1-Making authentic croissants at home starts with preparing the dough, and following these steps closely will help you nail that perfect flaky texture. First, activate the yeast by dissolving 5 g honey in 85 g lukewarm milk, then whisk in 6 g active dry yeast and let it sit for 10 20 minutes until frothy. Next, add 60 g lukewarm water, 25 g melted and cooled butter, 20 g white sugar, 250 g all-purpose flour, and 5 g salt; mix into a rough dough and knead by hand for about 4 minutes until smooth.

2-Proof the dough in a warm place until it doubles in size, which takes about 1 hour, then deflate it, shape into a 7 x 10 inch rectangle on parchment paper, wrap, and freeze for at least a few hours or overnight. For the tourage, slice 140 g cold unsalted butter thinly and arrange it into a 5 x 6.5 inch rectangle on parchment paper, fold the parchment over, pound gently with a rolling pin to make it pliable, and roll to an even thickness before refrigerating until hardened.

3-For lamination, ensure the dough and butter are at similar cool temperatures, place the butter block on half of the dough, enclose it by binding the edges, and roll out to 16 inches in length while keeping a 5-inch width. Perform a double fold by folding about 1/8th of the dough inward from one end, folding the other end over it, then folding in half like closing a book; make small cuts at corners to release tension and chill for 30 60 minutes. For more tips on lamination, explore our internal link to essential baking techniques on our site.

4-Continuing the Lamination Process: For the second fold, roll the dough to 15 inches in length and about 5 inches in width, then perform a single fold by folding into thirds and making cuts to release tension; chill for another 30 60 minutes. Sheet the dough to 1 cm thickness and about 8 9 inches width, then chill for 30 45 minutes to relax gluten, and roll further to 4 5 mm thickness and 9.5 10 inches width, chilling if needed.

5-Now, cut and shape by trimming edges to 9 inches width, mark 3.5-inch intervals on one edge and offset on the opposite, then cut triangles and make a 1 cm cut at the base of each. Roll into croissants, place on a baking tray with the tip underneath, cover loosely, and proof in a warm place around 77°F (25°C) until doubled and jiggly, about 2 4 hours. Finally, preheat the oven to 375°F (190°C) for at least 30 minutes, brush with egg wash made from 1 egg yolk and 2 tbsp milk and/or cream, and bake for 20 30 minutes until golden, rotating the tray halfway.