Perfect Croissants (No mixer required!) - Catherine Zhang (2024)

Perfect flaky croissants with a light and fluffy interior and golden flaky crust, delicious croissants that come together without a mixer!

Croissants are one of those pastries that you look at and think... yeah there's no way I can make those myself. Well, you're wrong! While they may seem intimidating, when you break them down they are definitely achievable!

Now is the time to face your baking fears and give these a go. With all the tips, detailed diagrams, and instructions I've written down below you'll be mastering croissants in no time.

To make these as easy as possible you don't even need a mixer to make these. Just a little bit of elbow grease and patience, and you'll be rewarded with a tray full of flaky, buttery croissants.

What is laminated dough?

Laminationis the process of rolling butter in between dough to formincreasingly thin alternating layers of dough and butter.

Doughs that are made by rolling butter in between layers are known as laminated doughs. Common examples would be puff pastry, croissants, danishes, etc. Rolling butter in between the layers of dough will give the characteristic flaky texture that makes them absolutely delicious!

Perfecting the dough

Use bread flour

Bread flour is one of the most important ingredients when making croissants. Bread flour has a greater protein content than regular flour. This protein content is important when making croissants as it forms the basis of the croissant structure.

I find that a protein content of 11-12% is best as it ensures your croissant can rise tall and stay at that height once baked. If there isn't enough protein in your dough it can lead the croissant to collapse or bake up flat.

Most bread flours will have a protein content greater than 11%, but double check the nutritional information for per 100g.

Knead until supple, but not completely smooth

If you have made bread before you would know that doughs should be kneaded until they can pass the'windowpane test'.This is the stage when the dough can form such a thin sheet that it is translucent to light, like a window. This indicates thata good amount of gluten has formed(the essential network for all bread to rise)!

When making croissant dough we want to knead until just before this stage. If wedevelop too much glutenit will make thefolding process more difficult. Gluten gives the dough elasticity, and the more gluten that has formed the more spring back the dough will give when you're trying to roll it out.

When kneading the dough it will be very rough at first. As the dough starts to come together add the butter andknead for 10 minutes. At this point, the dough will be muchsofter, and slightly elastic, but the surface won't be 100% smooth. That's exactly what you want!

Rest overnight

It is important to let your doughrest overnightfor a couple of reasons. First, it allows the dough to proof. Second, it develops flavor. And third, it lets thegluten networksthat you formed while kneading torelax, that way when you roll it out to enclose your butter it won't try and resist you.

Perfecting the butter block

The most important ingredient... butter! The butter in between layers of dough creates the characteristic flakiness. So, it is important that you choose ahigh-quality butter!

Low-quality butter contains more water, which can decrease the amount of flakiness you get from your pastry.

Most bakeries will use butter with a minimum of 85% milk fat, however, when buying butter from your supermarket you may not have as many options. Iwouldn't go below a minimum of 80% milk fatin your butter.

Making the butter block

When it comes to making croissants the most important steps are the layering of butter and dough. In order to make this process as easy as possible it is important to optimize your ingredients.

Byshaping your butter into a flat rectangleit will make the rolling out process so much easier. A couple of tips to help you form the perfect slab of butter.

• Fold a piece of baking paper into the rectangular shape you want to achieve. I rolled my butter to a 25cm x 15cm rectangle, so I would make a rectangle that is25cm x 15cm. Make sure the baking paper can be folded over to enclose the butter
• Usesoftened butter, this will let you roll it out into the shape of the baking paper with less effort
• When you are ready to use the butter take it out of the fridge and allow it to soften until it is pliable. You should be able to bend the butter without it snapping.

The Folding Process

Making laminated doughs can seem very intimidating at first, but once you nail the basic process you'll be pumping out your own pastries in no time!

Different people have different ways of folding their dough.

I go for three steps, also known as the 3-4-3 technique:

1. Enclose the butter
2. Double fold
3. Single fold

Enclosing the butter

There are a couple of different ways to enclose the butter.

When making croissants I like to fold the two flaps over the butter slab. The two edges should touch at the center of the butter slab. You can then flip the dough over so the seam faces your work surface. Then roll the dough out in preparation for the next fold.

Double fold

Double folds, also known as book folds are a little more challenging. After rolling the dough out visually divide the sheet into fourths. Fold each side towards the center line. Then fold that in half. This is also called a book fold because it looks like a book!

Single fold

Single folds are the easiest. Simply roll your dough out into a rectangle and visually divide the sheet into thirds. Fold the bottom third up, then the top third down. Easy!

Frequently Asked Questions

Why are there chunks of butter in my dough?

If you find that there are chunks of butter throughout your dough as you roll it out it means your butter has shattered.

This occurs if you use cold butter when rolling out the dough. Ensure your butter is cool but pliable before using it.

You can help the butter reach this stage by rolling it out a couple of times with a rolling pin while it is still enclosed in the baking paper. The butter is ready to be used when it can be bent without snapping.

How can I fix shattered butter?

All hope isn't lost if your butter shatters! Stop rolling out your dough and let it sit at room temperature for 15 minutes or so. Let the butter soften enough that it doesn't shatter further as it is rolled.

Then continue as normal!

Why doesn't my croissant have layers?

There are a couple of reasons why your croissant doesn't have layers:

• The butter was too soft
• The dough wasn't chilled in between each fold
• The dough was folded too many times
• The environment was too warm

How come my croissant is flat?

Croissants can turn out flat for a couple of reasons:

• The protein content in the flour was too low (see "Perfecting the dough" above)
• The croissants were over-proofed (they are ready to be baked before they reach double in size)

Why did my croissant collapse after baking?

Croissants will collapse if they don't have the structure to support themselves, this can happen for a couple of reasons:

• Bread flour wasn't used, or the protein content of the flour wasn't high enough
• The croissants were over-proofed
• The croissants were under-proofed

As croissants prove the gluten strands slowly get weaker. Gluten is what gives the croissants structure and support.

If the croissants have been over-proofed the croissants will have expanded in size, but the weak gluten strands don't have the ability to support the structure. This causes them to deflate once baked.

If the croissants are under-proofed their structure is not yet properly established. When under-proofed croissants are baked they will expand rapidly, but as they don't have the foundation to support themselves they will collapse after baking.

Why did the butter run out of the croissants?

Butter running out of your croissants is a sign that they were proved in an environment that was too warm.

If the environment is too warm while they are proving, the butter will soften too much, and potentially separate from the layers. When these croissants are baked the butter will melt straight out of the layers, creating a greasy pool around your baked croissants.

How long do croissants last?

Croissants are best the day they're made as they have the softest interior and flakiest exterior. They will last up to 3 days when stored in an airtight container in the fridge. When you are ready to eat them make sure you heat them up for the best texture!

I highly recommend using your stale croissants to make almond croissants!

How do I reheat croissants?

I like to heat my croissants up in the air fryer! It gives them all-round crispiness. All you need is 5 minutes at 180C/355F.

If you are heating them up in the oven I would recommend baking them for 10 minutes in an oven preheated at 190C/375F, or until crisp and warmed through.

Let's Get Baking

If you got to the end of this long post then I'm sure your croissants are gonna be amazing! You're now fully equipped to bake the croissants of your dreams.

If you liked this recipe make sure to leave me a comment and rating down below, I would love to know how you went. Also, don't forget to tag me on Instagram@catherine.desserts and hashtag #cattycakes so I can see and share your desserts.

Follow me onFacebook,Pinterest,Youtube,andTikTokfor more of my baking creations and updates! Until next time... happy caking!

Print

📖 Recipe

Related Recipes