This homemade croissant recipe is one of those recipes I don’t make on a random weekday when I’m hungry and want something fast for breakfast or lunch. This recipe may take a while, but it is totally worth it!
This recipe is for an authentic French croissant bakery style, but If you enjoy baking projects like this, you might also want to try this Blueberry Croissant Bake. It has that same special-occasion feeling, just in a completely different, fruity way.
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Try This Easy Homemade Croissant Recipe
I say easy here very loosely, because croissants are not easy in the way a quick salad or tray bake is easy. They take patience, precision, and a bit of faith. But once you understand what you’re doing and why each step matters, they become much less intimidating.
I’m usually the kind of cook who likes simple meals and quick recipes, but every now and then I enjoy something that feels like cooking therapy. This is exactly that. It’s one of those bakes where I actually enjoy the quiet process of rolling, folding, chilling, and watching the dough slowly turn into something beautiful.
Why You’ll Love These Homemade Croissants
• I love how rewarding this recipe is: This is not the kind of recipe I rush through, but when I get a tray of properly flaky croissants, I genuinely feel proud of myself.
• They feel really special: I mostly cook simple food, so when I do something like this, it feels like a proper occasion bake.
• The texture is worth the effort: That crisp outside and soft layered center is exactly what I want from a good croissant.
• I like that I can make bakery-style pastries at home: I don’t need to go anywhere when I can make something this good in my own kitchen.
• It teaches patience in the best way: This recipe really is about slowing down and trusting the process, and I actually enjoy that sometimes.
Ingredients
• Flour: This is the base of the dough, and I always pay attention to the type because it really affects the final texture.
• Unsalted butter: This is the heart of the recipe and one of the biggest reasons the croissants turn out flaky and rich. Butter with higher fat content gives the best results.
• Yeast: This helps create that airy interior that makes croissants feel light instead of heavy.
• Milk and water: These bring the dough together and help create the texture you want.
• Egg and egg yolk: These are used for the egg wash that gives the croissants their beautiful golden, flaky layers.
How to Make Croissants From Scratch - Step By Step
1. Prepare the croissant dough - Add the flour, sugar, yeast, milk, softened butter, and salt to a large mixing bowl. Stir with a dough hook on low speed, then slowly add the cold water and knead until the dough comes together and sticks to the hook.
Tip: Use a wooden spoon to get all of the dough together.
2. Refrigerate the dough - Shape the dough into a rectangle, roll it to the correct size, cover with plastic wrap, and let it rest in the fridge overnight.
Tip: A silicone mat on the counter works well for rolled dough, especially if you need to perfect thin layers of dough.
3. Make the butter block - Roll the cold butter between sheets of parchment paper into a square butter block with an even thickness.
4. Freeze the butter block and dough - Once the dough has rested overnight, freeze both the dough and butter block for 20 minutes.
5. Encase the butter - Roll out the dough, place the butter block over one half, fold the dough over it, seal the edges, and rotate the dough.
6. Make the first layers - Roll the dough carefully, fold it into layers, pat it gently, fold again, and freeze for 30 minutes.
7. Make more layers - Roll the dough again, fold it like a letter, and freeze for another 30 minutes.
8. Cut the dough into triangles - Roll out the dough, trim the edges, shape it into a parallelogram, and cut elongated triangles.
9. Prepare for baking - Line your baking sheets and remove the dough triangles from the freezer.
10. Shape the croissants - Cut a small slit at the base of each triangle, roll up into crescent shapes, and place on the baking sheets with the tip tucked underneath.
11. Proof the croissants - Brush with egg wash, place them in a warm oven with a bowl of boiling water underneath, and let them rise for 2.5 hours.
12. Bake the croissants - Brush with egg wash again and bake one tray at a time until evenly golden brown.
13. Cool and enjoy - Let them cool slightly before transferring to a wire rack.
Expert Tip: I always stop and chill the dough again if I feel it softening while I work. Croissants really depend on keeping the dough and butter cold, and I’d rather pause than ruin the layers.
Recipe Tips
- Make sure your work surface is clean before rolling out the dough.
- I always try to keep my edges as straight as possible for my desired shape when rolling because it makes the folds much cleaner in the end.
- If the dough starts fighting back or feeling too soft, I put it back in the freezer for a few minutes. I’ve learned not to be stubborn with croissant dough.
- I pay close attention to measurements here more than I normally would. Even the final triangle width matters when you want evenly shaped croissants.
- I also make sure the butter stays cold but pliable. That’s the sweet spot. If it’s too hard, it cracks. If it’s too soft, it disappears into the dough.
- Sprinkle some cinnamon sugar over the croissants after baking, or you can create chocolate croissants by adding some melted chocolate over the top for different flavors.
What Can You Serve With Croissants?
- Espresso
- Cold milk
- Powdered sugar
- Chocolate drizzle
- Vanilla ice cream
- Fresh fruit
- Cheese
FAQs
For me, it always comes down to three things: cold butter, patience, and precision. If the dough stays at the right consistency and you don’t rush the steps, your chances improve a lot.
I wouldn’t. I know it sounds tempting, but puff pastry does not give me the same airy, yeasted texture I want in a proper croissant.
I always prefer unsalted butter with higher fat content because it gives a smoother butter block and better layers. European-style butter is usually a great option. You can use salted butter in other bakes, but for croissants, I like full control over the seasoning, so I stick with unsalted.
I like flour with a protein content of around 11 to 12%. That gives me a balance I really like between structure and flakiness.
Because they ask for patience. That’s really it. They’re not difficult because the ingredients are fancy. They’re difficult because every little detail matters, and you can’t bully the dough into behaving.
Recipe
Homemade Croissant Recipe
Ingredients
- 4 cups all-purpose flour (T45)
- ¼ cup + 1 tbsp sugar
- 3 ¼ teaspoon active dry yeast
- 6 ½ tablespoon milk, cold
- 7 tablespoon unsalted butter, at room temperature
- 2 teaspoon salt
- ½ cup + 1 tsp cold water
- 1 cup + 2 tbsp unsalted butter, cold
- 1 egg
- 1 egg yolk
1 cup boiling water for rising
Instructions
- In a large mixing bowl, with a stand or handheld mixer fitted with a dough hook stir together flour, sugar, yeast, milk, soft butter, and salt. Stir on low speed until it starts to come together. Slowly add water while mixing the dough. Knead on medium-low speed for 10 minutes. Shape the dough into a 9.85x6.7 inches (25x17cm) rectangle. Wrap tightly with plastic foil and refrigerate overnight (8-12 hours).
- Place the cold butter between 2 pieces of parchment or wax paper. With a rolling pin, pound butter into a 7.1x7.1 inches (18x18cm) rectangle. Straighten the sides with the outer edges of your hands by pushing towards the center. Roll evenly thick. Cover with plastic wrap and freeze butter and the croissant dough for 20 minutes.
- Remove dough from the freezer and roll on a very lightly floured surface with a very lightly floured rolling pin into a 15x7.9 inches (38x20 cm) rectangle, 0.3 inches (7-8mm) thick. Place butter slab on one half of the croissant dough so that there is about 0.4 inches space around three edges and fold the other dough-half over the butter. Completely seal the butter inside the dough by pressing the edges together. Make sure that there are no air bubbles between the layers. Rotate 90°.
- Just use as much flour as needed that the dough doesn't stick. Firmly but carefully press the dough with the rolling pin starting on both sealed ends. Then stop pressing and begin rolling the dough. Be careful and don't work the dough over that the butter doesn't incorporate with the dough. Roll the croissant dough just in one direction into a 15x7.9 inches (38x20 cm) rectangle, 0.3 inches (7-8mm) thick. Rotate the dough 180° while rolling to keep it even, if needed. Make sure that you lengthen the dough instead of widening it and keep the edges as straight as possible. Shape the corners with your hands to a square.
- Remove all excess flour from the dough before folding it, if there is any. Take one short side and fold one-third of the dough over itself that about ⅔ of the dough is covered by itself. Then take the other short side and flap it over itself that it touches the edge of the previously folded part. The croissant dough has now ⅓ of its original size. Then fold it in half. You should have a rectangle with 4 layers of dough. Be sure that you remove all excess flour between each layer. Cover with plastic foil tightly and freeze for 30 minutes.
- Roll the dough in the direction of the two open ends with the fold to your right until it is a 15x7.9 inches (38x20 cm) rectangle, 0.3 inches (7-8mm) thick. Be careful, not to overwork the dough and take as little flour as possible. Keep the edges as straight as possible. Rotate 180° while rolling to stay even, if needed. Pick up one short end and fold one-third of the dough on itself. Pick up the other short end and fold on top that it covers itself (letter style). You should have a 3-layered dough. Cover with plastic foil tightly and freeze for 30 minutes.
- Turn the dough again by 90° from the previous position, and roll into a 26x10.6 inches (66x27cm) rectangle, 0.12-0.15 inches (3-4mm) thick. And again, take as little flour as possible, keep the edges as straight as possible, and don't overwork the dough. Shape the corners with your hands to a square.
- With a sharp knife or pizza cutter, cut off 0.4 inches all around the rectangle to reveal the multilayered puff pastry. The croissant dough should be 25.2x9.85 inches (64x25cm) in size. Transform it into a parallelogram by picking up 2 corners of the dough opposite the diagonal and stretch gently. Use a tape measure or yardstick and measure both long sides of the dough (should be still 25.2 inches / 64cm) and divide each side through 7-8. This makes sure that your croissants are all the same size. Depending on your parallelogram and the precision of your cut, you get 14 or 16 croissants. Then cut triangles with the tape measure. The cut croissants should be between 3.15-3.55 inches (8-9cm) wide and 9.85 inches (25cm) long. Cover with plastic foil and freeze for 15 minutes.
- Line 3 baking sheets with parchment paper. Set aside.
- Remove croissants from the freezer and cut with a knife 0.2-inch (5mm) slits in the middle of the short sides. Place croissants with the notched side towards you. Roll the dough up and away from you, moving your hands outward from the center. Lightly press the tip to close the croissants. Place croissants on prepared baking sheets (a maximum of 6 croissants per baking sheet) with enough space between each croissant. They will triple in size. Place the dough tip underneath that they don't unroll during baking.
- Combine egg and egg yolk in a small bowl and lightly brush croissants. Your oven should have a temperature of 80-85°F (26-29°C). Maybe you need to open the door for 1-2 minutes if it is warmer than that.
- Pour boiling water in a heat-proof bowl. Arrange all baking sheets in the oven and the boiling water on the bottom of the oven. Close the door and let the croissants rise for 2.5 hours. This trick can simulate a professional oven. It lets the croissants rise high and prevents them from drying out.
- Remove croissants from the oven and preheat to 375°F (190°C). Carefully brush croissants a second time with eggs. Bake one sheet at the time for about 16-20 minutes until they have a brown and even color. Let cool on the baking sheets for 5 minutes then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely. Even if the croissants are best eaten fresh on the same day, you can store them in an airtight container at room temperature up to 3 days. Dip or drizzle with chocolate, dust with powdered sugar, or fill to your taste, if desired.
Notes
Taste & Texture
- Flaky crisp exterior
- Buttery rich layers
- Soft airy center
- Golden delicate finish
Storage, Freezing & Reheating
- Fridge: There’s no real need to put them in the refrigerator, but you can if you want them to last a little longer. Let them come back to room temperature before eating.
- Freezer: The dough is frozen at different stages during the process, and shaped croissant dough can also be chilled as needed while working.
- Reheat: Fresh is best, but you can warm croissants slightly before serving if you like them a little crisp again.
Cooking Time and Temperature
The proofing temperature matters a lot here. I like keeping the oven around 80 to 85°F for proofing because room temperature usually doesn’t give me the rise I want. For baking, 375°F works well. I bake one tray at a time for 16 to 20 minutes so I can keep an eye on the color and make sure they bake evenly.Serving Recommendations
I love croissants the classic way with espresso, but I also like them with cold milk when I want something simple. For something sweeter, I would go with powdered sugar, chocolate drizzle, or even vanilla ice cream if I’m treating it more like dessert. If I’m serving them as part of a snack board, I’d add fruit and cheese and keep the rest fairly simple because the croissants already do a lot.Recipe Variations and Substitutions
If you have extra dough, you can use it to make pain au chocolat instead of regular crescent-shaped croissants. You can also play around with toppings after baking, like chocolate drizzle or powdered sugar. I would not swap in salted butter here even though some people ask about it. The recipe works best as written, and I prefer not to change what already works, especially with something this technical.Proper Storage Tips
- I keep baked croissants in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days.
- There’s no real need to refrigerate them unless you want them to last longer, but I prefer bringing them back to room temperature before eating because the texture is better that way.
- Croissants are best fresh, so I try to enjoy them the same day whenever I can.
Pro Tips for Success
- Keep your edges as straight as possible while rolling so your folds stay clean and even.
- Use as little flour as possible, and always brush away any excess between folds.
- Don’t overwork the dough. If it starts warming up, stop and chill it again.
- Keep the butter cold at all times, but still workable enough to spread inside the dough.
- Try to keep your measurements accurate, including thickness and triangle width, because consistency makes the whole process much smoother.
- Be patient with yourself. This is not the kind of recipe I would call casual, but once you get it right, it feels amazing.
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David Muturi
really informed and detailed recipe.
Chef David
Stephanie
What did I do wrong? My dough didn’t come together. So I added liquid. Then it kept climbing up my bowl during kneading abs pieces were flying out
Sabine
It sounds like the dough was too dry. It can be that the flour you used absorbs more liquid than the one I used. I used all-purpose flour with 11% protein for this recipe.
Stephanie
Wonderful recipe - I consider myself an intermediate/advanced baker (not a pro) and this made it so easy! Definitely a lot of work and I spent 3 days making these rather than 2 because I put my dough in the fridge between folds and rolling instead of the freezer (because the dough was soooo hard to roll when after it had been in the freezer overnight with the butter) and then the butter between the layers was getting soft and oozing out a bit. I saw your answer about an oven that doesn't go below 55° C after I had proofed my dough - I had the issue of butter melting, so I'll know for next time to just stick it in a cold oven with the warm water. Overall, croissants are definitely the hardest baking challenge I've yet to come across, but I'm happy with the result. (Despite the pain and palm blisters from rolling and folding the dough multiple times, I agree with the comment about doing more for more layers.)
Question: should I remove the bowl of boiled water from the oven when I go to bake the croissants on 375°? It didn't say, so I kept it in.
Sabine
Thank you so much for your lovely feedback! I'm glad they turned out well. Yes, remove the water from the oven before baking the croissants. I hope that helps.
Cindy
It looked like an amazing recipe and I tried it. I live in Malaysia and the coolest it gets here is probably 30 degrees C in the daytime and so rolling out the dough was a messy affair with the butter melting so quickly. Also it was warmer outside the oven than inside for the croissants to proof. How would I steam them during this process? My oven doesn't go lower than 55 degrees C. HELP please!!! Would love to try this beautiful recipe!
Sabine
I know, making croissants when it's hot can be hard. I'm sorry for you. In your case, put the croissant into the cold oven and place a cup of very warm but not boiling (like bathtub water temperature) water in the oven as well. In this case, you have the humidity you need without running into the troubles that the butter melts during proofing. Hope that helps!
Cindy
Thanks Sabine. Actually the end result turned out quite well, considering it was my first time, Thanks for the tips. will try that next time and there definitely be a next time 😉
Cindy
sorry, forgot to give you 5 stars and 2 thumbs up too 😉
Sabine
Thank you so much, Cindy! I'm happy that you like my recipe. 🙂
Kiya
Have you ever froze them then tried to bake them?
Sabine
Yes, that works fine! Simply prepare the dough, roll (step 10), and freeze the rolled dough again. Then remove them from the freezer, place on baking sheets as described in step 10, preheat the oven, and go on with step 11.
Patricia Luna
So it’s okay to freeze them over night then go ahead with proofing ?
Sabine
Yes absolutely! Prepare the dough, roll (step 10), and freeze the rolled dough overnight. Then remove them from the freezer, place them on baking sheets as described in step 10, preheat the oven, and go on with step 11.
Erin Thomas
I’m so happy to report that THIS is the croissant recipe I used, so that I can now say I’ve mastered French croissants!!!! This recipe is fantastic and the oven proofing trick with the boiling water is key! The only critique I have is I would add a couple more steps to rolling and turning to get some more layers in there. Other than that it was perfect! My fiancé and I are taking the freshly baked croissants with us on a road trip! Thank you for sharing this recipe!!
Sabine
Thank you so much for your feedback. I'm glad they turned out amazing. Hope you had a wonderful road trip!
marissa
very difficult and time consuming but so worth it! It was my first time ever baking croissants and i'm no professional baker but they turned out great! I also drizzled some chocolate over half of the batch!
Jenna
This was my first time making croissants and I must say, I followed the instructions and they turned out amazing! My go-to recipe for sure! I sifted my flour and sugar to make sure I didn’t have clumps and the proofing step was amazing. Definitely made a difference. I wish I could post a picture, they turned out great!!
Sabine
I'm happy that you like this recipe and that the croissants turned out great. I would love to see a picture though. Have a great day and stay safe.