Quick homemade croissants: crispy on the outside, buttery on the inside. Perfect for breakfast or brunch, ready in under 20 minutes!
I recently came across this idea for a quick croissant dough recipe and it caught my attention. Is it really possible? Who in the world doesn’t love croissants? We always put off making them at home because of the lengthy process involved in a classic croissant dough recipe.
Without a doubt, homemade croissants are the best when you’re not in Paris :). Sometimes it can be hard to find really good croissants in bakeries. I was so excited to find this recipe and tried it right away, and I have to say I love it.
It’s so easy… it takes no more than 20 minutes of work… the rest is simply waiting, and the croissants are wonderful. They’re probably not as flaky as the classic ones, but for all the little work involved, they’re simply perfect.
Crispy on the outside, with a flaky, buttery crumb, they’re a perfect treat for breakfast or brunch. You can serve them as is with some jam alongside your coffee or tea, or even make a delicious sandwich. I’m looking forward to eating some right now as I write these words. 🙂
This is a recipe I’ll be making quite often; I’ve made it about five times so far, and each time they were devoured almost immediately. My little culinary judges, my daughters, were thrilled with these quick croissants. Try them; you’ll love them.
Quick Homemade Croissants Recipe
Servings: 8 servings
Preparation time: 20 minutes
Cooking time: 25 minutes
Total time: 45 minutes
Ingredients
| Ingredient | Quantity |
|---|---|
| Strong bread flour | 2 cups (250g) |
| Cold unsalted butter, cubed | 150g |
| Warm milk | ½ cup (120 ml) |
| Sugar | 3 tbsp (45 g) |
| Fresh yeast (or 7g active dry yeast) | 25 g |
| Salt | ½ tsp |
| Wash with egg | |
| Egg yolk | 1 |
| Milk | 1 tbsp |
Step‑by‑step Preparation
- Place the yeast in a bowl. Add the sugar and stir until dissolved. Add the milk and let it sit until completely cool.
- Combine the flour and salt in a large bowl. Add the butter and, using a fork, combine until large crumbs form.
- Add the yeast/milk mixture and gently combine until the dough just comes together. The butter should remain in pea‑sized pieces. Wrap in plastic wrap, slowly knead into a square, and freeze for 30 minutes or refrigerate for a couple of hours.
- Sprinkle flour on your work surface and rolling pin, then begin rolling out the dough into a rectangle approximately two to three times longer than it is wide. The dough is quite difficult to work with at first, but it will come together as you roll and fold it.
- Fold the short sides of the dough towards the center. Rotate the dough a quarter turn. Stretch lightly to lengthen. Fold the short ends towards the center.
- Turn the dough over so the seams are underneath. Repeat the rolling and folding process from steps 4‑5 three more times, giving the dough a total of four rolls and folds.
- Wrap the dough in cling film and refrigerate for a couple of hours or better yet, overnight.
- On a lightly floured surface, roll out the dough into a rectangle 16 inches (40 cm) x 10 inches (25 cm). Cut the dough into triangles; you will get approximately 8 triangles 12 inches (30 cm) long and 3 inches (8 cm) at the base.
- Make a small cut in the center of the base of each triangle, gently stretch the corners and the point, then roll the croissant starting from the wide part to the top, giving it the croissant shape.
- Place the croissants point‑down on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Cover with plastic wrap and let rise for 2‑3 hours at room temperature.
- Preheat the oven to 450°F (230°C). Brush the croissants with beaten egg.
- Bake for 8 minutes, then reduce the oven temperature to 375°F (190°C) and bake for another 10‑15 minutes until dark golden brown.
- Cool on a wire rack before serving.
Nutrition
| Nutrient | Amount per serving |
|---|---|
| Serving size | 1 g |
| Calories | 290 kcal |
| Carbohydrates | 30.5 g |
| Protein | 5.5 g |
| Fat | 16.6 g |
| Saturated fat | 10.1 g |
| Cholesterol | 68 mg |
| Sugar | 5.4 g |