The Pâte Sablée 

This recipe begins with the making of a Pâte Sablée (“sandy” shortcrust pastry). I am providing below (in the recipe section) the directions to make your own pastry from scratch – which I always find makes a huge difference in taste and quality.

If you are in a crunch for time or simply don’t feel like doing it, using a store-bought short crust works too. The crust doesn’t need any blind baking before being filled with Frangipane. 

The Frangipane 

Next, you prepare the almond Frangipane: a not-too-sweet filling traditionally made from ground almonds and used extensively in French baking to fill pies, such as the Classic Bourdaloue Tart (a recipe you can find in my cookbook).or the traditional Galette des Rois. Frangipane requires basic pantry ingredients (butter, sugar, flour, eggs) along with a good quality almond flour.

When baking, the soft Frangipane filling will puff up, firm up and envelop the apricot quarters – making the tart look effortlessly clean and elegant.

Cooking notes: 

• Making your own Pâte sablée (“sandy” shortcrust pastry) will make a big difference. But using a store-bought piecrust works too.
• Almond meal (or Almond flour, or Ground Almond) is a highly perishable good. Make sure you get it fresh, store it well (in an airtight container) and use it as soon as possible. You can either buy it in store (either a package – such as Bobs Red Mill Almond Flour- , or buy it or in bulk) or you can make your own in a food blender. Blanched or un-blanched both work for this recipe.
• Choose ripe apricots: they shouldn’t be too firm to the touch, although not mushy nor blemished. When slicing them in half, the stones should remove easily. If they are difficult to remove – the apricots aren’t ripe enough.
• If really necessary (when apricots are out of season), you can use canned apricots. Make sure you drain them very well and pat them dry with paper towel so they don’t release too much juice/moisture while baking.
• Other ripe stone fruits will substitute great: peaches, plums or even cherries. 

I hope you’ll love this Apricot Frangipane Tart recipe as much as I do! If you have any questions, don’t hesitate to leave a comment.

You may also like:

• Raspberry Pistachio Frangipane Tart 
• Classic French Tarte au Citron
• Classic French Tarte aux Fraises
• Lemon Poppy seed French Yogurt Loaf
• Peach Yogurt Cake 

Apricot Frangipane Tart

Print Recipe

Serves: 8 Prep Time: 30 minutes Cooking Time: 40 minutes 40 minutes

Nutrition facts: 200 calories 20 grams fat

Rating: 3.8/5

( 53 voted )

Ingredients

For the Pâte sablée :
1 ¼ cup (155g) all purpose flour
½ tsp salt
¼ cup (50g) sugar
½ cup (125g) unsalted butter, cold and cut in small cubes.
2 egg yolks

For the Frangipane filling:
½ cup (125g) unsalted butter, at room temperature
1/2 cup (100g) sugar
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 tsp almond extract
2 large eggs
1 ¼ cups ground almond (120g)
3 tablespoons (45g) unbleached all-purpose flour

For Garnish:
8-10 ripe apricots, stoned and quartered
2 tablespoons (30g) honey, maple syrup or apricot jam.

Instructions

Make sure you read the cooking notes before you start.

Step 1 – Prepare the Pâte sablée – In a large bowl, combine the all-purpose flour, salt and sugar. Add the cubed butter and mix the ingredients together using your hands (rub between your palms) until you get a crumbly, sandy texture and pea-size bits of butter are still visible. Add the egg yolks and combine until the dough comes together into a ball. Wrap in plastic film and chill for 30 minutes.

Step 2 - Prepare the Frangipane -  In a large mixing bowl, whisk the butter until creamy. Add the sugar and continue whisking until fluffy. Add the eggs, one by one, beating well after each addition. Whisk in the vanilla and almond extract. Finally, whisk in the ground almond and the flour. Mix until just incorporated.

Pre-heat your oven to 350F(180C) with a rack in the middle. Butter and flour a 9-inch springform tart pan. 

Step 3 - Take the Pâte sablée out of the fridge. Place it between two large sheets of parchment paper and roll it out to a 5mm (0.2inch) thickness. Line the tart pan bottom and sides with crust – don’t worry if the crust tears, you can easily patch it together and press to seal. Trim the edges all around and poke the bottom evenly with a fork.

To assemble - Spoon the Frangipane filling into the crust and smooth the top all over with an offset spatula or the back of your spoon.

In a bowl, toss the apricots quarters in honey (or maple syrup, or apricot jam). Poke the apricots into the frangipane, spacing them evenly, creating a circular pattern. Don’t push the apricots too deep into the frangipane, they will sink in as it bakes. 

Bake the tart for 40 to 45 minutes, until the frangipane gets lightly firm and golden. The apricots should be tender and a knife poked in the frangipane should come out clean.

Leave the tart to cool in the tin for 10 mins, then transfer to a cooling rack.

Serve still warm or at room temperature. For serving, dust with some icing sugar or accompany with some vanilla ice-cream on top.

If you try this Apricot Frangipane Tart recipe let me know!  Leave a comment or share a photo using #pardonyourfrench on Instagram. Bon Appétit! 

This recipe was first posted on Jul 18, 2017, and updated on June 28, 2020. 

This post may contain affiliate links. Please see my Privacy Policy & Disclosure page for more details.

The post Apricot Frangipane Tart appeared first on Pardon Your French.

Likewise, making classic French Croissants at home from scratch, has a reputation for being a lengthy and intricate process, with a few too many steps and baking skills to own. Poolish, laminating, proofing… these are obscure terms for some, and they often seem to be the reasons why making classic French croissants appears so daunting to most.

So if you were like me a few years back, contemplating making croissants at home but feeling a bit overwhelmed and not knowing where to start – this Classic French Croissants 101 Guide is for you. I am covering and explaining all the equipment, steps and tips you need to know before you start, to build the confidence you’ll need to make your own Classic French Croissants.   

At the end of the article, you will also find links for 3 recipes: 1-day Classic French Croissants; 2-day Classic French Croissants; 3-day Classic French Croissants. But, make sure you read this 101 article first to get a grasp of the whole process, and then go to the recipe.

Making Classic French Croissants is an intermediate to advanced recipe; and with this article, my goal is to guide you through the process, giving you essential tips and recommendations for success and to show you that making croissants is in fact within reach for any baker!    

The equipment

• Stand Mixer (optional – easier for kneading the dough; but this can be done by hand too)
• Large working surface (ideally, cold marble top)
• Rolling pin
• Ruler or measuring tape (cm or inch)
• Pizza cutter
• Pastry Brush
• Two baking sheets; parchment paper
• Plastic film
• For 3-day version: a 8×8-inch (20.3×20.3cm) or 9×9-inch (22.9×22.9cm) square pan
• For 3-day version and 2-day version: 2 large air-tight containers (able to contain 6 croissants each).

The ingredients

Choosing quality ingredients will go a long way in creating this delicate pastry.

• The flour. In France, Flour Type 55 is best for making croissants. Alternatively, unbleached all-purpose flour is good too, which is what I use in Canada (I personally like Five Roses for making pastries or breads).
• The milk. Whole milk is best. I have however already used 2% and the recipe worked well. But avoid 1%, skim, or no-fat.
• The butter. Choose a good-quality unsalted butter. Using a block of butter (instead of 4 sticks) will make it easier later in the recipe too – when slicing it to create a large square.

The poolish

A Poolish is comparable to a “wet sponge”, made before the dough, and typically made with the same ratio of flour and water, to which you can add yeast. This is considered as a pre-ferment. A poolish will need to set for a while, usually 1 or 5 hours (in this recipe, this is more of a “quick-poolish”, that sets for 30 minutes). A poolish will help the dough to extend and rise, and help the yeast to be well integrated into the final dough and do its job properly.

The kneading

Once the poolish is combined into the dough, the dough should be kneaded enough so that the gluten will develop (by kneading) and the yeast will “get activated” in order for the dough to rise.

For this croissant recipe, it is crucial to knead the dough just enough to develop enough gluten but not too much! If the dough is kneaded too long, too much gluten will develop and the dough will be too stiff. If the dough is too stiff, the integration of the butter into the dough (by laminating) will be too difficult and the butter won’t be integrated properly. So make sure the dough is smooth and homogeneous, but still soft and not too elastic.

The laminating

Laminating is probably the most essential step to achieving a croissant. Making a laminated dough means you are layering the butter in between the layers of dough. This is what creates the flaky and puffed character of the croissants. Laminating is achieved by folding the butter into the dough, and then folding and rolling out the dough repeatedly.

If you have never made croissants before, the laminating process is likely to be the most daunting step for you. This process can be overwhelming the first time, but the more you practice, the better and faster you’ll get – and this will seem very simple to do after a while. Just make sure you read each laminating step before you start, and have a timer/clock on hand.

Tips for laminating:  

• Measuring the dough each time you roll it out is key – using a ruler or measuring tape is essential!
• Because we are handling a lot of butter and a delicate dough, the laminating process should be done in a cool environment (cold days are best) and ideally on a cool surface (ie. cool marble top).
• Do not rush the chilling process between each step. Working with a well-chilled dough and butter is key, and much easier – the dough is easier to roll out when chilled, and the butter will remain firm and won’t spread everywhere.
• Be quick! During each folding and rolling out, try to work as fast as possible so the dough and butter remain as cold as possible. These steps might need a bit of practice, so you will get faster and faster everytime your make croissants. If the dough or butter get too warm, place them back into the freezer for a few minutes and wait until they are cold enough to work with again.
• When you roll out the dough, make sure it is even (one side shouldn’t be thicker than the other). Apply an even pressure on the rolling pin as you work the dough.

The shaping

Like the laminating, you need a ruler/tape measurer to measure out the dough and make sure you cut out even triangles. Work your way quickly, it is far easier to shape the croissants when the dough is chilled, rather than at room temperature. Make sure your hands are clean, dry and not too warm.

 The proofing

Proofing is the period of time right before baking when the shaped croissants need to rest in order to set all the layers properly and expand a bit more. A perfect and timely proofing is essential to achieve flaky, airy and evenly-buttered croissants. If you rush the proofing, you will end up with flat layers and the butter is likely to be oozing out of the croissants too much while baking.  

Coincidentally, the quicker the recipe for the croissants, the longer the proofing time needs to be; as your dough hasn’t had enough time to rest and develop yet. So the proofing time is the longest for the 1-day recipe (3hrs) and the shortest for the 3-day recipe (1hr). This may sound counter-intuitive at first, but proofing is even more crucial for a dough that didn’t get any time to rest overnight and ferment yet. Proofing isn’t something that can be rushed – you can have a perfect croissant recipe that won’t work out if the proofing isn’t done properly.

Steps to proofing and what to look for:  

• The day of baking, place the shaped croissants on parchment paper on a baking sheet, leaving enough space between them (at least 2 inches) that they won’t touch when they expand, and then when they bake. Apply the first brushing of egg wash.
• Keep the tray at room temperature (ideally, between 72.4°and 79°F/ 24°C and 26°C), in a draft-free environement (no windows open near-by).
• After 30 minutes or so, look at the croissants from the side and you should start seeing the layers (dough/butter/dough/butter/etc…).
• At the end of the proofing time, you should know the proofing is done when the layers are nice and visible, when the croissants have expanded (not significantly, but enough that it is noticeable), and they jiggle slightly when you shake the pan. You can now apply the second (and final) brushing of the egg wash and bake the croissants.
• Make sure you keep an eye on your croissants during the proofing period. A too-long proofing time will dry-out the croissants and/or miss the optimum “peak” of the croissants expansion, and will end in flatter croissants once baked.
• Keeping the shaped croissants in the refrigerator overnight can be a way to slow down the proofing process – in order to enjoy the croissants freshly-baked in the morning. I am explaining you how to do so in the 3-Day recipe version and 2-Day recipe version. 

The baking

For baking such delicate pastries like croissants, it is important that you know your oven well. Some ovens are higher in temperature than what they indicate and some are lower. Some ovens are not even in heat : more heat can come from the back (in that case you might need to very quickly rotate your baking sheet during the end of the baking process so the croissants are evenly baked and even in color), more heat can come from the top (in that case, you might need to place your rack in the lower-half, rather than in the middle), etc… Knowing your oven comes with practice. The more you bake, the more you’ll get to know your oven ( for this reason, your first batch of croissants might not be perfect).

My oven is a non-convection oven. My perfect baking time is: 390°F (199°C) for 9 minutes, followed by 370°F (188°C) for 8 minutes. This gives dark-gold, crisp croissants, with an airy inside (slightly chewy but not too much).

Steps to baking, and what to look for:

• The first few minutes of baking are when the croissants will rise and expand the most.
• After the first 3-4 minutes, the croissants will start to slightly ooze some butter (don’t worry, this is normal).
• After 7-8 minutes, the croissants have risen significantly, dried out on the outside and start to show the signature crackly and bubbly top.
• After 9 minutes, the croissants will turn sightly golden – that is your cue to turn the temperature down (370F/188C).
• Between 9 and 17 minutes, the croissants will set and turn from light golden to dark golden. Keep an eye on them. Once the croissants start to darken, it can go very fast and you don’t want them to be too dark. Depending on your oven, you might need 1 or 2 minutes more or less, to achieve the perfect baking and perfect color.
• Know what kind of croissants you want: I prefer darker, crisp croissants – but you might prefer paler croissants with a chewier inside (in that case, less baking time is recommended).
• Take the croissants out of the oven when done, leave them on the baking sheet for 2 minutes, and then carefully and transfer them to a cooling rack.

Enjoying the croissants

Like most bakery-style pastries, croissants are best enjoyed within a few hours of baking.

Ready for making Classic French croissants at home?

Now that you have gained some serious knowledge on making croissants at home, it’s time to get baking. As per their reputation, making croissants is a lengthy process and it is very common to make them over 3 days. That said, in our modern and busy lives, I think that having two other alternatives (2-day recipe or 1-day recipe) is sometimes needed.

The three recipes include the exact same steps (the 3-day recipe isn’t any harder than the 1-day version), but the chilling times are different. The three recipes give 12 absolutely delicious croissants, and it is up to you to pick which version you want to do, depending on the time you have on hand. Here are a few notes:

• The 3-Day version (left on the photo) will give you the best croissants. Over three days, the dough has the appropriate time to build texture and develop a rich and complex taste. The 3-day croissants will have big, airy “holes” in the middle, a crisp outside and a perfectly-balanced buttery taste – close to the one you get in French bakeries.
• The 2-Day version (middle on the photo) will give you middle-sized air pockets and a nice buttery taste.
• The 1-Day version (right on the photo) will give you smaller air-pockets, a denser/chewier crumb with a rich buttery taste (slighlty less subtle than the 2 or 3-day versions).

Note that the 3-Day version may be done over 3 days, but it is the one that requires the least “active time” (4 hours); while the 1-day version requires 7 hours.

Another important note: As a French, having a croissant after 11am simply feels odd to me. Croissants are for breakfast only, in my world. So it was really important to develop at least 2 versions of this recipe where you will get freshly-baked croissants in the morning. Only the 1-Day version will give you croissants for later in the day (unless you wake up 6 hours before breakfast time…).

Summary:

3-Day version:
(ie. Start Friday evening, and get freshly-baked croissants for Sunday morning)
Day 1: In the Evening (30 minutes active time, total)
Make the poolish and dough. Refrigerate until Day 2. 
Day 2: Late Afternoon/ Evening (2 hours 30 minutes total, inc. 1 hour 30 minutes of chill time)
Laminate the dough and shape the croissants. Refrigerate until Day 3.
Day 3: Morning (1 hour of proofing and 17 minutes of baking)
Proofing and baking of the croissants
Total: 4 hours, over 3 days

2-Day version:
(ie. Start Saturday afternoon and get freshly-baked croissants for Sunday morning)
Day 1: Late Afternoon (4 hours, inc. 2 hours 30 minutes chill time)
Make poolish and dough (30 minutes), refrigerate (1 hour)
Laminate the dough and shape the croissants (2 hours 30 minutes; inc. 1 hour 30 minutes chill time)
Refrigerate until Day 2.
Day 2: Morning (2 hours of proofing and 17 minutes of baking)
Proofing (2 hours), baking (17 min).
Total: 6 hours, over 2 day

1-Day version:
(ie. Start Sunday morning and get freshly-baked croissants for Sunday afternoon)
Step 1: Make poolish and dough (30 minutes), refrigerate (1 hour)
Step 2: Laminate the dough and shape the croissants (2 hours 30 minutes; inc. 1 hour 30 minutes chill time)
Step 3: Proofing (3 hours), baking (17 min).
Total: 7 hours, over 1 day

The post Classic French Croissants 101 Guide appeared first on Pardon Your French.

In comparison to my 2-Day version or 3-Day version, these croissants are more buttery, with smaller air bubbles inside and a satisfyingly chewy crumb. A great compromise if you don’t have two or three days to create the real deal! 

Before you start this recipe, make sure you read this post: Classic French Croissants 101, where I am covering all the essentials you need to know before making croissants for the first time (choice of ingredients, yeast, poolish, laminating, proofing, etc…). 

Summary of the timeline: 

(ie. Start Sunday morning and get freshly-baked croissants for Sunday afternoon)
Step 1: Make poolish and dough (30 minutes), refrigerate (1 hour)
Step 2: Laminate the dough and shape the croissants (2 hours 30 minutes; inc. 1 hour 30 minutes chill time)
Step 3: Proofing (3 hours), baking (17 min).
Total: 7 hours, over 1 day

The equipment

• Stand Mixer (optional – easier for kneading the dough; but this can be done by hand too)
• Large working surface (ideally, cold marble top)
• Rolling pin
• Ruler or measuring tape (cm or inch)
• Pizza cutter
• Pastry Brush
• Two baking sheets; parchment paper
• Plastic film
•  8×8-inch (20.3×20.3cm) or 9×9-inch (22.9×22.9cm) square pan

Important note: Making Classic French Croissants is an intermediate to advanced level recipe. It took me several years to get a hang of “laminating” and “proofing”, having several failures along the way. I can’t promise your very first batch of croissants will be a success (mine definitely weren’t). But if you persevere, you will succeed!

One Day Classic French Croissants

Print Recipe

Serves: 12 Croissants Prep Time: 7 Hours Cooking Time: 17 Minutes 17 Minutes

Nutrition facts: 200 calories 20 grams fat

Rating: 3.7/5

( 35 voted )

Ingredients

For the poolish :

½ cup + 2 tsp (140ml) water
1 cup (125g) French Type 55 flour or unbleached all-purpose flour
2 tbsp (17g) Instant yeast

For the dough:

3 cups (375g) French Type 55 flour or unbleached all-purpose flour (+ extra for dusting)
2 ½ tsp (12g) salt
1/3 cup (65g) sugar
½ cup + 2 tsp (140ml) whole milk, cold
2 ¾ tbsp (40g) unsalted butter, at room temperature and cubbed

For laminating:

1 cup (250g) unsalted butter, cold
1 egg + 1 tsp whole milk (egg wash)

Instructions

Make sure you read the Classic-French Croissants 101 before you start this recipe. 

Step 1 – Make the poolish.

In a small sauce pan over low heat, bring the water to a lukewarm temperature and turn off the heat immediately (make sure it doesn’t get any warmer than lukewarm or it will kill the yeast). Stir in the flour and yeast and mix until well incorporated. The mixture should be thick and slightly difficult to mix.

Set aside for 30 minutes. The poolish will expand. It should triple or even quadruple in size, and become spongy with bubbles forming at the top. Photos below: Before and After. 

Step 2 – Make the dough.

Meanwhile, in a large mixing bowl, sift together the flour, salt and sugar. 

Add the poolish (make sure you scrape the saucepan to get all the poolish into the dough) and the milk. Stir to combine.

Knead in the cubes of butter in three separate additions. Make sure the butter is well incorporated before you incorporate the next addition. 

Knead the dough for 5-6 minutes (in the bowl or you can transfer it to a working surface). The dough should be soft, smooth and slightly sticky. Do not over-knead. The dough shouldn’t be too firm nor elastic.

Cover a 8x8-inch (20.3cmx20.3cm) or 9x9-inch (22.9cmx22.9cm) square pan with plastic film and pat the dough into it. Cover with plastic film and refrigerate for 1 hour. 

Step 3 – Prepare the butter

In the meantime, take the butter out of the fridge and cut it into about ½-inch (1.25cm) thick square slices (if using a block of butter – not sticks - this will give you 4 slices).

Lay a large piece of parchment paper on a working surface. Place the slices of butter flat on the paper to form a 5x5-inches (12.7cmx12.7cm) square.

Lay another piece of parchment paper on top. With a rolling pin, roll out the butter to a large 6.5x6.5-inch (16.5cmx16.5cm) square. Peel off the parchment paper, wrap the butter slab in plastic film and chill until needed.

Step 4 – Laminate the dough

After the 1 hour, take the dough out of the fridge. Take it out of the square pan, unwrap it and place it onto a large, lightly floured working surface (ideally, cold marble top / Do not flour it too much or the dough will absorb too much flour and become too stiff.)

Step 4.1 - Roll out the dough into a 12X12-inch (30.5cmx30.5cm) square – make sure it is even in thickness. Take the butter out of the fridge and place it in the middle of the square at a 45 degree angle. Fold a corner side of the dough over the butter, with the tip of the corner in the middle of the butter (corner side should be triangle-shaped, since the butter is 45 degree diagonal). Repeat with the other other corner sides of the dough, so they all overlap in the center and the butter is totally encased within the dough.

Step 4.2 - Lightly flour your rolling pin and carefully start to roll out the dough (with the butter inside) to a 8x24-inch (20.3cmx61cm) rectangle. Be very gentle when you roll the dough out: apply even pressure and work your way slowly (you don’t want to break the butter into pieces nor squeeze it to the sides – it has to stay enclosed within the dough). Keep it mind that 8-inches (20.3cm) isn’t very wide, so focus on lenghtening the dough to 24-inches (61cm), rolling back and forth, rather then widening it.

Once the dough has reached its intended rectangular size (8x24-inches/20.3cmx61cm rectangle), fold it like a letter lenghtwise (one side on top of the other). Wrap in plastic film and chill for 30 minutes.

After 30 minutes, take the dough out of the fridge and place it onto the working surface with the “open side” facing you (rotate 90 degrees; see photo right below). Repeat Step 4.2 (rolling to a 8x24-inch (20.3cmx61cm) rectangle and folding) and chill again for 30 minutes. After 30 minutes, repeat Step 4.2 one last time, starting again with the open side facing you, and chill for 30 minutes. In total, you complete Step 4.2 three times.

Step 5 – Cutting the dough

After 30 minutes, take the dough out of the fridge and place it onto the working surface with the “open side” facing you again and roll it out to a 8x43.3-inch (20.3cmx110cm) long rectangle. The dough will resist a bit (this is normal). When the dough is its intented size, make sure it isn’t stuck to the working surface by lifting it gently (it will shrink a bit naturally).

Working along one of the long sides of the rectangle, make small cuts in the dough at 5 inch (12.5cm) intervals (you get 7 cuts in total). Working along the other long side of the rectangle, make small cuts at 5 inches (12.5cm) intervals, but starting at 2.5 inches (6.25cm) from the top of the rectangle, so these cuts don’t align with the ones on the other side – this will form the basis of triangles.

Use the pizza cutter and a ruler (or straight object) to make diagonal cuts (joining the top and bottom small cut marks), to create triangular cuts along the length of the dough. Discard of the two end pieces.

Step 6 – Shaping the croissants

Using a sharp knife or your pizza cutter, mark a small ½ inch (2.5cm) cut in the center of the short side of each triangle.

Grab the shorter side, stretch it out slightly and roll it up toward the pointy end. 

Once all rolled up, press gently onto the pointy end to seal the croissant.

Take both ends of the rolled up croissants and slightly bend them to create a crescent shape. 

Step 7 – Proofing

Carefully lift each croissant and arrange them on parchment-lined baking sheets (6 croissants/sheet), leaving enough space between them to expand.

Whisk the egg with the milk and brush a first generous coat of egg wash onto the croissants.

Proof the croissants for 3 hours in a draft-free environment (make sure you read the steps to proofing here). 

Pre-heat your oven to 390°F (199 °C).

When the oven is pre-heated, brush a second coat of egg wash on the croissants.

Step 8 – Baking

Bake for 9 minutes. When the croissants start to become golden, turn the heat down to 370 F(188 °C) and bake for 7 minutes (1 or 2 minutes more/less depending on your oven).

Take the croissants out of the oven. Leave on the baking sheet for 2 minutes, and gently transfer them onto a cooling rack.

If you try this One Day Classic French Croissants, let me know!  Leave a comment or share a photo on Instagram tagging @pardonyourfrench or using #pardonyourfrench. 

You might also want to try: 

• Two Day Classic French Croissants
• Three Day Classic French Croissants

The post One Day Classic French Croissants appeared first on Pardon Your French.

In comparison to my One-Day Classic French Croissants recipe, the crumb of these 2-day croissants is more aerated and offers lovely subtle butter notes. The three-day version of this recipe has more depth in taste and texture, but if you only have two days to spare, this recipe is for you (and you’ll achieve a result very, very close to the real deal!).

Before you start this recipe, make sure to read this post: Classic French Croissants 101 Guide, where I am covering all the essentials you need to know before making croissants for the first time (choice of ingredients, yeast, poolish, laminating, proofing, etc…). 

Summary of the timeline: 

(ie. Start Saturday afternoon and get freshly-baked croissants for Sunday morning)
Day 1: Late Afternoon (4 hours, inc. 2 hours 30 minutes chill time)
Make poolish and dough (30 minutes), refrigerate (1 hour)
Laminate the dough and shape the croissants (2 hours 30 minutes; inc. 1 hour 30 minutes chill time)
Refrigerate until Day 2.
Day 2: Morning (2 hours of proofing and 17 minutes of baking)
Proofing (2 hours), baking (17 min).
Total: 6 hours, over 2 days

The equipment

• Stand Mixer (optional – easier for kneading the dough; but this can be done by hand too)
• Large working surface (ideally, cold marble top)
• Rolling pin
• Ruler or measuring tape (cm or inch)
• Pizza cutter
• Pastry Brush
• Two baking sheets; parchment paper
• Plastic film
•  8×8-inch (20.3×20.3cm) or 9×9-inch (22.9×22.9cm) square pan
• 2 large air-tight containers (able to contain 6 croissants each).

Important note: Making Classic French Croissants is an intermediate to advanced level recipe. It took me several years to get a hang of “laminating” and “proofing”, having several failures along the way. I can’t promise your very first batch of croissants will be a success (mine definitely weren’t). But if you persevere, you will succeed!

Two Day Classic French Croissants

Print Recipe

Prep Time: 2 Days Cooking Time: 17 Minutes 17 Minutes

Nutrition facts: 200 calories 20 grams fat

Rating: 4.2/5

( 13 voted )

Ingredients

For the poolish :

½ cup + 2 tsp (140ml) water
1 cup (125g) French Type 55 flour or unbleached all-purpose flour
2 tbsp (17g) Instant yeast

For the dough:

3 cups (375g) French Type 55 flour or unbleached all-purpose flour (+ extra for dusting)
2 ½ tsp (12g) salt
1/3 cup (65g) sugar
½ cup + 2 tsp (140ml) whole milk, cold
2 ¾ tbsp (40g) unsalted butter, at room temperature and cubbed

For laminating:

1 cup (250g) unsalted butter, cold
1 egg + 1 tsp whole milk (egg wash)

Instructions

Make sure you read the Classic-French Croissants 101 before you start this recipe. 

Step 1 – Make the poolish.

In a small sauce pan over low heat, bring the water to a lukewarm temperature and turn off the heat immediately (make sure it doesn’t get any warmer than lukewarm or it will kill the yeast). Stir in the flour and yeast and mix until well incorporated. The mixture should be thick and slightly difficult to mix.

Set aside for 30 minutes. The poolish will expand. It should triple or even quadruple in size, and become spongy with bubbles forming at the top. Photos below: Before and After. 

Step 2 – Make the dough.

Meanwhile, in a large mixing bowl, sift together the flour, salt and sugar. 

Add the poolish (make sure you scrape the saucepan to get all the poolish into the dough) and the milk. Stir to combine.

Knead in the cubes of butter in three separate additions. Make sure the butter is well incorporated before you incorporate the next addition. 

Knead the dough for 5-6 minutes (in the bowl or you can transfer it to a working surface). The dough should be soft, smooth and slightly sticky. Do not over-knead. The dough shouldn’t be too firm nor elastic.

Cover a 8x8-inch (20.3cmx20.3cm) or 9x9-inch (22.9cmx22.9cm) square pan with plastic film and pat the dough into it. Cover with plastic film and refrigerate for 1 hour.

Step 3 – Prepare the butter

In the meantime, take the butter out of the fridge and cut it into about ½-inch (1.25cm) thick square slices (if using a block of butter – not sticks - this will give you 4 slices).

Lay a large piece of parchment paper on a working surface. Place the slices of butter flat on the paper to form a 5x5-inches (12.7cmx12.7cm) square.

Lay another piece of parchment paper on top. With a rolling pin, roll out the butter to a large 6.5x6.5-inch (16.5cmx16.5cm) square. Peel off the parchment paper, wrap the butter slab in plastic film and chill until needed.

Step 4 – Laminate the dough

After the 1 hour, take the dough out of the fridge. Take it out of the square pan, unwrap it and place it onto a large, lightly floured working surface (ideally, cold marble top / Do not flour it too much or the dough will absorb too much flour and become too stiff.)

Step 4.1 - Roll out the dough into a 12X12-inch (30.5cmx30.5cm) square – make sure it is even in thickness. Take the butter out of the fridge and place it in the middle of the square at a 45 degree angle. Fold a corner side of the dough over the butter, with the tip of the corner in the middle of the butter (corner side should be triangle-shaped, since the butter is 45 degree diagonal). Repeat with the other other corner sides of the dough, so they all overlap in the center and the butter is totally encased within the dough.

Step 4.2 - Lightly flour your rolling pin and carefully start to roll out the dough (with the butter inside) to a 8x24-inch (20.3cmx61cm) rectangle. Be very gentle when you roll the dough out: apply even pressure and work your way slowly (you don’t want to break the butter into pieces nor squeeze it to the sides – it has to stay enclosed within the dough). Keep it mind that 8-inches (20.3cm) isn’t very wide, so focus on lengthening the dough to 24-inches (61cm), rolling back and forth, rather then widening it.

Once the dough has reached its intended rectangular size (8x24-inches/20.3cmx61cm rectangle), fold it like a letter lenghtwise (one side on top of the other). Wrap in plastic film and chill for 30 minutes.

After 30 minutes, take the dough out of the fridge and place it onto the working surface with the “open side” facing you (rotate 90 degrees; see photo right below). Repeat Step 4.2 (rolling to a 8x24-inch (20.3cmx61cm) rectangle and folding) and chill again for 30 minutes. After 30 minutes, repeat Step 4.2 one last time, starting again with the open side facing you, and chill for 30 minutes. In total, you complete Step 4.2 three times.

Step 5 – Cutting the dough

After 30 minutes, take the dough out of the fridge and place it onto the working surface with the “open side” facing you again and roll it out to a 8x43.3-inch (20.3cmx110cm) long rectangle. The dough will resist a bit (this is normal). When the dough is its intented size, make sure it isn’t stuck to the working surface by lifting it gently (it will shrink a bit naturally).

Working along the long side of the rectangle, make small cuts in the dough at 5 inch (12.5cm) intervals (you get 7 cuts in total). Working along the other long side of the rectangle, make small cuts at 5 inches (12.5cm) intervals, but starting at 2.5 inches (6.25cm) from the top of the rectangle, so these cuts don’t align with the ones on the other side – this will form the basis of triangles.

Use the pizza cutter and a ruler (or straight object) to make diagonal cuts (joining the top and bottom small cut marks), to create triangular cuts along the length of the dough. Discard of the two end pieces.

Step 6 – Shaping the croissants

Using a sharp knife or your pizza cutter, mark a small ½ inch (2.5cm) cut in the center of the short side of each triangle.

Grab the shorter side, stretch it out slightly and roll it up toward the pointy end. 

Once all rolled up, press gently onto the pointy end to seal the croissant.

Take both ends of the rolled up croissants and slightly bend them to create a crescent shape. 

Step 7 – Proofing

Carefully lift each croissant and arrange them in parchment lined airtight containers, leaving enough space between them to expand. Close with a lid, and refrigerate overnight.

The next morning, transfer the chilled croissants on parchment lined baking sheets, (6 croissants/sheet), leaving enough space between them to expand.

Whisk the egg with the milk and brush a first generous coat of egg wash onto the croissants.

Proof the croissants for 2 hours in a draft-free environment (make sure you read the steps to proofing here). 

Pre-heat your oven to 390°F (199 °C).

When the oven is pre-heated, brush a second coat of egg wash on the croissants.

Step 8 – Baking

Bake for 9 minutes. When the croissants start to become golden, turn the heat down to 370 F(188 °C) and bake for 7 minutes (1 or 2 minutes more/less depending on your oven).

Take the croissants out of the oven. Leave on the baking sheet for 2 minutes, and gently transfer them onto a cooling rack.

If you try this Two Day Classic French Croissants, let me know!  Leave a comment or share a photo on Instagram tagging @pardonyourfrench or using #pardonyourfrench. 

You might also want to try: 

• One Day Classic French Croissants
• Three Day Classic French Croissants

The post Two Day Classic French Croissants appeared first on Pardon Your French.

In comparison to my One-day or Two-day Classic French Croissants recipe, these will have the flakiest outside, most aerated crumb and have the most subtle yet complex buttery taste.

Sparing three days on a recipe can seem intimidating or even overwhelming, but this recipe only truly requires 2 to 2 hours ½ of your active time (depending on how comfortable you are with the technique). After completing this recipe once, you will be much more at ease with the process and can more naturally fit this recipe within your weekend schedule.

Before you start this recipe, make sure to read this post: Classic French Croissants 101 Guide, where I am covering all the essentials you need to know before making croissants for the first time (choice of ingredients, yeast, poolish, laminating, proofing, etc…). 

Summary of the timeline: 

(ie. Start Friday evening, and get freshly-baked croissants for Sunday morning)
Day 1: In the Evening (30 minutes active time, total)
Make the poolish and dough. Refrigerate until Day 2. 
Day 2: Late Afternoon/ Evening (2 hours 30 minutes total, inc. 1 hour 30 minutes of chill time)
Laminate the dough and shape the croissants. Refrigerate until Day 3.
Day 3: Morning (1 hour of proofing and 17 minutes of baking)
Proofing and baking of the croissants
Total: 4 hours, over 3 days

The equipment

• Stand Mixer (optional – easier for kneading the dough; but this can be done by hand too)
• Large working surface (ideally, cold marble top)
• Rolling pin
• Ruler or measuring tape (cm or inch)
• Pizza cutter
• Pastry Brush
• Two baking sheets; parchment paper
• Plastic film
•  8×8-inch (20.3×20.3cm) or 9×9-inch (22.9×22.9cm) square pan
• 2 large air-tight containers (able to contain 6 croissants each).

Important note: Making Classic French Croissants is an intermediate to advanced level recipe. It took me several years to get a hang of “laminating” and “proofing”, having several failures along the way. I can’t promise your very first batch of croissants will be a success (mine definitely weren’t). But if you persevere, you will succeed!

Three Day Classic French Croissants

Print Recipe

Serves: 12 Croissants Prep Time: 3 Days Cooking Time: 17 Minutes 17 Minutes

Nutrition facts: 200 calories 20 grams fat

Rating: 3.6/5

( 134 voted )

Ingredients

For the poolish :

½ cup + 2 tsp (140ml) water
1 cup (125g) French Type 55 flour or unbleached all-purpose flour
2 tbsp (17g) Instant yeast

For the dough:

3 cups (375g) French Type 55 flour or unbleached all-purpose flour (+ extra for dusting)
2 ½ tsp (12g) salt
1/3 cup (65g) sugar
½ cup + 2 tsp (140ml) whole milk, cold
2 ¾ tbsp (40g) unsalted butter, at room temperature and cubed

For laminating:

1 cup (250g) unsalted butter, cold
1 egg + 1 tsp whole milk (egg wash)

Instructions

Make sure you read the Classic-French Croissants 101 Guide before you start this recipe. 

Step 1 – Make the poolish.

In a small sauce pan over low heat, bring the water to a lukewarm temperature and turn off the heat immediately (make sure it doesn’t get any warmer than lukewarm or it will kill the yeast). Stir in the flour and yeast and mix until well incorporated. The mixture should be thick and slightly difficult to mix.

Set aside for 30 minutes. The poolish will expand. It should triple or even quadruple in size, and become spongy with bubbles forming at the top. Photos below: Before and After. 

Step 2 – Make the dough.

Meanwhile, in a large mixing bowl, sift together the flour, salt and sugar. 

Add the poolish (make sure you scrape the saucepan to get all the poolish into the dough) and the milk. Stir to combine.

Knead in the cubes of butter in three separate additions. Make sure the butter is well incorporated before you incorporate the next addition. 

Knead the dough for 5-6 minutes (in the bowl or you can transfer it to a working surface). The dough should be soft, smooth and slightly sticky. Do not over-knead. The dough shouldn’t be too firm nor elastic.

Cover a 8x8-inch (20.3cmx20.3cm) or 9x9-inch (22.9cmx22.9cm) square pan with plastic film and pat the dough into it. Cover with plastic film and refrigerate overnight. 

Step 3 – Prepare the butter

In the meantime, take the butter out of the fridge and cut it into about ½-inch (1.25cm) thick square slices (if using a block of butter – not sticks - this will give you 4 slices).

Lay a large piece of parchment paper on a working surface. Place the slices of butter flat on the paper to form a 5x5-inches (12.7cmx12.7cm) square.

Lay another piece of parchment paper on top. With a rolling pin, roll out the butter to a large 6.5x6.5-inch (16.5cmx16.5cm) square. Peel off the parchment paper, wrap the butter slab in plastic film and chill overnight as well. 

Step 4 – Laminate the dough

The next day (afternoon), take the dough out of the fridge. Take it out of the square pan, unwrap it and place it onto a large, lightly floured working surface (ideally, cold marble top / Do not flour it too much or the dough will absorb too much flour and become too stiff.)

Step 4.1 - Roll out the dough into a 12X12-inch (30.5cmx30.5cm) square – make sure it is even in thickness. Take the butter out of the fridge and place it in the middle of the square at a 45 degree angle. Fold a corner side of the dough over the butter, with the tip of the corner in the middle of the butter (corner side should be triangle-shaped, since the butter is 45 degree diagonal). Repeat with the other other corner sides of the dough, so they all overlap in the center and the butter is totally encased within the dough.

Step 4.2 - Lightly flour your rolling pin and carefully start to roll out the dough (with the butter inside) to a 8x24-inch (20.3cmx61cm) rectangle. Be very gentle when you roll the dough out: apply even pressure and work your way slowly (you don’t want to break the butter into pieces nor squeeze it to the sides – it has to stay enclosed within the dough). Keep it mind that 8-inches (20.3cm) isn’t very wide, so focus on lenghtening the dough to 24-inches (61cm), rolling back and forth, rather then widening it.

Once the dough has reached its intended rectangular size (8x24-inches/20.3cmx61cm rectangle), fold it like a letter lenghtwise (one side on top of the other). Wrap in plastic film and chill for 30 minutes.

After 30 minutes, take the dough out of the fridge and place it onto the working surface with the “open side” facing you (rotate 90 degrees; see photo right below). Repeat Step 4.2 (rolling to a 8x24-inch (20.3cmx61cm) rectangle and folding) and chill again for 30 minutes. After 30 minutes, repeat Step 4.2 one last time, starting again with the open side facing you, and chill for 30 minutes. In total, you complete Step 4.2 three times.

Step 5 – Cutting the dough

After 30 minutes, take the dough out of the fridge and place it onto the working surface with the “open side” facing you again and roll it out to a 8x43.3-inch (20.3cmx110cm) long rectangle. The dough will resist a bit (this is normal). When the dough is its intented size, make sure it isn’t stuck to the working surface by lifting it gently (it will shrink a bit naturally).

Working along the long side of the rectangle, make small cuts in the dough at 5 inch (12.5cm) intervals (you get 7 cuts in total). Working along the other long side of the rectangle, make small cuts at 5 inches (12.5cm) intervals, but starting at 2.5 inches (6.25cm) from the top of the rectangle, so these cuts don’t align with the ones on the other side – this will form the basis of triangles.

Use the pizza cutter and a ruler (or straight object) to make diagonal cuts (joining the top and bottom small cut marks), to create triangular cuts along the length of the dough. Discard of the two end pieces.

Step 6 – Shaping the croissants

Using a sharp knife or your pizza cutter, mark a small ½ inch (2.5cm) cut in the center of the short side of each triangle.

Grab the shorter side, stretch it out slightly and roll it up toward the pointy end. 

Once all rolled up, press gently onto the pointy end to seal the croissant.

Take both ends of the rolled up croissants and slightly bend them to create a crescent shape. 

Step 7 – Proofing

Carefully lift each croissant and arrange them in parchment lined airtight containers, leaving enough space between them to expand. Close with a lid, and refrigerate overnight.

The next morning, transfer the chilled croissants on parchment lined baking sheets, (6 croissants/sheet), leaving enough space between them to expand.

Whisk the egg with the milk and brush a first generous coat of egg wash onto the croissants.

Proof the croissants for 1 hour in a draft-free environment (make sure you read the steps to proofing here). 

Pre-heat your oven to 390°F (199 °C).

When the oven is pre-heated, brush a second coat of egg wash on the croissants.

Step 8 – Baking

Bake for 9 minutes. When the croissants start to become golden, turn the heat down to 370 F(188 °C) and bake for 7 minutes (1 or 2 minutes more/less depending on your oven).

Take the croissants out of the oven. Leave on the baking sheet for 2 minutes, and gently transfer them onto a cooling rack.

If you try this Three Day Classic French Croissants recipe, let me know!  Leave a comment or share a photo on Instagram tagging @pardonyourfrench or using #pardonyourfrench. 

You might also want to try: 

• One Day Classic French Croissants
• Two Day Classic French Croissants

The post Three Day Classic French Croissants appeared first on Pardon Your French.