…or at least that is what I thought before I tasted heaven on earth, or what you might call a croissant. Yes, I made croissants from scratch. Yes, I spent two days rolling and folding dough, spreading butter (oh so much butter–5 1/2 sticks!!!), and waiting-lots of waiting.
I never realized how much work went into making croissants {ignorance is bliss!} and maybe that’s why there are so many bad-tasting ones out there…nothing beats a handmade croissant. Wow. If I seem very enthusiastic right now, it’s only because I just finished eating my first one. There are still crumbs on my shirt, on my lips.
The recipe I used comes from Tartine from the owners of the bakery of the same name in San Francisco. The Daring Bakers chose it has their monthly challenge in January 2007 long before I joined. I’m slowly baking my way through past challenges and after tasting these, I’m so glad I am. You can find the recipe at Veronica’s Test Kitchen, but the recipe is so long with a lot of steps {and the cookbook is great!} I urge you to get your hands on it.
Here is a brief summary of the steps involved in making the best tasting croissant you’ll ever taste:
- Make a preferment. Let rise 2 to 3 hours (or overnight in fridge).
- Mix dough ingredients with preferment, let sit for 15 to 20 minutes.
- Knead dough for a maximum of 4 minutes in stand mixer. Let rise 1 1/2 hours or until doubles in size.
- Transfer dough to work surface. Pat out into a two-inch high rectangle, wrap in plastic, and place in fridge for 4 to 6 hours.
- An hour before your ready to start laminating the dough, take out the butter {22 ounces!!!} and use stand mixture to make butter malleable {but not warm! not soft!}. Wrap in plastic and place in refrigerator.
This is what 5 1/2 sticks of butter spread out on dough looks like
- Remove dough and butter from refrigerator. Roll out dough on lightly floured surface into a rectangle 28 by 12 inches. {Do you know how long 28 inches is? OMG, it’s long. I know I used a measuring tape.}
- Spread and pat the butter over 2/3rd’s of the rectangle. Fold in thirds starting with the unbuttered side. Like a business letter. This is apparently known as a plaque.
- Use your fingers to seal the seams and give the plaque a quarter turn. Roll out the dough AGAIN to a 28 by 12 inch rectangle. I feel like I got a good upper body work out this weekend. 😛
- Fold it into a plaque again, wrap in plastic, and place in refrigerator for 1 1/2 to 2 hours to relax the gluten.
- Clean work surface, dust with flour, and AGAIN roll out dough to 28 by 12 inches. It’s neat you can see the streaks of butter when you roll out the dough.
This is a 32 by 12 inch "rectangle".
- Fold it into a plaque. Wrap in plastic. Place on a quarter sheet pan and place in FREEZER for at least an hour or up to a week. Remove from freezer and place in fridge the night before you plan on making the croissants.
- When you are roll out the dough, lightly flour work surface. Roll out dough into a rectangle 32 by 12 inches. {That’s longer than 28 inches!! 😛 }.
- Cut dough into triangles with a four inch base and 10 to 12 inch sides and roll into croissants.
- Let croissants rise for 2 to 3 hours.
- Preheat oven to 425 F.
- 10 minutes before croissants are ready for oven, make egg wash and brush on croissants. Let croissants sit for 10 minutes.
- Place in oven and turn temp down to 400 F. Bake for 16 to 20 minutes, turning pan half way through.

Croissants...fresh from the oven.
Your croissants look fantastic! I made these for the first time a few months back and have made them now 3 times since! You’re right… nothing beats a homemade croissant! They are totally worth the effort. Great job!
How neat, to go back over missed DB challenges. I love croissants and I think next to eating them, making them is the funnest part. Very nicely done.
Wow…I am truly impressed! The croissants look beautiful – I’d buy one!
Ciao ! I’m planning to make them to bake with the brad baking babes this month the recipe is chosen by
Katie of http://thyme2.typepad.com/thyme_for_cooking_/ but reading your post scared even more !!!
OMG!!!! They look amazing! What an accomplishment! I know that I don’t have the talent to ever pull these off, but let me know if you ever want to sell them!
These look great! I made these back in August and had so much fun! Yours look so nicely shaped.
They look amazing!!! And so buttery; I am very impressed. Your hard work paid off for sure
Wow! That is ALOT of work but they turned out beautiful and perfectly browned! Too often I find that pastries are over baked to a yucky brown instead of the golden brown of your croissants!!! I’d love one right now! Great photos, too!
~ingrid
Whoa. That is very impressive. They look fabulous!
thanks for visiting my blog! your croissants look gorgeously buttery! i just visited tartine for the first time a couple of weeks ago, i’d love to try their recipe.
They are so cute! I love that you made them big enough to make sandwiches out of them!
They look perfectly flaky and golden.
Holy cannoli! I’m very impressed – but a delicious ending is always worth all the work.
Now, if you could just send one my way…
You know, I’d actually put more butter on it while eating it… They look delicious!
As much work as I know it’s going to be, I am planning on making my own within the next little while. I hope they turn out as great as yours.
oh my word, talk about dedication. They look fabulous though!
Oh, I am very impressed! They look perfect, and I think your hard (underscore hard) work was worth it.
Gorgeous! What better way to work out your upper arms????
Sheesh kabobs. You actually made croissants. I bow down to thee. 😉 I am not worthy!
Might as well put the 5 1/2 sticks of butter on my ass because I am going to eat all of them!
OH.MY.GOD. Those look divine!!! Let me get my stretchy pants out. You are a goddess.
Kudos! This is one of those things I really have to try. Uhm, once.
haha. I’ll never attempt this in my whole life. But the final product looks so good.. hmph..*temptation lurks*
Oh my goodness! Oh my god. Oh my! I can’t believe you made your own! Looks fantastic!! Great job and I would probably never ever do that again!
Wow! That is a ton of work. They look perfect though nad so yummy with the sprouts peeking out.
These look like they come from a bakery! Awesome job — I would love to try it myself but I don’t think I’d be able to pull it off
It may have been difficult, but I’m sure there’s nothing better than that first bite into a homemade croissant. WOW.. 5.5 sticks of butter, now that’s scary!
THOSE look amazing! I’ll bet there’s nothing like homemade fresh ones, especially since store bought ones are even pretty good–these have got to be heaven!
These are indeed beautiful and I’m glad you found them worth the time investment! The picture of the croissant on a bed of greens cracked me up – was it trying to hide the 5.5 sticks of butter?
Nancy
Wendy, these are beautiful. 5.5 sticks. **SIGH** And if they taste 1/2 as good as they look….. Great Job!
what a feat! i’m sure they were worth every minute of work.
You are a rock star! Mad props for going to all the effort of making your own croissants. Yours look perfect, too–so many flaky layers! Now, please make some with chocolate inside and ship them to me immediately. 🙂
I am almost speechless. How wonderful is this? Your blog was funny, but your croissants look amazing. Now, I am craving one! I even want to try doing this, even though you may warn me not to.
These look so tasty! It’s strange, but it never occurred to me to actually make croissants – like it was something you had to buy from the store. Something to consider making in the future.
Wonderful job! I really want to make croissants while I’m on vacation this week. I’m not sure which recipe to try yet.
Congrats on such a feat! They look amazing!
Those croissants are gorgeous. I’ve been dying to make homemade croissants but I’m chicken. I’m really worried that they won’t turn out. Yours look sooo good though!
Oh, I am so bowing to your achievements here…wow, wow, and wow. These look gorgeous.
Great job.
Golden brown, lovely pillows on your tongue. How magnificent. I wish I had one right now. Those are amazing.
AmyRuth
Your croissant turned out so flaky and it looks like just the ones I had at Tartine! Great job!
Wow! At least you did it once. Looks great!
Just wanted to add to the comments. When I was a young teenager (now 53) I made danish pastries and they were sooooo good. Lot of work, though. I tell people that it takes 2 days…1 to make dough and 2 to make the danishes. I have been wanting to make more for a long time and I finally am making some. I think I’ll try to make some crossants also. If you love to bake, you should try this at least once in your life. You will be glad you did!!!