Homemade Butter Croissants

• 500g strong flour
• 280ml warm milk
• 10g salt
• 50g sugar
• 7g dry yeast
• 250g cold butter for laminating
• 1 egg yolk + 2 tablespoons milk, for brushing

👨‍🍳 Step-by-step instructions

1. 1

   Knead flour, milk, salt, sugar, and yeast for 10 minutes. Form into a ball and refrigerate for 1 hour.

2. 2

   Roll cold butter between baking paper into a 20cm square.

3. 3

   Enclose the butter inside the dough and perform 3 single folds, chilling for 30 minutes between each fold.

4. 4

   Roll dough to 4mm thickness and cut into triangles with an 8cm base. Roll up from the base to the tip.

5. 5

   Proof for 2 hours at room temperature. Brush with egg yolk and bake at 180°C for 18–20 minutes.

💡 Chef's tip

The laminating butter should be around 15°C: cold enough to hold its shape but flexible enough to bend without breaking. Too hard and it shatters the dough; too soft and it merges with it.

📝 Our take

Homemade croissants are a weekend project that requires patience, not special skill. The butter lamination is what creates the layers — it needs to be cold but pliable, not frozen or soft. The result is worth every hour: a croissant with honeycombed layers, a shell that shatters, and an aroma of browned butter that nothing can replicate.

🍷 Wine & food pairing

Café au lait or a strong flat white. For a savoury version, hand-carved Iberian ham or smoked salmon with dill.