Tara O'Brady shows us how to make crispy, buttery croissants that will revolutionize your brunch game
Do not be intimidated — you absolutely can make these flaky, yet melt-in-your-mouth pastries at home
A breakfast doesn’t get more quintessentially French than when it involves crispy, buttery croissants. Put away the pre-made dough in a can! You don’t have to be a baking aficionado to master this staple of French cuisine, especially since Tara O'Brady of Seven Spoons is here to show us how to do it. Croissants are incredibly versatile — delicious paired with either sweet or savory add-ons, or just by themselves. Warm, flaky, melt-in-your-mouth — once you get the hang of this recipe, you’ll never want to put it away!
This process is simple but takes some time — be patient, they’re worth the wait!
Ingredients
- 2 ½ cups French Type 55 flour or unbleached all-purpose flour (extra for dusting)
- ⅝ cup water
- ⅝ cup whole milk
- ¼ cup sugar
- ⅓ cup softened unsalted butter
- 2 ½ tsp salt
- 2 ¼ tsp instant yeast
- 2 cups cold unsalted butter for laminating
Egg wash:
- 1 egg
- 1 tsp water
Equipment:
- Wax paper
- Rolling pin
- Ruler or straight edge
Preparation
Attach your dough handle to your mixer. Add the flour, water, milk, sugar, softened butter, salt and instant yeast. Mix it on low, and knead until it just starts to come together. Refrigerate overnight.
Now that it’s rested, we’re going to “laminate” the dough. Take your cold butter to make a “butter block” — cut it into thin slices, and arrange the slices into a 6-inch square. Place the square between two pieces of wax paper, and whack the butter with a rolling pin to form a flattened sheet.
Roll out your dough on a lightly floured surface into a 10-inch square. Take your butter block in the center of your dough square — you want one of the sides of the butter facing one of the corners of the dough.
Wrap one corner of the dough over the butter. Continue with the other corners to seal the butter in completely. Roll it out into an 20cm x 61cm rectangle. Fold ⅓ of the dough down, and ⅓ of the bottom up — to form an letter fold. Wrap the dough package and put in the refrigerator for 30 minutes.
Once chilled, roll out the dough again into a large rectangle. Using a ruler, mark 6.5 cm intervals on one side, and 13 cm intervals on the other. Use a knife to cut triangles in the dough, connecting the intervals.
Stretch out the triangle slightly, and roll the dough in, starting at the wide base, and rolling until it’s completely wrapped on itself. Make sure the rolls are tight but not crushed. Place each croissant on a parchment-lined baking sheet — place it on the tip so it doesn’t unroll.
Mix an egg with some water, and lightly brush the egg wash over the croissants. Bake them at 400º in the oven for 20-30 minutes, until they are golden brown.
Eat fresh out of the oven, add some eggs for a breakfast sandwich, or some jam or nutella for a sweet morning treat! Great for a post-dinner treat, or as a mid-morning pick-me-up.