Basic Homemade Croissant Pastry Dough
A classic recipe for making buttery, tender, and flaky pastries, which can be prepared for same-day baking or frozen for later.
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Instructions
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Combine yeast with warm water until dissolved. Whisk in 3/4 cup flour, warm milk, and sugar to form a smooth batter. Cover and mature in a warm place for 1.5-2 hours.
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While the batter matures, mix flour and salt. Add cold, firm, cut butter; stir to coat. Flatten butter pieces without fully incorporating, then chill this mixture.
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Add the matured batter to the chilled flour-butter mixture. Mix with a spatula to moisten flour and form a crumbly dough with firm butter pieces.
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Turn dough onto a floured surface. Press or roll into a 12x18-inch rectangle. Dust exposed butter with flour, then fold the dough into thirds.
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If butter is soft, chill dough for 15 minutes (freezer) or 1 hour (fridge). Otherwise, clean surface, dust with flour, and position dough with an open edge facing you.
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Roll dough into another 12x18-inch rectangle. Dust exposed butter with flour, brush off excess, and fold into thirds.
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Wrap dough in plastic and chill for 15 minutes (freezer) or 1 hour (fridge).
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Repeat rolling, folding, and chilling 2 to 4 more times as needed. After the final fold, wrap and refrigerate dough for 2-24 hours.
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Preheat oven to 400°F (200°C). Cut dough in half; refrigerate unused portion.
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On a floured surface, roll one dough portion to 1/4-inch thick. Trim edges and cut into 8 elongated triangles.
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Roll triangles from base to tip and place on ungreased or parchment-lined baking sheets, tip down, with ample space.
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Loosely cover and let rise for 1-2 hours until puffy.
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Prepare egg wash (1 egg + 1 tbsp water). Brush over croissants.
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Bake one pan at a time for 15-20 minutes until golden brown.
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Cool on a rack for at least 10 minutes. Cooled croissants can be frozen and reheated at 375°F (190°C) for about 10 minutes.
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To freeze unbaked croissants: Do not proof. Freeze shaped dough until solid, then store in a freezer bag for up to two months. To bake, place on a lined tray, cover, and proof at room temperature overnight or 12 hours before brushing with egg wash and baking.