Butter Croissants

Don't Make These Mistakes

Work in the coolest part of your kitchen and return the dough to the fridge the moment it starts to feel soft.

Butter with at least 82% fat content is essential; standard butter carries too much water and will steam the layers apart.

If butter leaks out during baking, the proof was too warm. The croissants will still be good, just less airy.

Cooking Butter Croissants

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1. Mix the dough ingredients to a smooth, firm dough — 5 minutes in a mixer or 8 by hand. Shape into a 20 cm square, wrap, and refrigerate overnight.

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2. Pound the cold butter between two sheets of baking paper into an even 18 cm square. Keep it cold and pliable, like firm modelling clay.

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3. Roll the dough into a 20 x 40 cm rectangle. Lay the butter block on one half and fold the other over, sealing the edges by pinching firmly.

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4. Roll out to 20 x 60 cm, working lengthwise with firm, even pressure. Fold in thirds like a letter. Wrap and chill 45 minutes.

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5. Repeat the roll and letter fold twice more, chilling 45 minutes between each. Three folds gives you 27 butter layers.

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6. Roll the final dough to 30 x 60 cm and 4 mm thick. Trim the edges square — sealed edges cannot rise.

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7. Cut into triangles with a 12 cm base. Notch the centre of each base, stretch gently, and roll up from base to tip without compressing.

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8. Arrange on lined trays, tip tucked underneath. Prove at 24 to 26°C / 75 to 79°F for 2 to 3 hours until visibly jiggly and roughly doubled — do not prove them warmer, or the butter will melt out.

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9. Brush carefully with egg wash, avoiding the cut layers. Bake at 200°C / 390°F for 18 to 20 minutes until deep mahogany. Cool on a rack for 20 minutes before eating.

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Related guide: Prep, cook and total time.

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Leftovers, Reheating and Keeping

Best within hours of baking. Keep 2 days in a paper bag and refresh at 180°C / 355°F for 5 minutes. Freeze shaped, unproven croissants for 1 month — prove from frozen for 4 to 5 hours.

What to Serve Alongside

• Café crème or a bowl of hot chocolate
• Serve with apricot jam and salted butter
• Excellent split and filled with ham and Gruyère the next day

Questions and Answers

What's in a Serving

Per serving, calculated from the ingredient list with USDA FoodData Central figures (SR Legacy). A calculation, not a laboratory analysis: brands, cuts and how you measure change the real numbers. How the figures are worked out.