Croissant
The croissant is named after its shape — 'crescent' in French — but the shape itself comes from an older Austrian pastry, the kipferl, brought to Paris in the 19th century. What French bakers added, and what actually turned it into a croissant, was the laminating technique: alternating layers of dough and butter that separate during baking, creating the tender, flaky structure that didn't exist in the original Austrian version. The number of folds matters as much as the ingredients: three letter-folds produce roughly 27 layers of butter, enough to split apart during baking without becoming too dense. The butter has to stay cold throughout the process — if it warms up and mixes into the dough, the layers disappear and the croissant comes out flat and heavy instead of light and crisp.
Good butter, minimum 82% fat
Laminated as a separate block from the dough
Three letter-folds
Creates the layers that separate as they bake
Cold rest between folds
Keeps the butter solid, never mixing into the dough
Curved crescent shape
Ends rolled inward, not left straight
Ingredients 8 servings
- 500g bread flour (12-13% protein)
- 10g salt
- 55g sugar
- 10g dried yeast
- 300ml cold milk
- 300g cold butter, minimum 82% fat, for laminating
- 1 egg, for egg wash
How to make it
- 1MAKE THE DOUGH: combine the flour, salt, sugar and yeast, then add the cold milk and knead for 5-6 minutes until smooth.
- 2Shape into a rectangle, wrap and chill for at least 2 hours.
- 3PREPARE THE BUTTER BLOCK: pound the cold butter with a rolling pin between two sheets of baking paper until it forms a flat rectangle, roughly half the size of the dough.
- 4Keep chilled.
- 5LOCK IN THE BUTTER: roll the dough into a rectangle twice the size of the butter block, place the butter over one half and fold the other half over it, sealing the edges.
- 6FIRST LETTER-FOLD: roll the dough into a long rectangle and fold it in three, like a letter.
- 7Wrap and chill for 30-45 minutes.
- 8REPEAT THE FOLD TWICE: repeat the rolling and letter-fold twice more, chilling between each fold.
- 9By the end the dough should have 27 layers.
- 10CUT AND SHAPE: roll the dough into a thin rectangle, cut triangles and roll each from base to tip, curving the ends inward for the crescent shape.
- 11PROOF: place on a lined tray and let sit at room temperature for 2-3 hours, until doubled in size and slightly wobbly to the touch.
- 12BAKE: brush with beaten egg and bake at 200°C for 15-18 minutes, until golden and crisp.
Nutritional info
per serving (~350 g)
Estimated nutritional values.
Pairs perfectly with
