How to make French croissants at home from scratch

Making croissants at home is such an achievement and while making croissants is definitely not for the faint-hearted, it is so rewarding once you have mastered the process.  While there is an incredible amount of technique involved, following some simple (and repetitive) processes will ensure that your end product is delicious. Follow our step-by-step, comprehensive instructions and photos, and you will surely have soft flaky, buttery croissants to enjoy at the end.

This traditional croissants recipe is a detailed guide, with step-by-step instructions on what to do and how to do it. It is supported by many photos of each stage, as I know that sometimes the words don’t tell the full story. Sometimes you just need to see what you are being asked by the recipe to do. When it comes to learning how to make croissants, I think the more detail, the better.

Making croissants is not easy, and the devil is in the detail, so the more information available, the greater the chance of success. I’ve made this recipe many times over, and I rely on these steps every time. That’s also why I know they work. I’ve had plenty of practice.

So, just to warn you, this is a long article. I can’t give you insider tips and advice on croissant making without it. If you can stick with me, I’ll show you how to make classic French croissants like an expert.  I learned all of this through a cooking class I went to in Paris.

Use the Jump to Recipe button at the top of the article to go straight to the recipe if you want to, but I can (almost) promise you that you will keep scrolling back up to the detailed information that has all the photos.

Cook’s tip: The biggest tip I could give anyone attempting to make croissants is not to rush any aspect of this process.  It can be stopped and started along the way, but each step should be done properly and with precision.  Taking shortcuts will make your path to beautiful, flaky croissants difficult. Success is incredibly important when you start learning how to make croissants as a successful mission will inspire you to make them again.

What is a croissant?

We all know what a croissant is, right? Perhaps we do, but I think many people would be surprised to know that their origins are Austrian and not French. Although, like many other foods the world over, the French have certainly claimed them as their own. Croissants were part of the group of baked goods known as Viennoiserie that sits somewhere in between luscious pastries and bread.

The key ingredient in croissants that is different to most pastries is yeast. Croissants are the crescent-shaped pastries now folklore in France that use yeast and plenty of butter to produce a soft, buttery, flaky pastry that melts in your mouth.

Can anyone make croissants?

Yes, anyone can make croissants, although it is fair to say that unless you are a classicly trained pastry chef, it’s likely to take you a while to master them. Practice does make perfect though. Expect that your first batch might not be the best-looking croissants around, but keep on trying and learning. Even a bad croissant that you have made yourself will still be delicious.

Why this recipe works

• If you follow the process step-by-step in this article, you will definitely be able to make croissants. This is not an easy recipe for croissants. It’s a recipe for the correct way to make them.
• I learned this process and all of the tips and techniques in this recipe directly from a French-trained pastry chef in Paris. I made them in Paris. So I am living proof that this process works.
• Better still, I took copious notes whilst making these in Paris so that I could make them over and over again at home. The extra notes I took are all in this article, identified as cook’s tips. Follow these extra pieces of advice, and you’ll stay on the right track.
• I have included heaps of photos so that you can actually see what I mean as I explain the process. Sometimes, the words can be a little tricky to understand. The photos show you exactly what needs to be done.
• This recipe only makes a small number of croissants. I’ve found that making a small batch increases the chances of success and takes less time. I’d prefer to see six amazing, flaky croissants than a dozen dodgy ones.
• This recipe would suit beginners and those who have been baking for a while.
• You don’t need to make them all at once. Making the dough is time-consuming, but you can spread that over several days. You can literally make dough on a different day than creating and baking croissants.

Equipment for making croissants

• teaspoons
• digital kitchen scales
• jug
• baking paper (parchment paper)
• plastic wrap
• rolling pin
• sharp knives – a small paring knife and a large knife
• ruler
• biscuit trays
• pastry brushes (for egg wash and sugar syrup)
• dough scraper

What goes into this recipe

Cook’s tip: This croissant recipe differs slightly from most baking recipes. The ingredients list uses grams, even for liquids. This is because measurement by grams is more precise and when it comes to making croissants at home, precision is your best friend.

Croissant dough ingredients (starting dough – détrempe)

• 250g all-purpose flour (around 11% protein)
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 35g sugar
• 10g fresh yeast (5g active dried yeast)
• 115g water
• 25g melted butter

Butter block ingredients (tourrage)

• 125g unsalted butter (high-fat content)

Eggwash ingredients

• One whole egg

Sugar syrup ingredients

• 100g water
• 50g sugar

Cook’s tip: Heat, high temperatures and humidity will never be best friends with croissants.  If you live in a hot environment, it could get tricky.  I wait for winter where I live or else it’s just too hot.  If you have air conditioning, you can make them at any time of the year.

Ingredient notes

• Butter – it’s written several times throughout this recipe because it’s the single most important ingredient to make your croissants beautiful. The butter must be high-fat and should not be substituted for anything else to make traditional French croissants.
• All-purpose flour – also called plain flour, is flour that most people already have in their kitchen. Bread flour can be used as well as it has a higher protein content.
• Salt – don’t forget to put this in as it brings out all the flavour of the butter in the final product. I just use table salt as it mixes in more readily.
• Yeast – if not using fresh yeast make sure you are using activated dried yeast which doesn’t require activation (frothing) before you use it. If it is not activated and you use it, the dough won’t rise, and the croissants won’t work.
• Sugar – for the sugar syrup, I use white sugar.

How to make croissants

The butter block preparation

Step 1 | Preparing the butter block

First, we need to make a template. Fold a piece of A4 paper in half. This is now known as C5 size. Put in the centre of a large piece of baking (parchment paper).

Fold the baking paper in towards C5 paper in the centre.  From left to right, then right to left, then top to bottom, then bottom to top.  It should now envelope the C5 piece of paper.  Crease the baking paper along the edges.

Note: A4 measures 210 × 297 mm (8.27 × 11.69 inches). C5 is 162mm x 229mm (6.37 inches x 9.01 inches)

Open up and remove the C5 sheet of paper and put the baking paper aside for later use.

Cook’s tip: The butter must have a high-fat content.  It is preferable to be at least 82% fat.  The harder the block of butter the more fat it contains.  Use unsalted butter. French butter is always high in fat.

Step 2 | Prepare the butter block

If you have a 250g block of butter, cut it across on the diagonal.  You need to be precise here so that you have 125g.

Cut the 125g block in half so that you have two thin triangles of butter.  Put the two halves together to make a rectangle.  You don’t need to be as precise here.

Step 3 | Prepare the butter block

Open up the baking paper that you put aside and put the butter in the middle.

Fold the baking paper back into the format of the template that you made earlier.  i.e. place the butter into the centre of the baking paper that has been folded out. Fold the sides in so that the paper covers the butter and the C5 size again.

Turn over so that the folded sides are on the back.

Step 4 | Flatten the butter block

Flatten the butter slightly with the rolling pin. Push the butter into the four corners first.  Be very careful not to pierce the edges of the paper. Roll and push gently into the corners.  Turn the paper around so that you are pushing ahead of yourself instead of behind.

Flatten to the same thickness.  Apply less pressure to do the sides. Put into the fridge until cold and hard. I usually place it on a flat tray to ensure it doesn’t get broken.

Making the croissant dough (Détrempe)

Step 5 | Mix the butter and water

Melt the butter, add it to a jug with the water in it and let it set slightly. 

Cook’s tip: it is easier to use the melted butter if it is slightly set and it is also easier to measure accurately if it is melted.

Step 6 | Mix dry ingredients

In a bowl, mix the dry ingredients (flour, sugar, salt) together. Do not add the yeast at this stage. It is very important that the yeast does not touch the salt. Tip dry ingredients onto the bench.  Use the bottom of the bowl to make a well.

Step 7 | Mix liquids and yeast

Mix liquids together slightly and then pour into well. Add the yeast.

Step 8 | Combine liquids to form dough

Break the wall slightly, a bit at a time and mix in with fingers of one hand only.  This keeps as much of your body heat out of the dough as possible. The mixture should incorporate all the wet ingredients and should look like a thick pancake mix.

It should come to the ‘pancake’ stage without using all the flour.  Don’t worry, this will be used soon.

When it takes on the thick pancake consistency, quickly mix the remaining flour into the wet mix. Work quickly but without overmixing to stop the spread of the liquid. Cut it with the scraper to bring it all together.

Knead the croissant dough

Step 11 | Kneading

The kneading process is next, and it will require about 10 minutes of constant activity.  This is where you build your muscles.

Push the dough away from you and bring it back.  Turn with three fingers holding the bottom of the dough and the palm of your other hand, and stretch away from you.  Rollback.  Turn clockwise. Repeat. Don’t flour the bench.

Step 12 | Roll dough into ball

When it is laminated (smooth and elastic) roll it into a ball using curved hands running around the bottom of the ball.  (make your hands like a cup and roll around underneath the ball )

Step 13

Press down. Take edges and fold into the middle from six points.

Step 14 | Rest dough

Turn over and roll into a ball again. Wrap in plastic wrap. Put the dough in the fridge for at least 30 minutes.

Rolling the croissant dough

Step 15 | Dough rolling

Place a little flour on the bench.

Take the dough from the fridge and put it on the bench.   Draw a rectangle in the flour to visualise where the pastry is going to be rolled to. Bang down on the dough gently with a rolling pin and flatten a little.

Step 16

Fold an A4 piece of paper in half again.  This is used to help measure how long and wide to roll the dough.

For the width of the croissant dough, it should be the width of the A4 plus thumbs on either side.

Step 17

The length you are aiming for is 1x the A4 length plus a little more than 1/2 of the A4 paper again.

Roll using the rolling pin.  To keep the dough as straight as possible, keep your hands on the middle of the rolling pin, not the ends.

Adding the butter to the croissant dough

Step 18 | Combining dough and butter

Take the butter out of the fridge and unwrap the top of the baking paper, leaving the butter still attached.  Place on the lower part of your dough.

Unwrap the butter, turn over and remove the baking paper, leaving the butter on the croissant dough, noting the position of the butter in the photo below.

How to fold the croissant dough

Step 19 | First fold

Folding the croissant dough will require four folding processes.  A simple fold, a double fold and then another simple fold.

For the first simple fold, bring the top of the dough down to halfway down.  This will bend over the top of the butter.

Next, fold the bottom of the dough up to the top.  This will also take the butter with it.

Gently press the open ends with the rolling pin.

Put some more flour on the bench and move the dough around on it. Note, if the dough feels warm at this stage, wrap it in plastic wrap and refrigerate.

Step 20 | Second fold

This is the second fold. Place the bookend (rounded side) on the left-hand side.  (ie turn 90 degrees).  Add some flour.

Using the rolling pin, tap gently all over the dough.  This helps distribute the butter through the dough.

Roll up and down on the dough from the middle.  Always roll from the middle up and then the middle down. Never roll from side to side. Remember to roll with your hands in the middle of the rolling pin to keep the dough as straight as possible.

For this fold, you need to fold each end up towards the middle so they are kissing/touching.  They are not to be folded over one another like the simple fold done previously.

Pinch in the middle to seal. Dust off any flour. Fold over so that it is like a book. Turn the dough around so that the bookend is on the left-hand side.

Wrap in plastic wrap.

Put in fridge/freezer depending on how quickly you want to make these.  You need at least one hour in the fridge between this fold and the last fold.

Step 21 | Final fold

This is the last fold. Be more delicate with the last fold. Place bookend on the left-hand side.  Move around in the flour. Press ends together gently with a rolling pin.

Tap all over once again with the rolling pin.

Roll out once more.

Fold the top third down to the bottom and then the bottom third back up to the top (exactly like the first time we folded). Press ends together lightly. Wrap it in plastic wrap once again and leave it for an hour in the fridge.

Step 22

Remove the dough from the fridge. Roll the dough out to be approximately 57 cm long (22.5 inches) and about 22 cm wide (8.5 inches). Before moving, check it is not sticking to the bench.  Add flour if necessary.

Turn 1/4 turn clockwise. Move around in the flour and put some more flour on top. Check the length.  If you have lost length, roll from the middle to the left and middle to right.

If you have an odd-shaped end, just roll out diagonally at the corners.

Cook’s tip: To keep dough rolling straight place hands in the middle of the rolling pin.

Cook’s tip: It is very important to cut/slice with a sharp knife to straighten the edges.  Do not drag the knife through the dough.

Step 23 | Prepare for cutting

Starting at the right-hand side of the dough and working to the left,  make a mark on the top long edge of the dough that is half a knife blade length.  (see cut in dough in the photo below)

From the half-blade mark, cut the dough to the bottom right-hand corner and scrap the dough.  This can be used to make other pastries later.

On the bottom side of the dough, make a full knife blade mark (to the left).

Cut the first croissant shape from this mark to the first half knife blade mark.  And then from the top face continue cutting croissant shapes with full knife blade widths.

Step 24 | Stretching the triangles

Once you have your triangles, take the individual piece and stretch gently to make it a little longer.

Then, fold the two bottom corners up a little as per the photo below.

Gently roll up the croissant.  Limit touching as much as possible.  Ensure the final end of the triangle is placed underneath the croissant on the tray or else it will unfold when cooking.

Step 25 | Brush the croissants

Brush with egg wash (plain egg)  and leave to prove for 2-3 hours at a temperature no higher than 25 degrees Celsius (77 degrees Fahrenheit).

Cook’s tip: It is critical that a light egg wash is only placed on top of the croissant surface and not on the edges.  If it comes into contact with the edges, the dough will not rise and flake properly.

Ensure there is space between the croissants to allow for expansion whilst proving. They will be ready to bake when they have doubled in size.

Step 26 | Cook croissants

Preheat the oven to 200 degrees Celsius (392 degrees Fahrenheit) and bake croissants for 15-20 minutes or until golden. Resist the urge to eat them immediately. Allow them to cool down so that all the layers will set, leaving distinct layers of flaky pastry goodness.

Cook’s tip: Create steam in the oven by spraying water around the entire oven area or adding water to a hot tray on the bottom of the oven.

Step 27 | Make sugar syrup

Prepare sugar syrup by mixing 100g boiling water and 50g sugar.  Stir until the sugar is dissolved.  Using a small brush, glaze the croissants with the sugar syrup as soon as they come out of the oven.  Use the syrup sparingly as you don’t want to make them soggy.

A professional chef’s tips for making French croissants 

Of course, depending on your time available, you can do all of the dough making and folding on one day, or across two, instead of taking four to do it as above.

So there you have it.  Take the time to follow all of these instructions and steps, taking note of how it should look in the photos and you will produce some amazing classic French croissants.

Recipe FAQs and expert tips

Tips for making croissants

• Cool temperatures are essential for making croissants. Heat will destroy the butter layers. If you sense the dough is getting too warm, put it in the fridge asap.
• Make it on a cool day or in an air-conditioned environment.
• For flaky layers of pastry, the butter block must stay intact and not be allowed to melt into the dough.
• Buy the best ingredients you can afford or find. The butter, the main ingredient, is the most critical of all. Poor quality butter will reduce your chances significantly of making good croissants.
• Be tender – whether it is mixing, rolling or cutting the dough, be as gentle as possible. The butter is formed in delicate layers as you roll. Heavy pressure can break the layers, and you won’t get that light flaky pastry at the end. Don’t roll the dough out too heavily. If you are pushing hard against it and it’s springing back, this is not what you want.
• Work quickly to prevent the dough and therefore the butter from becoming too warm.

How to store croissants

I will admit that I’ve never had this problem. Any croissants I’ve ever made get devoured very quickly after they have been baked. There’s never been a need to store them. However, you can freeze croissants if you really need to. Let them thaw and come to room temperature and then quickly bake them in a hot oven to crisp them up. Otherwise, if you have some left-over, store them at room temperature in a sealed container. Just remember though, they won’t taste anywhere near as good.

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