Homemade Croissants: A Labor of Love (and a Little Chaos)

Anyone who knows me (Jon) knows very well that I love croissants. I love eating them, I love making them, and I love the theatrical transformation of simple ingredients into something golden, flaky, and perfect.

There’s something almost meditative about working with the dough—rolling, folding, and shaping each delicate pastry. But let me tell you, croissants and I have had our fair share of ups and downs.

Take, for example, two months ago, when I made a huge mistake—I volunteered to bake croissants (46 croissants to be exact) for our daughter’s school bake sale. In my head, it seemed like a brilliant idea.

But, in true perfectionist fashion, I decided I needed to test and tweak my recipe to make sure it was absolutely flawless. So, two weeks before the big day, I began experimenting. And every single change I made somehow made things worse. More butter? Disaster. Less butter? Even worse. A different rolling technique? Let’s not even go there.

Finally, three days before the bake sale, I admitted defeat and went back to my original recipe. And what do you know? They turned out perfect. It was exhausting, but totally worth it. Everyone at the event loved them, and they sold out in no time.

Lesson learned: sometimes, the original is the best.

So, here it is—the one recipe that never fails me.

If you love croissants as much as I do, I promise, this step-by-step guide will help you create the most delicious, flaky pastries right in your own kitchen.

It’s a process, yes, but stick with it, and you’ll see why every buttery, crispy bite is worth it.

Classic Croissants Recipe

Flaky, buttery, and irresistibly delicious—these classic croissants take time, but the result is absolutely worth it! Follow our step-by-step guide to make perfect homemade croissants.

Yield: 8 Croissants

Time: 24 Hours (Including Resting & Proofing)

Ingredients

For the Dough (Détrempe)

• 4⅔ cups (605g) all-purpose or bread flour, plus extra for dusting

• ⅓ cup (66g) granulated sugar

• 1 tbsp + ½ tsp (12g) kosher salt

• 2¼ tsp (7g) active dry yeast

• ¾ cup + 2 tbsp (214g) water, at room temperature

• ½ cup (120g) whole milk, at room temperature

• ¼ cup (57g) unsalted butter, cut into ½-inch pieces, chilled

For the Butter Block & Assembly

• 1½ cups (340g) unsalted European-style butter (3 sticks), chilled

• All-purpose flour, for rolling

• 1 large egg yolk

• 1 tbsp heavy cream

Instructions

Step 1: Prepare the Dough (Détrempe)

In a stand mixer fitted with a dough hook, combine the flour, sugar, salt, and yeast. Stir to combine.

1. Create a well in the center and pour in the water and milk. Mix on low speed until a tight, smooth dough forms (about 5 minutes).

2. Cover the bowl with a damp towel and let it rest for 10 minutes.

3. Reattach the dough hook, turn the mixer to medium-low, and add the butter pieces all at once. Mix until the dough is smooth, stretchy, and not sticky (about 8-10 minutes).

4. Form the dough into a ball, place it on a lightly floured surface, and cut a deep “+” into the top to help with expansion.

5. Place it back in the bowl, cover with plastic wrap, and let it rise for 45 minutes to 1 hour until 1.5x its original size.

6. Then, refrigerate for at least 4 hours (or up to 12 hours).

Step 2: Prepare the Butter Block

1. Place the sticks of butter side by side in the center of a large sheet of parchment paper.

2. Fold the parchment over the butter to create a packet, then use a rolling pin to flatten the butter into a thin, even 8-inch square.

3. Transfer the butter block to the refrigerator to keep it chilled.\

Step 3: Laminate the Dough

1. Remove the dough from the refrigerator and roll it into an 8-inch square.

2. Freeze for 20 minutes while keeping the butter in the fridge.

3. Roll out the dough to 16 inches long, keeping it 8 inches wide.

4. Place the butter block in the center of the dough and enclose it, pinching the edges to seal.

5. Roll out the dough lengthwise into a 24-inch-long, ¼-inch-thick slab.

6. Fold it like a book, then wrap it tightly in plastic wrap and refrigerate for 1 hour.

Step 4: Folding & Resting

1. Roll the dough into another long slab and fold it in thirds like a letter.

2. Wrap tightly, refrigerate for 1 hour, then repeat the rolling and folding process once more.

3. Chill overnight (8-12 hours) before shaping.

Step 5: Shaping the Croissants

1. Roll the dough into a 14-by-17-inch slab.

2. Cut into 8 triangles and gently stretch each piece.

3. Roll up each triangle from the base to the tip to form a croissant shape.

4. Place on parchment-lined baking sheets and proof in a warm, steamy oven (about 70-75°F) for 2-2.5 hours.

Step 6: Baking

1. Preheat the oven to 375°F.

2. Brush the croissants with an egg yolk and cream mixture.

3. Bake for 20 minutes, then rotate and bake for another 10-15 minutes until golden brown.

4. Let cool completely before serving.

Final Thoughts

Making croissants from scratch is a true labor of love. It takes time, patience, and a few deep breaths along the way. But when you finally bite into that crisp, buttery, golden croissant, you’ll know why it was all worth it.