Homemade Croissant Bread (Printable Version)
A tender, buttery loaf with flaky layers perfect for breakfast or brunch.
# What You'll 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 unsalted butter, cold, cut into thin slices
→ Egg Wash
09 - 1 large egg
10 - 1 tablespoon milk
# How To Make It:
01 - In a large bowl, combine flour, sugar, salt, and yeast, placing yeast away from direct salt contact. Add lukewarm milk, melted butter, and egg. Mix thoroughly until a sticky, uniform dough forms.
02 - Knead the 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 the dough and shape into a rectangle. Cover and refrigerate for 30 minutes to relax the gluten.
04 - On a lightly floured surface, roll the 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 butter, then fold the remaining third on top to create a neat rectangle. Rotate 90° so the open edges face you.
06 - Roll into a 12 x 16-inch rectangle again. Perform a letter fold into thirds, wrap tightly, and refrigerate for 30 minutes.
07 - Repeat the rolling, folding, and chilling process two additional times, for a total of three complete turns to develop proper layers.
08 - After the final chill, roll dough to approximately 8 x 16 inches. Roll tightly from the short edge into a compact 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 and 1 tablespoon milk for egg wash. Brush the entire loaf surface evenly.
11 - Bake for 35–40 minutes until deeply golden and the loaf sounds hollow when tapped. Tent with foil if browning too rapidly.
12 - Let cool in the pan for 10 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack. Cool fully before slicing to maintain structure.
# Expert Suggestions:
01 -
- The buttery layers melt in your mouth like a croissant but slice like sandwich bread
- Your kitchen will smell incredible for hours, making the whole process worth it
02 -
- Keep everything cold, especially the butter block, or it will melt into the dough instead of creating separate layers
- Do not skip the chilling steps between folds, they are essential for proper layer formation
03 -
- Use a ruler or measure against your arm to get even rectangle dimensions, which helps create uniform layers
- If butter breaks through the dough, dust with flour and keep going, it will still bake up beautifully