Easy Homemade Croissants
Croissants are one of the top sellers of every bakery out there. They are good for breakfast along with a cup of tea or hot coffee. You can have one for brunch or snack, too.
I’m sure you had them before. But have you ever wondered how they are made? If you have an oven at home, why not try?
Well, I can understand why some people are hesitant to bake. They are afraid to fail. Do you feel the same way? If you do, it’s about time to set the hesitation aside, and try baking. And for your first recipe, make some croissants, so you will never have to wait in line at the bakeshops anymore just to get your morning bread.
What Are Croissants?
Croissants are easy to spot because of their crescent shape. They are made of a layered-dough. First, the dough is layered with butter and folded a few times before it is rolled into a thin sheet (laminating). This then results in a layered and flaky texture.
Although many people think that croissants originated from France, the truth is, the idea came from Vienna, Austria. It was not until later on when the bakers started using puffed pastry, which is a French innovation.
So, are you ready to try the most famous breakfast pastry? Here you go:
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Easy Homemade Croissants
- Total Time: 11 hours 15 minutes
- Yield: 12 1x
Description
There is nothing more decadent to eat in the morning than a cloud-like puff pastry…chewy, buttery, flaky, and delicious croissants!
Ingredients
1 1/4 tsp. leavening agent
4 tbsp. water
3 tsp. granulated sugar
1 3/4 c. all-purpose flour
1 1/2 tsp. table salt
2/3 c. milk
2 tbsp cooking oil
2/3 c. butter (unsalted)
1 large egg
Instructions
- In a large bowl, combine yeast, 1 tsp. sugar and warm water. Wait until the mixture gets creamy and frothy.
- In a separate bowl, mix 2 tsp. of sugar and salt with milk. Make sure that the dry ingredients get dissolved well. Add the flour, yeast, and oil. Knead until smooth and allow it to rise for about 3 hours.
- Deflate and let it rise again for another 2 hours. Deflate again and refrigerate for about 20 minutes.
- Massage butter until pliable. Make a 14X8-inch rectangle with the dough. Smear butter over top, leaving about 1/4 inch margin all around.
- Fold the unbuttered part over the middle third and then the buttered top over it.
- Roll out to a 14X6-inch rectangle and fold in three again.
- Sprinkle a little bit of flour and put the dough in a plastic bag. Put in the fridge for a couple of hours.
- Remove the dough from the plastic back, sprinkle with flour again and deflate.
- Again, roll to a 14X6-inch rectangle and fold. Turn 90 degrees and do the same step. Wrap and refrigerate for 2 hours.
- Roll dough out to a 20X5-inch rectangle, cut, and refrigerate the other half while working on the other.
- Cut the half in three 5X5 inch squares, and cut each piece in half diagonally.
- Roll each triangle in such a way that the point is elongated and it is about 7 inches long. Grab the other two points and stretch them out while rolling it up. Put on a baking sheet.
- Repeat steps until the rest are all done.
- In a small bowl, beat egg and 1 tbsp of water. Use this to glaze the croissants with.
- Preheat oven to 475 degrees Fahrenheit. Bake for about 15 minutes.
Notes
When massaging the butter, make sure it doesn’t get soft nor oily.
- Prep Time: 11 hours
- Cook Time: 15 minutes
- Category: Bread
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: French
Folding the Croissants
At first, you may find folding or layering the croissants quite intimidating. But don’t be. The bottom line is, the more you fold, the more layers your croissants would have. However, you have to make sure that the layers are not too thin either. Otherwise, they won’t be really visible once baked.
Closing Thoughts
Croissants are good. There is no question about that. You can eat them plain. Or, you also have the option to add toppings of your choice. It could be strawberry jam, apple butter, or even lemon curd. In fact, you can also stuff them with dark chocolate or perhaps ham and cheese before baking them. That would be fantastic!