Homemade Croissant Bread (Printable)
Buttery, flaky French-style loaf with tender layers and golden crust.
# What You Need:
→ Dough
01 - 3 ½ cups all-purpose flour
02 - 3 tablespoons granulated sugar
03 - 2 teaspoons instant yeast
04 - 1 ½ teaspoons salt
05 - 1 cup whole milk, lukewarm
06 - ¼ cup unsalted butter, melted
07 - 1 large egg
→ Butter Block
08 - 1 cup cold unsalted butter, cut into thin slices
→ Egg Wash
09 - 1 large egg
10 - 1 tablespoon milk
# Directions:
01 - In a large bowl, combine flour, sugar, salt, and yeast, ensuring yeast does not directly contact salt. Add lukewarm milk, melted butter, and egg. Mix thoroughly until a sticky, cohesive dough forms.
02 - Knead dough for 7–10 minutes until smooth and elastic. Transfer to a greased bowl, cover, and let rise for 1 hour until doubled in volume.
03 - Punch down dough and shape into a rectangle. Cover and refrigerate for 30 minutes to firm.
04 - On a lightly floured surface, roll dough into a 12 x 16-inch rectangle. Arrange cold butter slices over two-thirds of the dough surface.
05 - Fold the unbuttered third over the buttered portion, then fold remaining third to create a neat rectangle. Rotate 90° so openings face you.
06 - Roll into a 12 x 16-inch rectangle again. Perform a letter fold by folding into thirds. Wrap and chill for 30 minutes.
07 - Repeat rolling, folding, and chilling process two additional times for a total of three complete turns.
08 - After final chill, roll dough to approximately 8 x 16 inches. Roll tightly from the short edge into a loaf shape.
09 - Place seam-side down in a greased 9 x 5-inch loaf pan. Cover loosely and let rise until doubled, about 1 hour.
10 - Preheat oven to 375°F. Whisk egg with milk for egg wash and brush evenly over loaf surface.
11 - Bake for 35–40 minutes until golden brown and loaf sounds hollow when tapped. Tent with foil if browning too quickly.
12 - Cool in pan for 10 minutes, then transfer to wire rack to cool completely before slicing.
# Expert Hints:
01 -
- You get all those flaky shatteringly crisp layers of a classic croissant but in a sliceable format that fits perfectly in your toaster
- The dough does most of the work during those chill periods, leaving you free to drink coffee and feel accomplished about your baking ambitions
02 -
- If your butter starts softening and breaking through the dough during rolling, stop immediately and refrigerate for 15 minutes
- The chilling periods between folds are nonnegotiable—skipping them means butter melts into the dough instead of creating separate flaky layers
03 -
- Weigh your ingredients if possible—baking is chemistry and accuracy matters more than intuition here
- Aim for rectangular edges during each roll so your folds stay even and uniform throughout the loaf