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Homemade French Croissants (Small Batch) Recipe

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4.9 from 81 reviews

This Homemade French Croissants recipe delivers flaky, buttery croissants made from scratch in a small batch. Using traditional lamination techniques with dough and a butter block, this recipe guides you through proofing, folding, rolling, cutting, and baking to achieve golden, airy, and delicious croissants perfect for breakfast or any special occasion.

Ingredients

Scale

Détrempe (Dough)

  • 85 g milk (⅓ cup), lukewarm
  • 60 g water (¼ cup), lukewarm
  • 6 g active dry yeast (about 2 tsp)
  • 5 g honey (1 tsp) (malt syrup or sugar as alternatives)
  • 25 g butter (1 ½ tbsp), melted and cooled
  • 20 g white sugar (generous 1 ½ tbsp)
  • 250 g all-purpose flour (2 cups, spoon and leveled)
  • 5 g salt (about 1 tsp)

Butter Block (Tourrage)

  • 140 g butter (10 tbsp), cold

Egg Wash

  • 1 egg yolk
  • 2 tbsp milk and/or cream

Instructions

  1. Activate Yeast: Dissolve the honey in lukewarm milk in a mixing bowl, then whisk in the active dry yeast. Let it sit for 10-20 minutes to activate.
  2. Make Dough: Add water, melted butter, sugar, flour, and salt to the bowl in order. Stir with a spatula or spoon until a scraggly dough forms.
  3. Knead Dough: Knead in the bowl by hand for 1-2 minutes, then turn onto a work surface and knead for 4 minutes until smooth but still soft. Place dough back in the bowl and cover with plastic wrap.
  4. Proof Dough: Let the dough proof in a warm place until doubled in size, approximately 1 hour.
  5. Shape and Freeze Dough: Turn dough onto a lightly floured surface, flatten to knock out air, transfer to parchment paper, and shape into a rectangle about 7 x 10 inches. Cover with parchment and plastic wrap, place in a pan, and freeze for at least a few hours or overnight.
  6. Prepare Butter Block: Slice the cold butter thinly and arrange within a 5 x 6.5 inch marked rectangle on parchment paper. Fold the parchment over the butter slices and use a rolling pin to spread and evenly flatten the butter. Chill in fridge until firm or overnight.
  7. Prepare for Lamination: Remove dough from freezer, let soften slightly if frozen solid, and remove parchment. Roll dough to a 7 x 10 inch rectangle if needed. Unwrap butter block but keep on parchment, place on half the dough, pat to bind, then peel off parchment. Fold dough over butter, seal edges, and chill if dough has warmed.
  8. First Lamination (Double Fold): Flour work surface and dough, roll lengthwise to about 16 inches maintaining a 5-inch width. Fold in 1/8th toward center, bring the opposite end to meet it, cut corners at folds to release tension, brush off flour. Fold dough in half, tap to keep shape, cut corners again, wrap and chill for 30-60 minutes.
  9. Second Lamination (Single Fold): Flour surface, roll dough to 15 inches with approx 5-inch width. Fold in 1/3 fold (about 5 inches), cut corners, brush flour, fold the opposite side over the first fold, cut corners again, wrap and chill for 30-60 minutes.
  10. Sheeting Dough: Roll dough on floured towel-facing folds toward you to about 1cm thickness and 8-9 inches width. Wrap and chill 30-45 minutes. Roll again to 4-5 mm thickness and 9.5-10 inches wide. Keep dough cold and prevent sticking with flour.
  11. Cut Dough: Trim edges to 9 inches width straight and even. Mark 3.5 inch intervals on one long edge, offset marks in between on opposite edge. Cut lines to create about 6 triangles and a leftover piece.
  12. Roll Croissants: Brush off excess flour from triangles. Make a 1 cm cut at the midpoint of triangle base. Roll base upward while gently pulling corners to widen base. Roll up rest of triangle ensuring tip centered. Place on lined baking pan with tip tucked underneath and gently press to seal.
  13. Proof Croissants: Cover croissants loosely with plastic wrap and place another tray on top. Proof in warm environment (25°C / 77°F) until doubled and pillowy, about 2-3 hours.
  14. Preheat Oven: Heat oven to 375°F (190°C) at least 30 minutes before baking.
  15. Egg Wash and Bake: Mix egg yolk and milk or cream. Brush croissants gently with egg wash using soft pastry brush. Bake in conventional oven at 375°F for 20-30 minutes until golden brown, turning tray halfway if needed.
  16. Cool Croissants: Remove from oven, cool a few minutes on tray, then transfer to wire rack to cool further so interiors set and croissants retain flaky texture.

Notes

  • Keep dough and butter block consistently cold throughout lamination to prevent butter from melting and ensure flaky layers.
  • If dough softens too much at any stage, refrigerate or freeze briefly before continuing.
  • Make small cuts at folds to release tension and prevent dough from shrinking back.
  • Proofing times may vary depending on room temperature and humidity; ensure croissants double in size.
  • Handle croissants gently when applying egg wash to avoid deflating delicate layers.
  • Use a sharp knife or pizza cutter pressed straight down for clean cuts without distorting dough.

Keywords: French croissants, homemade croissants, laminated dough, breakfast pastry, flaky croissants, butter croissant recipe

Find it online: https://thefoodrecipe.com/homemade-french-croissants-small-batch-recipe/