Who doesn’t love a perfectly light and flaky French Croissant recipe?
My family and I LOVE them! When I started to create this recipe I could feel six pairs of eyes gazing longingly as I measured, rolled and shaped each croissant. Of course I couldn’t make small ones since my kiddos have large appetites. So if you want to make smaller croissants be sure to follow the 4″ recommendation.
A French Croissant Recipe That Will Make You Think You’re in Paris
Ingredients:
5 ½ cups all-purpose flour (remove 5 ½ tsp of flour out of the flour and replace with 5 ½ tsp of vital wheat gluten)
5 ½ tsp vital wheat gluten
¼ granulated organic cane sugar
1 tsp kosher salt
1 cup warm milk
a cup warm of water
1 Tbl active dry yeast
2 Tbl of room temp. butter
Butter layer:
1 cup + 2 Tbl of unsalted European-style butter
Egg wash:
1 egg
1 tablespoon of whole milk
This recipe is truly simple it just takes time and a bit of love. I love this dough mixing spoon…it is a pastry-making must! (And it’s super cheap too…grab one for your kitchen–it’s the BEST for dough recipes like this one.)
This is where you will be removing a little bit of the flour to add in the vital wheat gluten. Then add in all the rest of the dry ingredients.
Then the wonderful proofed yeast with the milk and water get added in.
Get that mixer mixing!
Isn’t that dough beautiful?
Time to cover in plastic wrap and put it into the refrigerator overnight.
The butter layer prep can be done while the dough is mixing or after you put it in the refrigerator.
So nicely shaped and even! you can use a small glass if you want. This little milk jar works well for me.
Day 2 here we go! It got a bit bigger.
Let’s roll out that dough, brush off all the extra flour and add in the butter layer!
When you fold in the sides to cover the butter layer, be sure to make sure no air is trapped inside.
Such a perfect square.
Here comes the rolling. You will do the rolling out and folding into thirds 4-5 times.
Before folding into thirds be sure to brush off all the extra flour.
Time to sit in the refrigerator for 30 minutes in its plastic blanket. After the last folding cover again and let sit over night in the refrigerator.
This is where you will cut the dough in half. Or if you are like me and want to have your croissants to be a bit meatier don’t cut it in half and roll it out to the same length as if it was half the dough.
Cut the dough into 6″ sections and each of those sections cut on the diagonal to get your triangle croissant shapes.
Cut a 1/4″ at the widest end then brush off all the extra flour.
Time to roll them up.
Be sure to roll them up loosely or the center of the croissants won’t cook correctly.
After putting the on a parchment covered cooking sheet and letting rest in a warm area for a bit, apply the egg wash. Be sure not to let it pool at the base of the croissants.
Don’t they look amazing?! This French croissant recipe is the closest thing to authentic Parisian croissants that I’ve ever encountered, and you can make them right here at home.
I had to keep reminding my kids to wait a bit longer just so I could photographs these for you all.
The wait was finally over and my kiddos were overjoyed. (My youngest couldn’t stop squealing in delight.)
If you want to please your family and hear squealing giggles from them be sure to make this French croissant recipe. You will get a moment of peace and quiet as they stuff these amazing, buttery golden, nuggets into their mouths.
Buttery Croissants
Buttery, flakey, oh so good!
Ingredients
- 5 ½ cups all-purpose flour (remove 5 ½ tsp of flour out of the flour and replace with 5 ½ tsp of vital wheat gluten)
- 5 ½ tsp vital wheat gluten
- ¼ granulated organic cane sugar
- 1 tsp kosher salt
- 1 cup warm milk
- 1 cup warm water
- 1 Tbl active dry yeast
- 2 Tbl of room temp. butter
- Butter layer:
- 1 cup + 2 Tbl of unsalted European-style butter
- Egg wash:
- 1 egg
- 1 tablespoon of whole milk
- **I put on 2 layers of egg wash.**
Instructions
Day 1: Prepare warm milk and warm water together and add in
the yeast to let proof (place active yeast into warm liquid mixture. It does
not need to be stirred) while dry ingredients are getting mixed.
Measure out flour and remove 5 ½ tsp of the flour. Replace
with 5 ½ tsp of the vital wheat gluten.
Add in salt, sugar, and butter and mix thoroughly. Place into standing mixer bowl (you can do this by hand if you prefer) Once the flour mixture and wet ingredients are added into the standing mixer bowl let it mix until completely combined and smooth. It should be slightly sticky. Coat it with some flour, cover with plastic wrap and place into the refrigerator overnight.
Prepare the butter by cutting it into squares and placing it on parchment paper in a square baking dish and cover with another piece of parchment paper. Shape the butter to where it is evenly dispersed within the baking dish. Place in the refrigerator.
Day two:
Roll out dough on a floured surface until it is in a big square place butter in the center of the dough and fold over the edges to where the butter is no longer seen. If it is warm in your house, you will have to work efficiently so the butter does not get too soft to the point of oozing out of the dough. Roll out the dough into a long rectangle 18-24” long. Brush off all extra flour and fold into thirds cover with plastic wrap and place back into refrigerator for 30 minutes. You will repeat the rolling out to 18-24”
long rectangle, folding into thirds, wrapping in plastic wrap and placing into
the refrigerator four to five times. After the last time, wrap in plastic wrap
and place it into the refrigerator over-night.
Day three:
Preheat your oven to 400 degrees. Place one rack at the very
bottom of the oven and one at the very top.
Cut the dough in half. Roll out each half to 18-24” long
rectangle. Cut into 6 inch sections and cut each section on the diagonal. You
should get 6-8 triangles out of each rectangle. Brush off all extra flour and
loosely roll each triangle into a croissant shape. **if you want smaller
croissants do 4” cuts**
Place each croissant onto a parchment covered baking sheet.
Cover with a clean tea/kitchen towel and let sit in a warm place for 40
minutes. Prepare egg wash. Uncover and brush on the egg wash let sit uncovered
for 20 minutes and brush on the second coat of egg wash. This is if you want to
do a second coat of egg wash. If you want to do only one let the croissants sit
in a warm place for 60 minutes and then brush on the egg wash right before
placing in the oven
Bake one tray at a time. Place on the bottom rack for 8
minutes. Remove from bottom rack, rotate the tray before placing it on the top
rack to back for the remaining 12 minutes. Depending on your oven the times
might be different. Be sure to keep and eye on your croissants as they bake.
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