Before you cook
Background Recipe story & origin
The croissant's origin involves myth and evolution. Legend credits the 1683 siege of Vienna, when bakers allegedly celebrated Austria's victory over the Ottoman Turks by creating a crescent-shaped pastry mocking the Ottoman flag. However, this story lacks historical evidence. The Austrian kipferl-a crescent roll-did exist and migrated to France. The modern, flaky, laminated croissant was developed in Paris by Austrian entrepreneur August Zang, who opened a Viennese bakery around 1838-1839, introducing laminated pastry techniques. French bakers refined the kipferl with their pâte feuilletée (puff pastry) method, creating the buttery, layered croissant by the early 20th century. The technique requires folding butter into dough repeatedly (at least 27 layers), careful temperature control, and overnight resting. The croissant became a symbol of French breakfast culture, though it's technically Austro-French in heritage.
Before you start Equipment you'll need
- rolling pin — Essential tool for rolling and laminating butter into dough to create flaky pastry layers
Ingredients
Instructions
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Make the dough
Mix flour, yeast, sugar, salt, milk. Knead until smooth. Chill 1 hour.
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Laminate the dough
Pound butter into rectangle. Enclose in dough. Roll and fold 3 times (single folds) with chilling between. Rest overnight.
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Form and bake
Roll dough. Cut triangles. Roll from base to point. Curve into crescents. Proof 2 hours. Egg wash. Bake at 400°F 15-18 minutes until deep golden.