Go Back
–+ servings
How to Make Croissants - basket of homemade croissants
Print Recipe
5 from 8 votes

Milk Bread Croissants

These crispy, buttery French croissants (amazing slathered in jam, with a cup of coffee) start with our trusty, easy milk bread recipe!
Prep Time1 day
Cook Time30 minutes
Total Time1 day 30 minutes
Course: Breakfast and Brunch
Cuisine: Austrian, French
Servings: 8
Calories: 337kcal
Author: Bill

Equipment

  • Parchment paper
  • Rolling Pin
  • ruler
  • bench scraper/dough scraper
  • stand mixer with dough hook attachment (optional, but ideal)

Ingredients

  • 6 ounces unsalted European-style butter (at room temperature)
  • 1/3 cup heavy cream (at room temperature)
  • 1/2 cup whole milk (at room temperature)
  • 1 large egg (at room temperature, divided—half for dough, half for egg wash)
  • 2 1/2 tablespoons sugar
  • 2 cups all purpose flour
  • 1 1/2 teaspoons active dry yeast
  • 3/4 teaspoon salt
  • 2 teaspoons water
US Customary - Metric

Instructions

Step 1: Make the Butter Square

  • Cut a piece of parchment paper 11 inches (28 cm) long by 15 inches (38 cm) wide (this was the width of our parchment paper roll). Fold the parchment in half so you have a 7 ½” x 11” (19x28cm) rectangle.
  • Cut the softened butter into ½-inch (1cm) squares, and arrange them on one side of the paper to form a rough 7x7 inch (18x18cm) square. Fold the other half of parchment over the slightly softened butter, and use a rolling pin and something with a flat edge (like a bench scraper/dough scraper or offset spatula) to form the butter into a uniform square, flipping the butter square over a couple times to flatten both sides.
  • When you have a uniform thickness, place the butter square in the freezer for at least 30 minutes. You can do this step ahead of time, and keep the butter square frozen until you are ready to make your croissants.

Step 2: Make the Milk Bread Dough:

  • ​​In the bowl of a stand mixer with a dough hook attachment, add the ingredients in the following order: heavy cream, milk, ½ of the egg, sugar, flour, yeast, and salt. (Set aside the remaining ½ of the egg in a sealed container for the egg wash, which you’ll brush onto the croissants just before baking.)
  • Turn on the mixer to the lowest setting, and once the ingredients have come together into a dough, knead on low speed for 15 minutes, occasionally stopping the mixer to push the dough together with a stiff rubber spatula. The dough should stick to the bottom of the mixing bowl, but not the sides. If the dough is sticking to the sides of the bowl, add flour 1 tablespoon at a time until it pulls away from the sides. If you don’t have a mixer and would like to knead by hand, start by mixing the dough with a stiff rubber spatula before kneading with floured hands, and  extend the kneading time by 5-10 minutes.
  • After kneading, cover the bowl with a damp towel, and place in a warm spot for 1 to 2 hours, until the dough has doubled in size (we place it in a closed microwave with a mug of just-boiled water next to it).
  • When the dough has doubled in size, use the dough hook once again (or floured hands) to knead for 5 minutes, punching the air out of the dough.
  • Roll the dough out into an 8-inch (20cm) square of uniform thickness. Use a rolling pin to press and flatten the dough. Use a straightedge to sharpen the sides and corners. Wrap the dough in plastic wrap, and refrigerate for 30 minutes. If your butter is frozen solid, you can take it out of the freezer to soften at this point. You want the butter to be cool, but still pliable (about as pliable as your dough), which should take about 30 minutes in a mild ambient temperature (68-70°F/20-21°C).

Step 3: Laminate the Dough with the Butter

  • After the dough has been chilled for 30 minutes, unwrap it from the plastic wrap (set it aside—you’ll use it again several times). Use a rolling pin to roll the dough out to an 11-inch (28cm) square, using a dough scraper to form corners as sharp as you can manage.
  • Place the butter square in the center of the dough at a 45° angle, so it looks like a diamond on top of a square. Fold the corners of the dough into the center of the butter diamond. There should be enough overlapping dough that you can easily pinch the seams together to seal the butter, making sure that you don’t have any air pockets that can break the seal and cause the butter to ooze out.
  • Lightly roll over the seams with a rolling pin to flatten them and seal them further. This will minimize butter leakage when rolling out the dough during the lamination process.
  • Flip the dough onto a lightly floured surface, so the seam side is facing down. Roll the dough into a 18x9-inch (40x20cm) rectangle, flipping it several times while rolling it out to ensure uniform thickness of the dough and the butter. Lightly press the dough with the rolling pin at every inch, which stretches the dough into a rectangular shape. Use a dough scraper to straighten out the edges and keep the layers uniform. Dust with flour as needed while rolling and shaping, but work as quickly as you can, so the butter doesn’t warm up and absorb into the dough!
  • Brush off any excess flour, and fold it into thirds like a business letter, making sure you have an even overlap of the three layers of dough. This is the “turn” of the dough. Lightly roll the dough with the rolling pin to flatten, using the dough scraper to square off each side if needed. Wrap the dough back in plastic wrap (just use the same piece of plastic for the entire process to minimize waste). Return the dough to the refrigerator for 30 to 45 minutes. Chilling the dough a little longer is ok if you are multitasking—just remember to let the dough warm up slightly for 5 minutes if it is very cold (to make it easier to roll out).
  • Repeat these steps (starting with rolling the dough into a 18x9-inch/40x20cm rectangle) for another 3 turns. In total, you should complete 4 turns.
  • After the last turn, rest the dough for at least 1 hour or overnight in the refrigerator. The duration largely depends on how much time you have, and when you want to bake your croissants. 1 hour is fine, but chilling overnight is ideal.

Step 4: Shape the Croissants

  • When you’re ready to shape the croissants, take the dough out of the refrigerator and roll the dough out into a 18x9-inch (40x20cm) rectangle. Using a chef’s knife and straightedge (a ruler works great), cut off the rounded edges on all 4 sides of the rectangle.
  • Using a ruler, cut the dough crosswise into 4 equal rectangles. Cut each rectangle across the diagonal into two right triangles. You should have 8 pieces.
  • To form a croissant, place one triangle in front of you, with the pointy end of the triangle facing away from you. Cut a 1-inch/2.5cm slit in the center of the base of the triangle. Stretch the resulting ends outwards (to look kind of like the base of the Eiffel Tower) to make the base of the croissant wider.
  • Use your hand to gently but tightly roll the dough away from you in one fluid motion. Place each finished croissant on a parchment-lined sheet pan, with the tip of the triangle tucked underneath the croissant. Repeat until you have 8 croissants, evenly spaced on a half sheet pan. Cover the croissants with a clean, dry kitchen towel. Refrigerate for 30 minutes.
  • After 30 minutes, place the pan in an oven (turned off) or on the counter to proof for about 90 minutes—an ideal temperature is about 75°F/24°C. The croissants should look puffy and light, so if in doubt, let them proof for another 30 minutes.

Step 5: Bake the Croissants

  • Position a rack in the middle of your oven, and preheat it to 425°F/220°C. (If you proof the croissants in the oven, remember to remove them before preheating!)
  • When the oven is ready, beat the egg with 1 tablespoon of water to make an egg wash. Use a pastry brush to gently brush the croissants with the egg wash, avoiding the laminated edges.
  • Bake the croissants for 12 minutes, rotating the pan halfway through. After 12 minutes, reduce the oven temperature to 350°F/175°C, and bake for another 15-18 minutes (for a total of 27-30 minutes of baking), until the croissants turn a deep golden brown. Don’t take them out too soon, or they may be under-baked in the middle. Remove from the oven, and cool for at least 15 minutes before enjoying.

Notes

Recipe makes 8 croissants. Store any leftover croissants in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days. If they're not fresh, lightly toast them in the toaster oven before enjoying them again!

Nutrition

Calories: 337kcal | Carbohydrates: 30g | Protein: 6g | Fat: 22g | Saturated Fat: 14g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 6g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 76mg | Sodium: 238mg | Potassium: 93mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 5g | Vitamin A: 724IU | Vitamin C: 1mg | Calcium: 37mg | Iron: 2mg