Authentic French croissants. Patience and effort are required but the results are totally worth it!
Ingredients
- warm water (110 degrees F/45 degrees C): 3 Tbsp
- ¼ teaspoons active dry yeast: 1 piece
- white sugar: 1 tsp
- ¾ cups all-purpose flour: 1 piece
- warm milk: 0.66667 cup
- white sugar: 2 tsp
- ½ teaspoons salt: 1 piece
- vegetable oil: 2 Tbsp
- unsalted butter, chilled: 0.66667 cup
- egg: 1 piece
- water: 1 Tbsp
Metric Conversion
Stages of cooking
-
Combine warm water, yeast, and 1 teaspoon sugar in a small bowl. Let stand until yeast softens and begins to form a creamy foam, about 5 minutes.
-
Measure flour into a mixing bowl. Combine warm milk, 2 teaspoons sugar, and salt in a separate bowl; blend milk mixture, yeast mixture, and oil into flour. Mix well and knead until smooth. Cover, and let rise until over tripled in volume, about 3 hours. Dotdash Meredith Food Studios
-
Deflate gently, and let rise again until doubled, about another 3 hours. Dotdash Meredith Food Studios
-
Deflate dough and chill for 20 minutes.
-
Massage butter until pliable, but not soft and oily. Pat dough into a 14x8-inch rectangle. Dotdash Meredith Food Studios
-
Smear butter over top two-thirds, leaving a 1/4-inch margin all around. Fold unbuttered third over middle third, and buttered top third down over that. Dotdash Meredith Food Studios Dotdash Meredith Food Studios
-
Turn 90 degrees, so that folds are to left and right. Roll out to a 14x6-inch rectangle. Fold in three again. Sprinkle lightly with flour, and put dough in a resealable plastic bag. Refrigerate for 2 hours. Dotdash Meredith Food Studios
-
Unwrap, sprinkle with flour, and deflate gently. Roll to a 14x6-inch rectangle, and fold again. Turn 90 degrees, and repeat. Wrap and chill 2 hours.
-
Preheat the oven to 475 degrees F (245 degrees C).
-
To shape, roll dough out to a 20x5-inch rectangle. Cut in half crosswise, and chill half while shaping the other half. Roll out to a 15x5-inch rectangle. Cut into three 5x5-inch squares. Cut each square in half diagonally. Dotdash Meredith Food Studios
-
Roll each triangle lightly to elongate the point, and make it 7 inches long. Grab the other 2 points, and stretch them out slightly as you roll it up. Dotdash Meredith Food Studios Dotdash Meredith Food Studios
-
Place on a baking sheet, curving slightly. Let shaped croissants rise until puffy and light. Dotdash Meredith Food Studios
-
In a small bowl, beat together egg and 1 tablespoon water. Glaze croissants with egg wash.
-
Bake in the preheated oven until crisp, flaky, and golden brown, about 12 to 15 minutes. Dotdash Meredith Food Studios
