Name: Breakfast Ideas: Homemade Croissants
Prep time: 60 min
Cook time: 20 min
Total time: 260 min
Ingredients: 280g all purpose flour; 50g granulated sugar; 7g active dry yeast (1 packet); 120ml warm milk; 120ml warm water; 1 tsp salt; 225g cold unsalted butter (2 sticks); 1 large egg; 1 tbsp water

Jump to Recipe

I used to think making croissants was impossible. You know the feeling? You stare at those flaky layers in a bakery window and think only a wizard could do that. Well I decided to try. My first batch was a disaster. Butter leaked everywhere. The dough was heavy. I almost cried. But I kept trying. I realized you do not need a fancy degree to bake well. You just need patience and cold butter. This recipe is my love letter to morning coffee. We are making real French croissants at home. It sounds scary but I promise it is not. We will laminate the dough together. That just means folding butter into dough. Think of it like folding a letter. The result is pure magic. You get these golden layers that shatter when you bite them. The inside is soft and smells like heaven. I know the list of steps looks long. Do not panic. Read them while you sip your tea. We take it one step at a time. This is not about being perfect. It is about making something warm and delicious with your own hands. Your kitchen will smell amazing. Your family will think you bought them. Let us get messy and bake something wonderful.

1) Key Takeaways
2) Easy Classic Homemade Croissants Recipe
3) Ingredients for Classic Homemade Croissants
4) How to Make Classic Homemade Croissants
5) Tips for Making Classic Homemade Croissants
6) Making Classic Homemade Croissants Ahead of Time
7) Storing Leftover Classic Homemade Croissants
8) Try these Breakfast next!
9) Classic Homemade Croissants Recipe
10) Nutrition

1) Key Takeaways

How do you laminate dough for croissants?
What makes a croissant flaky and light?
Why does butter temperature matter for pastry?
Can you make French croissants at home?

2) Easy Classic Homemade Croissants Recipe

I know what you are thinking. Homemade croissants? Really? I thought the same thing. I used to stare at the bakery window and dream. Those flaky layers seemed like magic. But I promise you can do this. You do not need a culinary degree. You just need patience and cold butter. My first try was messy. Butter got everywhere. But the smell? The smell was amazing. I was hooked. Now I want to share that joy with you.

We are making real French croissants. No shortcuts here. But do not worry. We will take it slow. I broke down every step. We will fold the dough together. We will watch it rise. You will feel like a baker in Paris. Best of all? You get to eat them warm from the oven. Nothing beats that first bite. The crunch. The soft inside. It is pure happiness. So grab your apron. Let us bake something incredible.

This recipe uses simple ingredients. Flour, sugar, yeast, milk, and butter. That is it. The magic is in the technique. We call it laminating. It sounds fancy. It just means folding butter into dough. Think of it like folding a letter. Each fold creates layers. Those layers puff up in the oven. That is how we get that famous honeycomb texture. Trust the process. You will be amazed at what you create.

3) Ingredients for Classic Homemade Croissants

All Purpose Flour: I use standard all purpose flour for this recipe. You do not need fancy pastry flour. The protein content in regular flour works perfectly here. It gives the dough enough structure to hold the layers. But it keeps the inside soft and tender. Just make sure to measure it correctly. Too much flour makes the dough heavy. I like to fluff the flour up before scooping it.

Active Dry Yeast: This is the engine of our croissants. It makes the dough rise and get puffy. I use one packet, which is about 7 grams. Make sure your yeast is fresh. Old yeast will not work well. I always check the expiration date. You want those little bubbles to form when you mix it with the warm milk. That means it is alive and ready to work.

Cold Unsalted Butter: This is the most important ingredient. You need cold butter. I repeat. Cold butter. We use unsalted so we can control the salt level. The butter creates the layers. When it hits the hot oven, the water in the butter turns to steam. That steam pushes the dough layers apart. That is how you get flakes. Keep it in the fridge until the very last second.

Warm Milk and Water: We use a mix of milk and water. The milk adds richness and tenderness. The water keeps the dough light. The temperature matters. You want it warm, not hot. Think bath water temperature. If it is too hot, it will kill the yeast. If it is too cold, the yeast will not wake up. Aim for lukewarm. It helps the dough come together smoothly.

Sugar and Salt: Sugar feeds the yeast and adds a little sweetness. Salt adds flavor and strengthens the gluten. Do not skip the salt. Bread without salt tastes bland. I mix these into the dry ingredients first. This ensures they are spread evenly throughout the dough. It makes every bite taste just right.

Egg Wash: We finish the croissants with an egg wash. This is just an egg beaten with a splash of water. It acts like glue and paint. It helps seal the rolled ends. But mainly, it gives the croissants that deep golden brown color. It makes them shine. Without it, they look pale and dull. Brush it on gently right before baking.

4) How to Make Classic Homemade Croissants

step 1. Start by waking up your yeast. Grab a small bowl. Mix the warm milk and warm water together. Sprinkle the yeast on top. Let it sit for about 10 minutes. You will see foam form on top. That means the yeast is happy. If it does not foam, throw it out and start over with fresh yeast.

step 2. Make the dough base. In a large bowl, whisk the flour, sugar, and salt. Pour in the foamy yeast mixture. Stir it with a spoon until it forms a messy ball. Dump it onto your counter. Knead it for 5 minutes. It should feel smooth and elastic. Shape it into a flat rectangle, wrap it in plastic, and chill it for an hour.

step 3. Prepare the butter block. This is the fun part. Put your cold butter sticks between two sheets of parchment paper. Whack them with your rolling pin. Bash them until they merge into a flat 6 inch square. Put this butter square back in the fridge. You want it cold but pliable, like firm clay.

step 4. Lock in the butter. Roll your chilled dough into a square twice the size of your butter. Place the butter in the center. Fold the corners of the dough over the butter like an envelope. Pinch the seams tight. You do not want any butter escaping. This is the start of your layers.

step 5. Do the first fold. Roll the dough out into a long rectangle. Be gentle. Fold the top third down and the bottom third up. Like a business letter. This is called a turn. Wrap the dough and chill it for 30 minutes. The gluten needs to relax. The butter needs to stay cold.

step 6. Repeat the folds. Take the dough out. Turn it so the open edge faces you like a book. Roll it out again. Fold it in thirds again. Chill for 30 minutes. Do this one more time. That makes three turns in total. You now have dozens of butter layers. Chill the dough for at least an hour or overnight.

step 7. Shape the croissants. Roll the dough out one last time. Cut it into long triangles. Cut a small slit in the base of each triangle. Roll them up tightly from the base to the tip. Curve the ends slightly. Place them on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper.

step 8. Proof and bake. Let them rise in a warm, draft free spot for an hour. They will get puffy and wobble like jelly. Preheat oven to 400F. Brush them with egg wash. Bake for 15 to 20 minutes until deep golden brown. Let them cool before eating.

5) Tips for Making Classic Homemade Croissants

Keep Everything Cold. I cannot stress this enough. Heat is the enemy here. If your butter melts, you lose your layers. If your kitchen is warm, chill the dough more often. If you see butter leaking, stop. Put everything in the freezer for 10 minutes. Cold butter equals flaky pastry. It is the golden rule of croissants.

Be Gentle with the Rolling Pin. Do not press down too hard. You want to flatten the dough, not squash the layers together. Roll from the center out. Lift the dough occasionally to make sure it is not sticking. Use a little flour if you need to, but brush off the excess. Too much flour prevents the layers from sticking together properly.

Patience is Key. Do not rush the resting times. The gluten needs to relax. If you try to roll tense dough, it will snap back like a rubber band. It creates a tough croissant. Let it rest in the fridge. Use that time to clean up or drink some coffee. Good pastry takes time. Enjoy the slow pace.

6) Making Classic Homemade Croissants Ahead of Time

You can split the work up. I love doing this. Make the dough and do all the folds the day before. Let it rest in the fridge overnight. In the morning, you just have to roll, shape, and bake. It makes fresh breakfast croissants much easier. You get to sleep a little later and still eat like a king.

You can also freeze the shaped croissants. After you roll them into crescents, put them on a tray in the freezer. Once they are frozen solid, move them to a bag. When you want to bake, let them thaw and rise on a baking sheet overnight in a cool room. Bake them in the morning as usual. They taste just as fresh.

This is perfect for holidays. You can do the hard work weeks in advance. On Christmas morning or a birthday, you just pop them in the oven. Your house smells amazing with zero effort. Everyone thinks you got up at 4 AM. It is our little secret. Planning ahead makes you look like a pro baker.

7) Storing Leftover Classic Homemade Croissants

Croissants are best the day they are made. That is just a fact. But leftovers are still tasty. Store them in a paper bag at room temperature for a day. Plastic makes them soft and soggy. Paper keeps the crust crisp. If you need to keep them longer, freeze them. Wrap them tight in foil and freeze for up to a month.

To refresh them, use the oven. Do not microwave them. I repeat. No microwave. It turns them into rubber. Heat your oven to 350F. Pop the croissants in for 5 minutes. They will crisp up and the butter inside will warm up. They taste almost fresh baked again. It brings the magic back.

Leftover croissants make great almond croissants. Or use them for bread pudding. If they get a little stale, do not toss them. Slice them open and fill them with almond cream. Bake again. It is a classic French way to save day old pastry. It transforms stale bread into a luxurious dessert. Waste nothing.