Butter Croissants

Butter Croissants

  • Preparation 1 h 30 min
  • Cooking 25 min
  • Chilling 1 h 30 min
  • Raising 2 h 15 min
  • Servings 8
  • Freezes Yes

Now that you’re familiar with the feel of our basic pastry dough, you’re ready to move on to a batch of classic croissants. This time-intensive task, which involves a lot of butter, requires consistency and precision at every stage. Thankfully, our recipe is foolproof, irresistible and includes step-by-step instructions. The end product looks (and tastes!) so much like a bakery-bought treat, no one will believe you made it yourself, from scratch.

Featured in RICARDO Magazine WINTER 2019
  • Vegetarian
  • Nut-free

Categories

Ingredients

  • Dough

  • Butter Layer

  • Egg Wash

instant yeast<\/a>","uri":"","substitutes":[]},{"id":1271958,"title":"warm water","description":"1\/2 cup \t(125 ml) warm water ","uri":"","substitutes":[]},{"id":1271959,"title":"milk","description":"1\/3 cup \t(75 ml) warm milk","uri":"","substitutes":[]},{"id":1271960,"title":"unbleached all-purpose flour","description":"2 2\/3 cups \t(400 g) unbleached all-purpose flour","uri":"","substitutes":[]},{"id":1271961,"title":"sugar","description":"1\/4 cup \t(55 g) sugar","uri":"","substitutes":[]},{"id":1271962,"title":"salt","description":"1 tsp \tsalt","uri":"","substitutes":[]},{"id":1271963,"title":"egg yolk","description":"1\tegg yolk","uri":"","substitutes":[]},{"id":1271964,"title":"unsalted butter","description":"3 tbsp \tunsalted butter, melted","uri":"","substitutes":[]}],"description":"Dough"},{"id":163161,"groupOrder":2,"ingredients":[{"id":1271965,"title":"unsalted butter","description":"1\/2 lb \t(225 g) unsalted butter, chilled and cut into 12 cubes","uri":"","substitutes":[]}],"description":"Butter Layer"},{"id":163162,"groupOrder":3,"ingredients":[{"id":1271966,"title":"egg yolk","description":"1\tegg yolk","uri":"","substitutes":[]},{"id":1271967,"title":"35% cream","description":"2 tbsp \t(30 ml) 35% cream or milk","uri":"","substitutes":[]},{"id":1271968,"title":"sugar","description":"1\/2 tsp \tsugar","uri":"","substitutes":[]}],"description":"Egg Wash"}],"preparationGroups":[{"id":163226,"groupOrder":1,"preparations":[{"id":628708,"description":"In a bowl, add the yeast to the water and milk. \n","preparationOrder":1},{"id":628709,"description":"In a stand mixer fitted with the dough hook, combine the flour, sugar and salt. Add the yeast mixture, egg yolk and melted butter. Knead the dough for 3\u00a0minutes or until smooth and elastic. Form into a ball. Place in a clean bowl and cover with plastic wrap. Let rise in a warm, humid spot for 1\u00a0hour or until doubled in volume.\n","preparationOrder":2}],"description":"Dough"},{"id":163227,"groupOrder":2,"preparations":[{"id":628710,"description":"Meanwhile, place the butter cubes side by side in a 7-inch (18 cm) square sealable plastic bag. Do not close the bag. With a rolling pin, tap the butter to soften. Roll the butter layer out until it is the size of the bag and inch (1 cm) thick. Seal the bag. Lay out flat in the refrigerator until step 6.\n","preparationOrder":1},{"id":628711,"description":"On a lightly floured surface, fold the risen dough over itself three times. Place in an 11-inch (27 cm) square sealable plastic bag. Do not close the bag. With a rolling pin, roll out the dough until it is the size of the bag. Seal the bag. Lay out flat in the refrigerator for 30\u00a0minutes.\n","preparationOrder":2},{"id":628712,"description":"Remove the dough from the bag and place on a lightly floured surface.","preparationOrder":3},{"id":628713,"description":"Remove the butter layer from the bag and place on an angle in the centre of the dough so it forms a diamond against the square of dough. Fold the four corners of the dough towards the centre over the butter layer, like an envelope, making sure to completely cover the butter. Seal the seams so the butter doesn\u2019t escape during the folding process.\n","preparationOrder":4}],"description":"Butter Layer"},{"id":163228,"groupOrder":3,"preparations":[{"id":628714,"description":"Roll the dough out to a 22 x 9-inch (56 x 23 cm) rectangle. Cut the sides slightly to straighten them out. With a pastry brush, remove any excess flour. Fold both sides of the dough in towards the centre, and then fold in half to form a 9 x 4 1\/2-inch (23 x 11.5 cm) rectangle. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for 30\u00a0minutes. Repeat this step a second time. You can freeze the dough at this point, if desired. \n","preparationOrder":1}],"description":"Folding"},{"id":163229,"groupOrder":4,"preparations":[{"id":628715,"description":"On a lightly floured surface, roll the dough to get a 22 x 9-inch (56 x 23 cm) rectangle. Cut the sides slightly to straighten them out. With a pastry brush, remove any excess flour. Cut the dough to get 4\u00a0equal rectangles of 9 x 5 1\/2\u00a0inches (23 x 14 cm) each. Cut each rectangle into 2 long triangles.\n","preparationOrder":1},{"id":628716,"description":"Make a 1-inch (2.5 cm) perpendicular incision in the centre of the short side of each triangle, starting at the edge. Starting from this side, using the palm of your hand, roll each triangle up tightly to get as many layers as possible (for the crispiest result). Place the croissants on a baking sheet lined with a silicone mat or parchment paper, spacing them out evenly. Place the baking sheet in a warm, humid spot, uncovered, for 1 hour 15 minutes, or until the croissants have doubled in volume (see note).\n","preparationOrder":2},{"id":628717,"description":"With the rack in the middle position, preheat the oven to 350\u00b0F (180\u00b0C).","preparationOrder":3}],"description":"Shaping"},{"id":163230,"groupOrder":5,"preparations":[{"id":628718,"description":"In a small bowl, combine all the ingredients with a fork. With a pastry brush, gently brush the croissants with the egg wash, covering them completely. \n","preparationOrder":1},{"id":628719,"description":"Bake for 25 to 30\u00a0minutes or until the croissants are golden. Let cool on a wire rack. \n","preparationOrder":2}],"description":"Egg Wash"}]}">

Preparation

  • Dough

  • Butter Layer

  • Folding

  • Shaping

  • Egg Wash

Note from Ricardo

A great place to let your dough rise is in the oven, with the light on and a cup of very hot water placed directly on the rack. The ideal temperature for letting croissant dough rise is 81°F (27°C). Any hotter and the butter will seep out.

Personal Note

To help you with this recipe

RICARDO Instant Yeast  6 packets of 8 g

RICARDO Instant Yeast 6 packets of 8 g

5.99 $

Perfect for getting your hands dirty, RICARDO’s Instant Yeast is the magic ingredient that budding bakers need to achieve crisp, golden crusts and an airy, fluffy crumb every time! Perfect for all your homemade breads, pizza dough, bagels, cinnamon buns, and much more.

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