How to Make Butter Croissants at Home — Croissant Series Part 1

Making homemade butter croissants takes time and patience, but there’s nothing like biting into a warm, flaky, buttery croissant fresh from your oven.

This guide has been written to help you through the multi-day process of making croissants at home. It’s not a quick project, and you should expect to practice a few times before you’re completely comfortable, but the results are worth the effort.

With practice the techniques become easier. Don’t be discouraged if your first attempts aren’t perfect—each batch teaches you something. Once you master the basic butter croissant, you can easily adapt the dough for chocolate, almond, or other flavored croissants.

This post includes step-by-step photos and a detailed recipe card near the end. Read through the instructions first, then follow the recipe when you’re ready to bake.

Helpful tools

A French-style rolling pin helps apply even pressure when laminating the dough, and a kitchen scale is essential for accurate measurements. A stand mixer with a dough hook makes kneading easier, but you can prepare the dough by hand if needed.

Ingredients and substitutions

The complete ingredient list and quantities are in the recipe card below. Here are a few notes and substitution tips to consider:

1. All-purpose flour – Used for the poolish (pre-ferment) and the dough. Bread flour or a mix of bread and all-purpose can be used for more chew, but all-purpose makes the recipe widely accessible.
2. Active dry yeast – Required for both the poolish and the main dough to drive fermentation.
3. Water – Warm water activates the yeast and hydrates the dough. Use warm, not hot, water to avoid killing the yeast.
4. Granulated sugar – Adds light sweetness and feeds the yeast for fermentation.
5. Kosher salt – Balances and enhances flavor.
6. Unsalted butter – You need a significant amount for laminating and for flavor. Avoid reduced-fat spreads; do not substitute salted butter unless you reduce the salt elsewhere.
7. Egg – For an egg wash to achieve a glossy, golden crust.

How to make a butter croissant

Below are the step-by-step instructions, organized by day. If you prefer, skip ahead to the recipe card to print or reference while you bake.

Day 1: Make the poolish

Combine 100 g all-purpose flour, a pinch of active dry yeast, and 100 g warm water in a small bowl. Cover and let ferment at room temperature overnight, at least 15 hours and preferably longer until it becomes bubbly.

Note: When the poolish is bubbling and active, it’s ready to use. Cooler room temperatures may require longer fermentation.

Day 2: Make the dough

Measure all ingredients before you begin for a smooth process. Begin by dissolving about a teaspoon of sugar and a small amount of yeast in warm water and let it bloom for 10–15 minutes. If the yeast does not become puffy, repeat this step with fresh yeast.

Mix the flour, remaining sugar, and salt, then add the bloomed yeast, the poolish, softened butter, and water. Knead with a dough hook for about 20 minutes until the dough is smooth and manageable. Turn the dough onto a lightly floured counter, flatten it into a small rectangle and fold it like a letter twice. Place the dough in an oiled bowl and let it rise for 1.5 hours until doubled.

While the dough rises, prepare the butter for lamination. Soften the block slightly, place it between parchment, and roll into a flat rectangle about 6.5″ x 7.5″. Chill until ready.

Tip: Firm, even butter is easier to laminate. If necessary, work the butter with the rolling pin to achieve an even sheet.

When the dough has risen, flatten it to about 10″ x 7.5″, place on a parchment-lined tray, cover, and freeze for 20 minutes. Bring the butter out of the fridge so it softens slightly; the butter and dough should be similar in firmness for easy lamination.

Roll the chilled dough to about 16″ x 7.5″, place the butter in the center, and fold the dough over the butter to encase it. Pinch the edges to seal.

Dough lamination — turns 1 to 3

Turn 1: With the short side facing you, roll to roughly 22″ x 9″ and fold into thirds like a letter. Chill 15–20 minutes.

Turn 2: Repeat the same rolling and folding, rotating the dough as you roll. Chill again 15–20 minutes.

Turn 3: Repeat once more. After the final turn, roll to a rectangle about 24″ x 9″ and cut it in half crosswise to create two 12″ x 9″ pieces. Place parchment between them and either chill in the freezer for 15–20 minutes to continue now or wrap and refrigerate overnight to finish the next day.

Day 3: Form the croissants

Work with one piece of dough at a time while keeping the other chilled. Roll one sheet to roughly 18″ x 10″. Using a ruler as a guide, mark and cut the dough into seven isosceles triangles. Lightly roll each triangle to about 12″ long, trim about 1/4″ from the base to expose the layers, then roll up from the base toward the point. Place shaped croissants on a parchment-lined baking sheet about 2″ apart.

Repeat with the second sheet. Cover the trays lightly with floured plastic wrap and proof at room temperature for up to 4–5 hours. A room temperature of 75–80°F is ideal; in warmer environments check frequently to avoid over-proofing.

When proofed, preheat the oven to 325°F. Beat one egg with 1 tablespoon water and brush the croissants lightly. Bake one tray at a time for 35–40 minutes until deep golden. Cool on a wire rack before serving—they will continue to finish cooking as they cool.

Storage

This recipe yields about 14 croissants. Store leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 1–2 days. For longer storage, unbaked shaped croissants can be frozen for up to 2 months; bake from frozen after thawing and proofing 6–8 hours at room temperature for best results. Baked croissants freeze well for up to 1 month.

This recipe is adapted from Thomas Keller’s Bouchon Bakery.

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