How To Make Croissants Perfectly Every Time | Good Housekeeping UK
- 5 years ago
If you love French pastries, watch our step-by-step video to find out how to make croissants.
1. Stir together flour, yeast, sugar and salt in a large mixing bowl. Add 125ml (4fl oz) lukewarm water and stir to form a pliable dough. Bring dough together with your hands.
2. Knead dough on work surface for about 5min, until it feels elastic. Put dough in a lightly oiled bowl, cover with cling film and leave to rise in fridge for 2hr until doubled in size.
3. Put butter between two sheets of greaseproof paper and roll into a rectangle about 1cm (½in) thick. Make sure your butter is chilled but pliable. If it’s too cold, it will be hard and break pastry layers you’re trying to create. If it’s too warm, it will ooze out as you roll dough and make croissants greasy.
4. Lightly flour work surface, and roll dough into a large square, about 1cm (½in) thick. Lay unsalted butter across centre of dough at a diagonal angle. Fold four corners of dough into middle of butter, so that butter is encased.
5. Lightly flour worktop. Using a rolling pin, gently press dough to flatten, this helps butter to spread out evenly when rolling. Roll out dough to a rectangle, about 20.5cm x 40.5cm (8in x 16in). Fold bottom third of dough into middle. Fold top third over top, like an envelope. Neaten edges by pressing them with a rolling pin, to make a neat rectangle. Wrap dough in cling film and chill in fridge for 20min.
6. Lightly flour work surface, lay out dough with sealed edge on left side, like a book. Roll out to a rectangle, about 20.5cm x 40.5cm (8in x 16in). Repeat folding process again, neaten edges and return to fridge for 20min. Repeat this process of folding and chilling twice more, then wrap dough in cling film and rest in fridge for 1hr.
7. Roll dough out to a rectangle, about 5mm (¼in) thick. Make quarter turns of dough when rolling to get an even thickness. Trim edges to straighten, then cut out triangles.
8. Take a triangle of dough, with long tip pointing away. Lightly roll over dough with rolling pin to flatten slightly. Gently stretch bottom of triangle widthways, then roll it up towards long tip. Curl ends around to make traditional crescent shape.
9. Put shaped croissants on a baking sheet lined with greaseproof paper. Leave to rise covered with lightly oiled cling film for 1½hr, until they have puffed up. Lightly brush tops of croissants with beaten egg.
10. Bake at 200°C (180°C fan) mark 6 for 15-20min, until golden brown. Transfer to a wire rack to cool slightly and serve warm.
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1. Stir together flour, yeast, sugar and salt in a large mixing bowl. Add 125ml (4fl oz) lukewarm water and stir to form a pliable dough. Bring dough together with your hands.
2. Knead dough on work surface for about 5min, until it feels elastic. Put dough in a lightly oiled bowl, cover with cling film and leave to rise in fridge for 2hr until doubled in size.
3. Put butter between two sheets of greaseproof paper and roll into a rectangle about 1cm (½in) thick. Make sure your butter is chilled but pliable. If it’s too cold, it will be hard and break pastry layers you’re trying to create. If it’s too warm, it will ooze out as you roll dough and make croissants greasy.
4. Lightly flour work surface, and roll dough into a large square, about 1cm (½in) thick. Lay unsalted butter across centre of dough at a diagonal angle. Fold four corners of dough into middle of butter, so that butter is encased.
5. Lightly flour worktop. Using a rolling pin, gently press dough to flatten, this helps butter to spread out evenly when rolling. Roll out dough to a rectangle, about 20.5cm x 40.5cm (8in x 16in). Fold bottom third of dough into middle. Fold top third over top, like an envelope. Neaten edges by pressing them with a rolling pin, to make a neat rectangle. Wrap dough in cling film and chill in fridge for 20min.
6. Lightly flour work surface, lay out dough with sealed edge on left side, like a book. Roll out to a rectangle, about 20.5cm x 40.5cm (8in x 16in). Repeat folding process again, neaten edges and return to fridge for 20min. Repeat this process of folding and chilling twice more, then wrap dough in cling film and rest in fridge for 1hr.
7. Roll dough out to a rectangle, about 5mm (¼in) thick. Make quarter turns of dough when rolling to get an even thickness. Trim edges to straighten, then cut out triangles.
8. Take a triangle of dough, with long tip pointing away. Lightly roll over dough with rolling pin to flatten slightly. Gently stretch bottom of triangle widthways, then roll it up towards long tip. Curl ends around to make traditional crescent shape.
9. Put shaped croissants on a baking sheet lined with greaseproof paper. Leave to rise covered with lightly oiled cling film for 1½hr, until they have puffed up. Lightly brush tops of croissants with beaten egg.
10. Bake at 200°C (180°C fan) mark 6 for 15-20min, until golden brown. Transfer to a wire rack to cool slightly and serve warm.
Explore more recipes, kitchen and lifestyle hacks and subscribe to the Good Housekeeping channel here: https://bit.ly/2TM6CWC