Finally pulled off a decent croissant after 5 tries this month

I've been trying to make croissants from scratch every Saturday for the past month and they always came out flat or greasy. This weekend I finally got that proper honeycomb inside and the layers actually lifted. I think the difference was letting the dough rest in the fridge for 4 hours between folds instead of rushing it. Has anyone else struggled with keeping the butter cold enough during lamination?

2 comments

2 Comments

cole_hall1d ago

...and honestly the fridge time is the secret weapon most people skip. I messed up probably my first four batches because I thought I could speed through the folds and my butter kept breaking through the dough. What helped me was actually cutting my butter block a little thinner than most recipes say, like 1/4 inch instead of 1/2 inch. It spreads more evenly and stays colder since there's less mass to warm up. Also don't be afraid to pop the whole sheet pan back in the fridge for 10 minutes mid-fold if you feel the butter getting soft, that saved my last batch big time.

the_wyatt1d ago

Letting the dough rest in the fridge for 4 hours between folds" - yeah that's called actually listening to the recipe instead of being impatient lol. I tried croissants once and after the second fold I just said screw it and baked them anyway. Came out looking like flattened pancakes that had been in a fight. Butter management is the whole battle honestly. I gave up and now I just buy them from the bakery down the street, saves me the frustration and the butter stains all over my counter.