Contrary to its name, this recipe requires a lot of time to prepare. Fortunately, the wait will be worth it for these delicious flaky croissants!
| Prep Time: | 30 mins |
| Cook Time: | 35 mins |
| Additional Time: | 6 hrs |
| Total Time: | 7 hrs 5 mins |
| Servings: | 16 |
| Yield: | 32 croissants |
Ingredients
- 1 (.25 ounce) package active dry yeast
- 1 cup warm water (110 degrees F/45 degrees C)
- ¾ cup evaporated milk
- 1 ½ teaspoons salt
- ⅓ cup white sugar
- 1 egg
- 5 cups all-purpose flour, divided
- ¼ cup butter, melted
- 1 cup butter, chilled and diced
- 1 egg, beaten
Instructions
- In a large bowl, dissolve yeast in warm water. Let stand until creamy, about 10 minutes. Stir in milk, salt, sugar, 1 egg, 1 cup flour and melted butter. Beat to make a smooth batter; set aside.
- In a large bowl, cut the one cup firm butter into remaining four cups flour until butter particles are the size of dried kidney beans. Pour the yeast batter over this and carefully turn the mixture over with a spatula to blend, just until all flour is moistened. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate until well chilled, at least 4 hours or up to four days.
- Turn dough out onto a floured surface; press into compact balls and knead about 6 turns to release air bubbles. Divide dough into four equal parts. Shape one at a time. Refrigerate the remaining dough.
- Roll one part of the dough on a floured board into a circle 17 inches in diameter. With a sharp knife or pizza cutter, cut the circle into eight equal pie-shaped wedges. Roll the wedges loosely toward the point. Shape each roll into a crescent and place on an ungreased baking sheet. Allow 1 1/2 inches space between each roll.
- Cover and let rise at room temperature until almost doubled in size. Approximately 2 hours. Meanwhile, preheat oven to 325 degrees F (165 degrees C).
- Brush croissants with beaten egg. Bake in preheated oven for 35 minutes, until golden.
Nutrition Facts
| Calories | 312 kcal |
| Carbohydrate | 35 g |
| Cholesterol | 65 mg |
| Dietary Fiber | 1 g |
| Protein | 6 g |
| Saturated Fat | 10 g |
| Sodium | 343 mg |
| Sugars | 6 g |
| Fat | 16 g |
| Unsaturated Fat | 0 g |
Reviews
Taste is fantastically buttery! I agree with another reviewer that these are more similar to the frozen croissants you can buy and bake at home than a bakery type of croissant. I got mine to be pretty flaky by folding and rolling, folding and rolling the dough.
Simple. Wonderful
This is such a beautiful dough. It is so easy to work with and forgiving. I looked up croissant recipes because I tried to make traditional croissants, and it was a labor intensive process with little payoff, so I came across this recipe and tried it out. I’m so glad I did. I divided the dough into four batches. The first batch I spread lingonberry jam in the middle and made beautiful pastries. I also made Apple pie, chocolate pastry, cinnamon sugar pastry, turnovers the possibilities are endless with this easy to work with dough. I enclosed some pics for reference. Much cheaper than store bought puff pastry. Thanks so much for a great recipe.
This is the best and quickest way to make croissants. I add 1 tablespoon water and a pinch of salt to the egg wash. Also I freeze the little pieces of butter, then use my food processor to chop up into the flour to the size of peas. No, these aren’t authentic, but are as close as you can get. If you want “authentic,” then plan on many hours to make them. I have used this exact recipe for the last 30-40 years and no one has complained that they weren’t authentic, just that they were delicious! By the way, I never mention that these are made differently.
It is my family’s favorite.
They turned out alright, but they weren’t very flacky. They tasted good. I found this exact same recipe in a cookbook from 30 years ago.
I followed this recipe and it turned out pretty perfect! It was delicious. I felt like a top rate bakery Chef! I’m not kidding!!! And I’ve gotten so many compliments. I’m getting out the ingredients to make them again right now!
This recipe is from a 1973 Sunset magazine cookbook. I have used it since that time and gotten nothing but rave reviews and I am continually asked to bring these to holiday dinners, etc. The variations are endless, but a favorite is to put some of your favorite chocolate on the dough before you roll it up…yum..!!!
Very good! Everyone at work is begging me for the recipe!
To make more like canned croissants, skip the rise and bake for only 10-12 minutes! Best and easiest croissant recipe out there!
To make the whole proccess “quick” put the dough in the deep freezer for 30 minutes, as others suggested. To make the dough workable add ½ cup of flour. Fill the triangles with 2-3 pieces of dark chocolate. Delicious!
These are great. Much easier than the traditional and, if done right, just as flaky. Best to use pastry knife to get the flour and the butter properly mixed. Sifting the flour also helps the texture. Family loves these. I start them in the evening and roll them out in the morning. House smells like a bakery when everyone gets up. I’m the early riser.
I used milk instead of evaporated milk. After cooking them I told you if it was a mistake or not. And If you come to the Patagonia Argentina just let me know because we have an inn over there.
i really liked this recipe, they turned out fluffy and my family loved them
I found the dough dry and difficult to work with. They came out dense and tasted like a biscuit. It was not worth the time and trouble it took to make them.
I didn’t have a lot of time, so I skipped the lenghty period that the dough was supposed to spend in the fridge. They were fine without it, though not very flaky or croissant-like. I also put raspberry jam and fresh raspberries in it, and they were great. I wouldn’t suggest skipping the chilling time, unless you are in a rush.
I rated this recipe a few months ago and just made it for the second time, and I needed to change it to a 5 from a 4, it is really easy and delicious. This time I made it the night before and let it sit in the fridge as the recipe stated and I divided one half of the dough into 8 triangles for sandwich sized rolls and served with chicken salad, which was perfectly delicious. The other half of the dough I did into 16 triangles and rolled up with chocolate chips inside for a dessert – yummmmmy!
Being a croissant junky, though a good dough, this is more like a canned crescent roll. This dough is wonderful and versatile though. I made strombolies with it and the butter and garlic over the top made it scrumptious. I made sweet rolls and just plain old bread with dinner rolls. Great dough, but if you were expecting the butter croissant you get at your local pastry shop or coffee cafe, this is not it.
These are delicious! The dough is easy to work with and they turn out beautiful. I will make again.
Quick? Yes these are quick compared to a true croissant which is butter/fold/roll butter/fold/roll over and over adnausium. I have been delighting guests with these for fourty years. There aren’t many “quick” recipes that turn out as well as this one!
True these criossants arn’t made like traditional croissants(the butter is actually “laminated” or folded into the dough to create layers) but the ingrediants are basically the same therefore create the same buttery yummy taste. Great recipe.