
Crafting homemade croissants brings French bakery charm straight to your home. These flaky, golden delights break into delicate layers with every mouthful, while their buttery scent tempts everyone to join you for breakfast.
I worked for ages tweaking this method in my kitchen, and I'll always remember when I finally got that perfect honeycomb inside. My kid told me our kitchen reminded her of our favorite Parisian bakery, and that moment made all my hard work worth it.
Key Components
- Butter: Go for European-style as it contains less moisture and makes crispier layers
- Flour: Regular all-purpose does the job great - don't worry about special kinds
- Yeast: Both fresh and instant work fine, just watch your rising times
- Milk: Full-fat gives the best taste and consistency
- Salt: Keep the full amount - it manages yeast activity and boosts taste
- Sugar: Makes your croissants brown nicely and keeps the texture soft

Step-by-Step Guide
- Step 1:
- Start with everything at room temp except the laminating butter
- Step 2:
- Work your dough until it can stretch thin without breaking
- Step 3:
- Give dough time to relax before rolling to avoid bounce-back
- Step 4:
- Your butter should be cold but flexible - it should bend not snap
- Step 5:
- Use steady pressure when rolling for uniform layers
- Step 6:
- Keep your edges neat and corners crisp during folding
- Step 7:
- Cool dough in fridge between folds
- Step 8:
- Use a really sharp knife for clean triangle cuts
- Step 9:
- Form croissants firmly but don't pull the dough
- Step 10:
- Let them rise until they look puffy and slightly jiggle
When I was little, I'd watch my grandma make croissants. She taught me that being patient while baking always pays off. She'd always say, "The dough will tell you when it's time" - and she wasn't wrong.
Planning and Keeping Options
- Step 1:
- Get everything ready and shape them before bedtime
- Step 2:
- Put your shaped croissants in the fridge overnight to rise slowly
- Step 3:
- Take them out about an hour before you want to bake
- Step 4:
- Pop them in the oven just when you need them
- Step 5:
- Think ahead when you're making them for special days

These croissants have become my weekend ritual, adding a bit of French flair to normal mornings. They take time to make, but biting into those perfectly layered, golden treats fresh from your oven makes every minute count.
Frequently Asked Questions
- → What’s the purpose of resting the dough overnight?
- It lets the gluten chill out and firms up the butter so shaping and rolling get easier.
- → Is it possible to freeze the croissants?
- Definitely! You can freeze shaped croissants before baking. Let them thaw overnight before proofing and baking fresh.
- → Why does butter temperature matter?
- The butter’s got to be cool but bendy, so it makes nice layers in the dough and doesn’t melt into it.
- → How do I tell when the croissants are proofed right?
- They’ll puff up to twice the size and feel light and fluffy with a gentle touch.
- → Can I use salted butter instead?
- It’s better to go with unsalted butter. That way, you control how much salt goes in for the best taste.