Butter Croissants
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Butter Croissants just melt in your mouth. This Homemade Croissant Recipe has layers of buttery goodness, a flaky crust all over the outside and a soft and airy center. Even the begginer baker will feel confident making this simple croissant recipe.
Looking for other rolls or breads to try? Check out my recipes for Challah Bread, Easy Dutch Oven Bread or even Homemade Dinner Rolls.
Homemade Croissants
I didn’t think I could love anything more than fresh bread out of the oven, enter Homemade Croissants, and I am smitten. This recipe is a bit time consuming, just want you to know what you are getting yourself into, but every buttery bite is worth it. I tried my best to make this croissant recipe as unintimitating as possible, be sure to read through all of the steps before jumping right in and you will be making croissants like a pro!
Butter Croissants are perfect for a side dish to soups, salads, Sunday dinners or even save this recipe for Thanksgiving rolls! We love to simply add some jam or make them the whole meal with scrambled eggs, cheese and some bacon, so good!!
How to make Croissants
With a few simple ingredients and a little time and patience you will be biting into warm, buttery, homemade croissants. Let’s walk through a fews steps and I’ll drop a few tips as we go:
- In the bowl of a stand mixer combine 3 cups of the all purpose flour, sugar, salt and instant yeast.
- Next, add in the warm water (about 120º F) and mix with the dough hook for about 1 minute.
- Add in the warm milk and melted butter.
- Mix the dough together for about 5 minutes on low. If the dough is still really sticking to the sides of the bowl, add in more flour as needed one tablespoon at a time. The dough should pull away from the sides of the bowl and not be too sticky.
- When the dough forms a nice soft ball, turn the speed up to medium low and knead the dough for 7-8 minutes. The dough should be soft and smooth.
- On a lightly floured surface, roll the dough out with a rolling pin into a large rectangle. About 15 x 20 inches. Be sure to brush off any excess flour.
- At this point the dough needs to be refrigerated. You can place the dough onto a baking sheet and cover with plastic wrap before placing into the refirgerator. If your dough is too large, you can fold it up, just place pieces of parchment paper between the folds so it doesn’t stick together in the fridge.
- Refrigerate the dough for at least 2 hours or even overnight.
- While the dough is in the refrigerator, prepare the butter layer. Take cold butter and place between two pieces of parchment paper. Using a rolling pin, beat the butter until it is about 1/4 inch thick and in the shape of a rectangle, about 8 x 10 inches. Store in the refrigerator until ready to use.
- After 2 hours, take the croissant dough out of the refrigerator and place onto a lightly floured countertop. Place the butter in a diaganol in the center of the dough.
- Pull up the corners of the dough and bring the to the center of the butter. Continue this with all of the corners.
- With the butter covered inside the dough, roll the dough out into a rectangle again, smoothing the butter into the dough.
- Fold the dough into thirds and then in half, cover with plastic wrap and place back into the refrigerator for at least one hour.
- Take the dough out, do not unfold, and repeat this process of rolling and folding 2 more times. Placing the dough back into the fridge for an hour after each roll and fold session.
- Take the dough out and roll it out one more time into a rectangle. Trim the edges as needed to make a good rectangle.
- Cut the dough in half, then begin slicing into triangles. I like to use a rolling pizza cutter to slice the triangles.
- Measure one side of the dough to 3 inches and slice to the other side of the dough to a point. Measure another 3 inches on the other side and make another triangle.
- To roll the croissants, start rolling at the wide end of the triangle to the pointed end. Pull the end out as you roll to keep it tight and make a nice point at the end.
- Place the rolls on a parchment lined baking sheet. Cover and allow to rise for 1 hour. Brush with a simple egg wash carefully along the tops of the croissant. Bake for 15 minutes in a 375º F oven.
Can I make Croissant Dough Ahead?
This homemade croissant dough is easy to make ahead. The dough can be made a day in advance if needed. They last folding step can rest in the fridge overnight before the croissants are rolled out and proofed before baking.
If you are wanting to make these and freeze to use later, that will work too. Make the rolls all the way to shaping them into croissants, place them on the parchment lined baking sheet and cover loosely with plastic wrap. Place into the freezer until they are frozen. They can then be placed into a zip top freezer bag for up to 3 months.
When ready to use, remove from the freezer and allow to rise, loosely covered with plastic wrap on a parchment lined baking sheet for at least 7 hours. Bake as directed in the instructions.
Butter Croissant Recipe
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Butter Croissant Recipe
Ingredients
- 3-3 1/2 cups all purpose flour
- 1/4 cup sugar
- 1 tablespoon instant yeast
- 1 teaspoon sea salt
- 1 cup warm water, 120 ºF
- 1/2 cup milk, 120º F
- 3 tablespoons butter, melted
Butter Layer
- 1 1/2 cups butter, unsalted
Egg Wash
- 1 egg white
- 1 tablespoon milk
Instructions
- In the bowl of a stand mixer, combine the flour, sugar, salt and yeast.
- Add in the warm water and mix for 1 minute.
- Add the melted butter to the milk and pour into the mixer. Mix the dough with the dough hook, scraping down the sides as needed until a soft ball of dough is formed.
- If the dough is still sticking to the sides of the bowl, add in additional flour 1 tablespoon at a time until it pulls away from the sides. Knead on low speed for 3-5 minutes until all of the ingredients are incorporated.
- Turn up the speed to medium low and continue to knead for 7-8 minutes.
- Roll the dough out onto a lightly floured surface and roll out into a rectangle, about 24 x 12 inches and 1/2 inch thick. Place on a baking sheet and cover with plastic wrap, place in the refrigerator for at least to hours, up to 8.
Butter Layer
- While the dough is in the refrigerator, take the 1 1/2 cups of butter and place between 2 pieces of parchment paper. Beat with a rolling pin and roll out until it forms a rectangle about 8 inches long. Place in the refrigerator for at least 15 minutes before the next step to keep it cold.
- Remove the dough from the fridge and lay out onto a lightly floured surface. Place the cold butter in a diaganol inside the dough. Fold the corners of the dough towards the center of the butter, being sure to cover all of the butter with the dough.
- Roll out the dough once again to the large rectangle. Fold into thirds and then fold in half to form a square. Wrap the square in plastic wrap and place in the refrigerator for 1 hour.
- Repeat the step of rolling out the dough, folding in thirds and then half two more times with one hour in the refrigerator between each roll and fold session.
- Roll out the dough one last time. Slice in half and then make 3 inch marks along the dough. At the 3 inch mark slice from one end to the other, forming a triangle.
- Roll each triangle from the large end to the point and place point side down onto a parchment lined baking sheet. Cover loosely with plastic wrap and allow to proof for 1 hour.
Egg Wash
- In a small bowl whisk together the egg white and milk and carefully brush along the tops of the croissants.
- Bake in a 375º F oven for 15 minutes until golden brown.
Nutrition
Butter Croissants just melt in your mouth. This Homemade Croissant Recipe has layers of buttery goodness, a flaky crust all over the outside and a soft and airy center. Even the begginer baker will feel confident making this simple croissant recipe.
