the tray (pic.6).
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Quick and easy croissants from scratch
Ingredients
- 250 g ( 2cups) strong bread flour
- 150 g (⅔ cup) cold unsalted butter cubed
- 120 ml (½)cup tepid milk
- 3 tbsp sugar
- 7 g 1 sachet dry active yeast
- ½ tsp salt
- 1 egg yolk beaten with 1 tbsp milk to glaze
Instructions
- Warm your milk until it is body-temperature. Add the sugar and yeast and whisk to combine. Let it stand until the yeast is frothy and milk has cooled completely. If it’s too warm it will melt the butter and undo all our good work.
- Put your flour and salt in a food processor fitted with a metal blade. Add the cubed butter and briefly pulse a few times until mixture resembles chunky breadcrumbs.
- Put the flour/butter in a large bowl and add the milk/yeast mixture. Gently combine using a spoon or pastry scraper until the dough just comes together. You want the butter to remain in pea-sized pieces so don’t be too enthusiastic when mixing the dough!
- Turn the dough out of a lightly floured work top and press together to form a square. Wrap in cling film and put in the freezer for 30 minutes or in the fridge for a couple of hours.
- Lightly dust your worktop and rolling pin with flour. Roll your dough out to a rectangle roughly two to three times as long as it is wide, counter space allowing (pic. 1). Initially the dough may be quite brittle but it will come together as you roll and fold.
- Fold the short sides of the dough into the middle (pic. 2).
- Rotate the dough by a quarter turn. Roll out slightly to lengthen. Fold the short ends towards the middle (pic. 3 shows only left side folded in).
- Flip the dough over so the seams are underneath. Roll it out again repeating steps 5-7 three more times. The dough will become more elastic as you are rolling and folding it. If at any point the butter softens too much, cover and pop in the freezer to firm it before continuing with rolling and folding.
- The dough should be formed into a smallish rectangle. Wrap it twice with cling film and put in the fridge for a couple of hours or, ideally, overnight.
- Roll the dough out to a rectangle three times as long as it is wide and at least 4mm thick. Trim the edges with a pastry scraper (pic.4).
- Cut the dough into triangles about 30cm/12in long and 8cm/3in at the base. Score a small slit in the centre of each triangle base (pic 5). Any scraps and cut-offs can be layered on top of each other, rolled out again and used.
- Gently stretch the corners and tip, then loosely roll the dough up. Place, tip side down, on a large tray lined with baking paper. Repeat with the rest of the dough, spacing the croissants a few inches apart on the tray (pic.6).
- Cover loosely with greased cling film and let the croissants rise for 2-3 hours at room temperature – sorry, there are no shortcuts here!
- Preheat the oven to 230C | 450F. Brush the croissants with the egg wash and bake for ten minutes then reduce temperature to 190C | 375F and bake for another 5-10 minutes or until the croissants are a deep golden brown. Cool on a wire rack before serving.
Lakshmi says
Hi Lucy, is there a way egg can be substituted? It will be really helpful.
Lucy Parissi says
The egg is only used glaze. You could try glazing with a little milk or diluted cream
Lakshmi says
Thank you!
Agnelia says
Does this recipe doubles well?
Lucy Parissi says
Yes absolutely! The dough will be slightly longer when you are folding and rolling so make sure you have enought counter space.
Helen - family-friends-food says
I've always assumed that croissants were one of those things that were just best left to the professionals, but these look completely doable. I'm looking forward to giving them a whirl!
Gemma says
Hi Lucy,
I tried these croissant twice and they dough never grew and didn't proof. They just always stayed the same size. Have you experienced that? I used the exact recipe.
Lucy Parissi says
Hi Gemma,
So sorry to hear that – how frustrating. Is it possible the yeast was inactive or past its best? I am not sure I can offer another explanation. The dough should puff up slightly in the fridge (preferably overnight) even if it is wrapped in clingfilm. The croissants will then puff up again as they prove and expand further when they bake in the oven. Though they are not as flaky as the conventional method croissants, the recipe has been successful for me time and again. But I think I will try to make them once more over the holiday period and update this recipe if needed.
Lucy Parissi says
Hi Gemma – one more thing occurred to me as I was reading the recipe again. If the milk is too hot when mixed with the yeast it can kill it. But I doubt that is the reason since I specify the milk should be just tepid.
Gemma says
Thanks so much, I really appreciate your reply. I did consider it being my yeast but it has worked all this time until this point. I'll try it again 🙂
Lucy Parissi says
Hi Gemma – now slightly perplexed by your comments considering you posted a chocolate croissant recipe yesterday in which you have linked to my recipe…
Unknown says
I did these today. Doubled the batch and they came out perfect and still flaky. The instructions were on point. I would make them again.
Lucy Parissi says
Thanks so much for your comment! So glad they turned out well. I keep meaning to update the recipe with a video : )
sana batool says
looks Perfect. yummy
yuvraj says
Nice info you shared here and I love it a lot.
Niaomi Nitisha says
Absolutely love croissants! I'm going to give this recipe a go.
Vikki Douel says
Oh these look so good
Sarah Lewis says
So which someone had made these for by breakfast this morning x
Jenna Kate Kelly says
These look heavenly!!!
Florence Cross says
These look lovely. I'd be very proud to present these one Sunday.
Ali Johnson says
Love croissants & never even thought of making them myself. Will have to give it a go now.
Tracy K Nixon says
They do sound easy to bake after all!
William G says
Definitely need to start making our own!
Maggie Ali says
I loooove croissants and these look delicious 🙂
Carolin says
These look amazing. I thought it would be ridiculously tricky to achieve all the layers, but it looks like you've found the perfect technique. I might have to try this..