If you’ve ever dreamed of biting into perfectly flaky, buttery pastries fresh from your own kitchen, then this Homemade French Croissants (Small Batch) Recipe is everything you’ve been waiting for. This recipe is designed to deliver six exquisite croissants packed with layers of delicate, tender dough and rich butter. It’s a small batch that makes the process manageable but never compromises on the authentic, irresistible taste that only fresh croissants can offer. Whether you’re a croissant novice or a seasoned baker, this detailed step-by-step guide will bring the magic of French patisseries straight to your countertop.
Ingredients You’ll Need
Before you start, it’s comforting to know that the ingredients for this Homemade French Croissants (Small Batch) Recipe are straightforward and pantry-friendly. Each one plays a pivotal role in creating the perfect texture and flavor — from the active dry yeast that helps the dough rise to flaky perfection, to the high-quality butter that creates those signature layers.
- 85 g milk (⅓ cup) lukewarm: Activates the yeast and makes the dough tender.
- 60 g water (¼ cup) lukewarm: Adds moisture to the dough, balancing the milk.
- 6 g active dry yeast (about 2 tsp): Essential for the dough to rise and develop air pockets.
- 5 g honey (1 tsp): Provides a subtle sweetness and feeds the yeast.
- 25 g butter (1 ½ tbsp) melted and cooled: Adds richness and flavor to the dough.
- 20 g white sugar (generous 1 ½ tbsp): Balances flavor and aids browning.
- 250 g all-purpose flour (2 cups, spoon and leveled): The main structure of the dough.
- 5 g salt (about 1 tsp): Enhances all the flavors in the dough.
- 140 g butter (10 tbsp) for layering: The magic ingredient for buttery, flaky layers.
- Egg wash (1 egg yolk + 2 tbsp milk and/or cream): Gives croissants a glossy, golden finish when baked.
How to Make Homemade French Croissants (Small Batch) Recipe
Step 1: Preparing the Dough (Détrempe)
Start by waking up your yeast with the honey dissolved in lukewarm milk. This gentle mixture bubbles to life in about 10 to 20 minutes, signaling it’s ready to work. Add water, melted butter, sugar, flour, and salt directly into the bowl, stirring until a shaggy dough forms. Knead by hand until smooth and elastic, then cover and let it proof in a warm spot until doubled in size. This is where the dough gains that airy character essential for croissants.
Step 2: Making the Butter Block (Tourrage)
While your dough is proofing, prepare the butter block, the heart of those iconic flaky layers. Slice your cold butter thinly and neatly arrange it within a precise rectangle on parchment paper. Roll and flatten until evenly spread, then chill thoroughly until stiff but pliable. The perfect butter block ensures your croissants layer up beautifully and bake into flaky perfection.
Step 3: Laminating the Dough
Lamination is the delicate process of folding butter into dough multiple times to create thin, flaky layers. First, roll out your cooled dough to the right size, then sandwich the chilled butter block inside. Fold and roll out the dough several times with careful folds and chilled rests in between, keeping the dough and butter cold is key here. This step builds those signature layers that puff up and separate in the oven, creating croissants that are light as air but rich with buttery goodness.
Step 4: Cutting and Shaping the Croissants
After the dough has gone through several folds and rests, it’s time to roll it out to a final thickness and cut it into triangles. Each triangle is gently stretched and rolled up from the base to the tip, tucking the point underneath to keep your croissants perfectly shaped during baking. Take your time here to create that classic crescent shape — it’s truly satisfying and a sign of a croissant made with love and care.
Step 5: Proofing the Shaped Croissants
Place your shaped croissants on a baking tray, cover them lightly, and let them rest in a warm environment until they nearly double in size. This proof is crucial, allowing the dough to relax and puff even more, resulting in a light, pillowy texture once baked. Patience here is rewarded with that unmistakable croissant fluffiness.
Step 6: Baking to Golden Perfection
Just before baking, brush the croissants delicately with an egg wash for that glossy, golden sheen. Bake at 375°F (190°C) for about 20 to 30 minutes until beautifully browned. Listen for that soft crackle as they come out of the oven — the sign of a perfectly baked croissant with a crisp exterior and tender, buttery layers inside.
How to Serve Homemade French Croissants (Small Batch) Recipe
Garnishes
Though these croissants are exceptional on their own, a light dusting of powdered sugar or a smear of homemade jam can elevate them to a whole new level. You can also gently warm them and add a pat of soft butter or a drizzle of honey for simple, mouthwatering toppings that highlight the croissants’ buttery nature.
Side Dishes
Pair your Homemade French Croissants (Small Batch) Recipe with fresh fruit, yogurt, or a vibrant salad for a delightful breakfast or brunch spread. Savory options like scrambled eggs, smoked salmon, or creamy cheeses also complement the flaky texture beautifully, balancing richness with freshness.
Creative Ways to Present
For a charming presentation, serve your croissants alongside small bowls of chocolate ganache or fruit compote for dipping. You can even slice them in half and fill with ham and cheese for a decadent croissant sandwich that will impress guests and family alike. The layers make each bite a delightful adventure!
Make Ahead and Storage
Storing Leftovers
If you find yourself with leftover croissants (though they rarely last long!), store them in an airtight container at room temperature for up to two days. This keeps the crust crisp and the interior soft. Avoid refrigeration as it tends to dry them out.
Freezing
These croissants freeze beautifully. Wrap them tightly in plastic wrap followed by foil, then freeze for up to one month. When you’re ready, thaw overnight in the fridge before reheating to preserve texture and flavor. This allows you to enjoy fresh croissants anytime without the whole baking process every time.
Reheating
To refresh your croissants, warm them in a preheated oven at 350°F (175°C) for 5 to 10 minutes. This step revives their crispness and warms the buttery layers inside, bringing back that fresh-from-the-bakery feeling with every bite.
FAQs
Can I use salted butter instead of unsalted for this recipe?
While you can technically use salted butter, it’s best to stick with unsalted butter to control the salt level precisely. Using salted butter may make your croissants overly salty, as the dough already includes salt.
Is it necessary to freeze the dough before laminating?
Freezing the dough after the first proof helps relax the gluten and keeps the dough cold, which is essential for proper lamination. It makes working with the dough easier and helps prevent the butter from melting into the dough prematurely.
Can I double this recipe for more croissants?
Absolutely! The recipe is easy to scale. It’s recommended to make two separate batches rather than doubling all at once to make handling the dough and butter blocks more manageable.
Why do some croissants lose their layers or not rise properly?
This often happens if the dough or butter becomes too warm during lamination or rolling, causing the layers to merge. Ensuring everything stays cold and resting the dough adequately between folds is crucial to maintaining distinct layers and good rise.
Can I add fillings like chocolate or almond paste to this recipe?
Definitely! Once you master the basic dough, you can create delicious variations like pain au chocolat by adding chocolate sticks before rolling, or almond croissants by filling with almond paste. The possibilities are deliciously endless!
Final Thoughts
There is something truly special about pulling a tray of warm, flaky croissants from the oven that no store-bought pastry can match. This Homemade French Croissants (Small Batch) Recipe invites you to savor the joy of crafting an iconic French delicacy with your own hands. It’s a rewarding experience that fills your kitchen with the most tantalizing aromas and your morning with buttery, flaky bliss. Give it a try — once you’ve tasted homemade croissants, ordinary breakfasts just won’t feel the same.
PrintHomemade French Croissants (Small Batch) Recipe
This recipe guides you through making authentic, flaky homemade French croissants in a small batch of 6. It features a detailed step-by-step process including preparing the dough and butter block (tourrage), laminating the dough, cutting and rolling the croissants, proofing, and baking them to golden perfection. The method focuses on traditional lamination techniques to achieve buttery, airy layers with a tender crumb.
- Prep Time: 2 hours
- Cook Time: 25 minutes
- Total Time: Approximately 5 hours including rising, chilling, and baking
- Yield: 6 croissants
- Category: Breakfast, Pastry
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: French
Ingredients
Détrempe (Dough)
- 85 g milk (⅓ cup), lukewarm
- 60 g water (¼ cup), lukewarm
- 6 g active dry yeast (about 2 tsp)
- 5 g honey (1 tsp) malt syrup, or sugar if preferred
- 25 g butter (1 ½ tbsp), melted and cooled
- 20 g white sugar (generous 1 ½ tbsp)
- 250 g all-purpose flour (2 cups, spooned and leveled)
- 5 g salt (about 1 tsp)
Tourrage (Butter Block)
- 140 g unsalted butter (10 tbsp), cold
Egg Wash
- 1 egg yolk
- 2 tbsp milk and/or cream
Instructions
- Activate yeast: Dissolve honey in lukewarm milk in a bowl, whisk in the yeast and let sit for 10–20 minutes until foamy.
- Make dough (Détrempe): Add water, melted butter, sugar, flour, and salt to the yeast mixture. Stir with a spatula until a scraggly dough forms. Knead by hand for 1–2 minutes, then on a floured surface for about 4 minutes until smooth but not stiff. Place dough in bowl, cover with plastic wrap, and proof in a warm place until doubled, about 1 hour.
- Shape and freeze dough: After proofing, degas the dough gently by flattening, then roll on parchment paper into a rough 7 x 10 inch rectangle. Fold parchment over dough to form a case and wrap tightly. Freeze for several hours or overnight.
- Prepare butter block (Tourrage): Slice cold butter thinly and arrange within a 5 x 6.5 inch rectangle on parchment paper. Fold parchment to enclose butter, hit with rolling pin to soften, then roll evenly into a flattened block. Chill in fridge until firm.
- Enclose butter in dough: Remove dough from freezer and let soften slightly if too firm. Unwrap dough and roll to correct rectangular size. Unwrap butter block but keep butter on parchment and place it on one half of dough, leaving a border. Press butter to dough and peel off parchment. Fold dough over butter, sealing edges to enclose butter completely. Chill dough at least 30 minutes if not cold enough.
- First lamination (double fold): Flour work surface and dough. Roll dough lengthwise to about 16 inches while keeping width about 5 inches. Trim edges to straighten. Fold dough by bringing 1/8th toward center, then fold other end to meet, making double folds. Make small corner cuts to release tension. Brush off flour and fold dough in half again, making additional cuts at fold corners. Wrap and refrigerate 30–60 minutes.
- Second lamination (single fold): Flour surface, roll dough to about 15 inches length and 5 inches width. Fold one-third of dough toward center, cut fold corners, then fold other edge over first fold. Make corner cuts, wrap, and refrigerate 30–60 minutes.
- Sheeting dough: Roll dough on floured surface to about 1 cm thickness and 8–9 inch width. Wrap and refrigerate for 30–45 minutes to rest gluten. Roll out again to 4–5 mm thickness and about 9.5–10 inches width. Keep dough cold; chill if soft.
- Cutting dough: Trim edges to 9 inches width. Mark 3.5 inch increments on one edge and staggered 9 cm increments on opposite edge. Connect marks with straight lines and cut into triangles (about 6). Retain leftover piece.
- Roll croissants and proof: Brush off flour, make a 1 cm cut in the base midpoint of each triangle. Roll base while gently pulling corners to widen the base. Roll croissant tightly but not too tight. Place on lined baking sheet, tuck tip underneath, and gently press to seal. Cover with plastic wrap and a half sheet pan to prevent drying and flattening. Proof at 25°C (77°F) until doubled in size, about 2–3 hours.
- Preheat oven: Heat oven to 375°F (190°C) at least 30 minutes before baking.
- Egg wash and bake: Whisk egg yolk with milk/cream until smooth. Brush croissants gently with egg wash using a small soft brush. Bake at 375°F (190°C) for 20–30 minutes until golden brown, turning tray halfway if needed.
- Cool croissants: Remove from oven and cool for a few minutes on tray. Transfer to a wire rack to cool fully, allowing the interior crumb to set.
Notes
- Use leftover dough scraps to make additional small croissants, pain au chocolat, or freeze for later monkey bread.
- If dough gets too soft or resists rolling, wrap and chill in fridge to relax gluten and keep butter firm.
- For larger batches, prepare multiple separate doughs and butter blocks instead of doubling ingredient quantities in one batch.
- Maintain cold temperature throughout lamination to achieve flaky layers.
- Proof croissants gently covered with a second baking tray to keep shape and prevent drying.
- Practice slow, gentle rolling and folding to avoid tearing dough or squishing butter.
