Quick Croissants

Not too long ago I saw this idea of making a quick dough for croissants and kept my attention. Is it really possible? Who in the world doesn’t love croissants? We always postpone making them at home because of the long process a classic croissant dough requires.

quick croissants with coffee

No doubt that homemade croissants are the best of all when not in Paris :). Sometimes can be hard to find really good croissants at the bakeries out there. I was very thrilled to find this recipe and gave it a try immediately and I must say I love it.

It is so easy… it takes no more than 20 minutes of work… the rest is simply waiting, and the croissants are wonderful. They are probably not as flaky as the classic ones but for all the little work involved they are just perfect. Crispy on the outside, with a buttery, flaky crumb, a perfect treat for breakfast or brunch. You can serve it as it is with a bit of jam alongside your coffee or tea, or even prepare a delicious sandwich. I am craving for some just as I am writing these words right now. 🙂

This is a recipe I will make pretty often, I did it about five times by now, and each time they were devoured almost immediately. My little culinary judges, my daughters, were delighted by these quick croissants. Give them a try, you will love them.

Quick Croissants section

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Recipe adapted after Supergolden Bakes

Quick Croissants

Quick Croissants

3.91 from 11 votes
Homemade Quick Croissants - Crispy on the outside, buttery, flaky, a perfect treat for breakfast or brunch. It takes no more than 20 minutes of work.
Servings 8 servings
Prep Time 20 minutes
Cook Time 25 minutes
Total Time 45 minutes

Ingredients
  

  • 2 cups (250g) strong bread flour
  • 1 ¼ sticks sticks (150g) cold unsalted butter , cubed
  • 1/2 cup (120 ml) lukewarm milk
  • 3 tbsp (45 g) sugar
  • 25 g fresh yeast (7 g- active dry yeast)
  • 1/2 tsp salt

Egg Wash

  • 1 egg yolk
  • 1 tbsp milk

Instructions
 

  • Place yeast in a bowl. Add sugar and stir until it liquefies. Add milk and set aside to cool completely.
    Quick Croissants step 1Quick Croissants step 2
  • Combine flour and salt into a large bowl. Add butter and using a fork combine until big crumbles form.
    Quick Croissants step 3Quick Croissants step 4
  • Add the yeast/milk mixture and gently combine until the dough just comes together. The butter needs to remain in  pea-sized pieces. Wrap it with plastic, knead slowly to form a square and freeze for 30 minutes or refrigerate for a couple of hours.
    Quick Croissants step 5Quick Croissants step 6
    Quick Croissants step 7Quick Croissants step 8
  • Dust with flour your work surface and your rolling pin and start rolling the dough into a rectangular roughly two to three times as long as it is wide. The dough it pretty hard to work with at the beginning but will come together while rolling and folding.
    Quick Croissants step 9Quick Croissants step 10
  • Fold the short sides of the dough into the middle.  Rotate the dough by a quarter turn. Roll out slightly to lengthen. Fold the short ends towards the middle.
    Quick Croissants step 11Quick Croissants step 12Quick Croissants step 13Quick Croissants step 14
  • Flip the dough over so the seams are underneath. Repeat the rolling and folding process steps 4-5,  three more times, giving the dough a total of four times of rolling and folding.
  • Wrap the dough in plastic wrap and refrigerate for a couple of hours or better overnight.
  • On a lightly floured surface roll the dough into a rectangular of 16 inches (40cm) X 10 in (25 cm).  Cut the dough into triangles, it will make about 8 triangles of 12 in (30 cm) long and 3 in (8 cm) at base.
    Quick Croissants step 16Quick Croissants step 17
  • Score a small slit in the centre of each triangle base, gently stretch the corners and tip, then roll the croissant starting from the wide up to the top giving them the croissant shape.
    Quick Croissants step 18Quick Croissants step 19
  • Place the croissants with tip side down onto a prepared baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Cover with plastic wrap and let rise for 2-3 hours at room temperature.
  • Preheat the oven to 450 F (230C). Brush the croissants with egg wash.
    Quick Croissants step 20
  • Bake for 8 minutes than reduce  the oven to 375 F (190C) and bake for another 10-15 minutes until deep golden brown.
  • Cool on wire rack before serving.

Video

Nutrition

Serving: 1gCalories: 290kcalCarbohydrates: 30.5gProtein: 5.5gFat: 16.6gSaturated Fat: 10.1gCholesterol: 68mgSugar: 5.4g
Calories: 290kcal
Course: Bread, Breakfast, Snack
Cuisine: French
Keyword: 20 minutes croissant dough, homemade croissants, quick croissant dough, quick croissants, quick method croissant dough

Did you make this recipe?

Please let me know how it turned out for you! Leave a comment below and tag @homecookingadventure on Instagram and hashtag it #homecookingadventure.

Join the Conversation

  1. mira Author says:

    These look beautiful and delicious! Definitely making them. Never heard of this quick dough, it will be such a time saver!

  2. Lindsey @ American Heritage Cooking Author says:

    WOW! Sensational. I loved your video by the way. Fascinating. You really did make it look super easy!

    ps- I think it’s kind of hilarious that you don’t make cupcakes because they take too long but I was tired just thinking about making these croissants! 🙂

    1. Ella-HomeCookingAdventure Author says:

      Yes.. that's kind of funny.. but did you know that these croissants don't take more than 20 minutes of active work.. which is great.. and after they are baked they are good to go:) Cupcakes take more than 20 minutes.. after they are baked, only half of the work is done 🙂 probably this is the reason I don't make cupcakes too often.. 🙂 But I love them too.. so I will get some patience after all..

  3. Kristi @ Inspiration Kitchen Author says:

    Love these croissants, Ella! I’ve always wanted to make them at home, so I’m glad I now know how. Love all the pics! Pinned!

  4. Lexi @ Sempre Dolce Author says:

    Ella, these look wonderful! Because I am such a chocolate fanatic, I am wondering how a person could add chocolate to these? 🙂

    1. Ella-HomeCookingAdventure Author says:

      It's very simple, just add a piece or two of chocolate before rolling the dough into croissants:) It will work good …

  5. Kayle (The Cooking Actress) Author says:

    amazing!!! They look sort of like the Pillsbury crescent rolls-but homemade and sooo much better!!

  6. I’ve made this cheater recipe, too…SO good! You’d never guess this was a shortcut version from the look of your croissants!

  7. Michaell @ Foodscape Author says:

    Wow! I love this recipe! Great cheat! I also loved Lexi @ Sempre Dolce’s suggestion of chocolate. #YUM. Any thoughts on which flour would work best for this recipe if I don’t do any processed white flours? I really want to try this…if not, I may make it anyway in the name of Thanksgiving!

    1. Ella-HomeCookingAdventure Author says:

      Glad you like it Michaell. You can try unbleached all purpose flour.. it seems that bread flour might work best. Let me know when you give them a try. Happy  holidays! 

  8. Stacy Author says:

    Wonderful recipe! I will try a soon as possible, I was just wondering would it be okay to substitute the bread flour for all purpose flour? Not unbleached all purpose flour just regular. If I used this flour what effect would it have? Thank you!

    1. Ella-HomeCookingAdventure Author says:

      Yes.. you can substitute bread flour with all purpose.. but not with cake flour. Bread flour has more gluten and works better in yeast recipes,  all purpose flour has a bit less gluten than bread flour but much more than cake flour so it  will work well for this recipe. Give it a try. Pay attention to the baking time.. and keep an eye on them while baking.. it might be different from oven to oven..  you might need reducing the time baking from 8 to 5 minutes on (450F) and then 8-10 minutes on 375 F.  If any other questions don't hesitate to contact me again:)

  9. Katie Author says:

    What if one loses track and ends up with 5 roll and fold counts? Will it just make for more layers or will the dough get overworked and ruin the texture?

    1. Ella-HomeCookingAdventure Author says:

      It's hard for me to figure it out, depending on how it was rolled and folded, if the butter melted entirely and see no more chunks of butter inside the dough it may be overworked. It is important to have butter chunks still left in the dough to create that flaky texture.

  10. Pia Author says:

    I sure will make them tomorrow for my birthday Party…….

    1. Ella-HomeCookingAdventure Author says:

      Sounds awesome.. let me know how they turn for you 🙂

  11. Connie Author says:

    Wow!!! I love this recipe, I would never have thought I could make croissants successfully! These turned out beautifully- crispy on the outside, and very soft and tender on the inside. Next time I’ll double the recipe and make a batch for my friends. Thank you so much Ella!

    1. Ella-HomeCookingAdventure Author says:

      So glad they turned well for you:) makes me really happy..Yeah.. you should definitely double the recipe.. I am sure they will enjoy it.

  12. Escape Author says:

    What if I buttered the dough before each new fold? Would that help to get more flakiness?

    1. Ella-HomeCookingAdventure Author says:

      I don't think it's necessary.. it does contain a lot of butter anyway.. just make sure you are not kneading it too much at the beginning so butter chunks can still be visible. 

  13. Anonymous Author says:

    Do you need to add the sugar, often recipes work just as well without, is this one of those recipes?

    1. Ella-HomeCookingAdventure Author says:

      You can skip the sugar if desired.. it will work well without.

  14. Chathu Author says:

    Hi, I love this recipe. What I can use instead
    of lukewarm milk?

    1. Ella-HomeCookingAdventure Author says:

      lukewarm milk.. means it's milk a bit warm.. you can use whatever milk you prefer.. cashew milk.. almond milk.. coconut milk.. these might work well as well.

  15. Felicia Author says:

    Hi Ella. I wonder if I can freeze the dough overnight so that I can have freshly baked croissant the next morning?

    1. Ella-HomeCookingAdventure Author says:

      You just have to refrigerate it overnight.. it's even better this way, as mentioned on step 7,  this is what I always do

  16. Vivek Joshi Author says:

    Hey baker..This is really nice recipe. Kudos to your hard work by putting it here. I just tried it today but after adding milk, my dough got soft and it seemed as if butter chunks have been integrated inside it. They were not visible and i am too worried that it may not rise. i am afraid that due to excess milk, the butter may have dissolved. Will it result into bad outcome ? Should i add very small butter cubes after each rolling ? Please reply soon, i will roll these tomorrow so i have time. 🙂

    1. Ella-HomeCookingAdventure Author says:

      You probably overworked the dough or the butter was not cold enough. You can try adding some butter cubes after rolling, i might help.

  17. Farhana Author says:

    My Q? How long do you keep the dough in the refridgerator and it is not clear enough how long to bake croissant in electric oven.

    1. Ella-HomeCookingAdventure Author says:

      On step 7 it is said for how long to keep the dough refrigerated before baking: "Wrap the dough in plastic wrap and refrigerate for a couple of hours or better overnight." On steps 11 and 12 is it mentioned the temperature and the time of baking. First preheat the oven to 450 F (230C). Bake for 8 minutes than reduce  the oven to 375 F (190C) and bake for another 10-15 minutes until deep golden brown.

      I suggest to keep an eye on them, oven can be slightly different , just to make sure they don't get burned.

       

  18. Libbie Author says:

    After you roll them and let them rise can you freeze them? If so any idea how long they will freeze for. After they rise do you have to cook them immediately? Thinking if can make them night before to cook in the morning. Also how do you get the milk warm, in microwave or in a pot? Also thank you for the video and recipe.

  19. Taniya Author says:

    Hi..I just want to know the measurements of the ingredients if I want to make 12 croissants?

    1. Ella-HomeCookingAdventure Author says:

      You will have to add another half for each ingredient.. 2 cups flour will be 3 cups.. 1/2 cup milk will be 3/4 cup milk.. and so on

  20. ameelia mohammed Author says:

    hi ..i just want to know the measurements of the ingredients if i want to make 100 croissants

  21. Dulce De Leon Author says:

    Hi Ella, thanks for the recipe. Great video-tutorial. Congratulations. Very glad I found your page. I´ve done croissants before, but I´ll love to try new ones. Maybe to find short cuts for the foldings. LOL. As you said, patience is the key. Thanks for sharing all your videos. Greetings from Venezuela.

  22. Annonymous Author says:

    Hi just want to ask if what changes will happen to the croissant if I refrigerate for around 3 hours only and not overnight on step 7? Thank you!

  23. tricia Author says:

    I did it, thanks to your video. I couldn’t chill it overnight because the dough kept rising like a monster in the fridge so it was baked within hours. The layers weren’t too distinct, perhaps the butter were cut too fine, but overall yummy. My first ever croissant, thanks to you 🙂

  24. Monica S. Author says:

    Hi!
    I just tried to make these and all went well until the egg wash. My crossiants were so big and fluffy when I removed the plastic wrap, but fell down and became flat immediately after I brushed on the egg wash. I was really careful when I did it. Any tips?

    1. Ella-HomeCookingAdventure Author says:

      not sure why they deflate after brushing…maybe add some milk in the egg to make it more runny

  25. azeem bagas Author says:

    wow click bait. rising time is 2-3 hours and i thought it was only 45 minutes+++

  26. Jacky Author says:

    Hi. I have been following ur videos and they are really cool. And myself love croisaant very much but didnt do it coz i dont master well in rolling the butter in between the bread. For ur recipe, i would like to ask do i really need to wait for 2 to 3 hours risimg bfore i could bake the croissant? Tqvm for replying

  27. lata Author says:

    Hi,
    Thanks for the recipe.I prepared the dough, but it turned out very sticky. I added more flour to make it a bit thick. I have left the dough overnight now. Should I roll out the dough and add butter and again freeze it for an hour?

  28. optimist Author says:

    I am absolutely thrilled by the results. I usually perfect cakes , but rarely succeeded in doing breads.
    I have always wanted to try a croissant recipe , and this one involves very minimal work and the results were very similar to the pictures.

    However , i used active dry yeast instead of fresh yeast and it won’t liquified and i guess it shouldn’t , it browned pretty quickly after 8 min so i covered with aluminium foil and continue baking it for further 10 min . it was perfectly golden brown.

    my question : Can i use instant yeast instead which can be incorporated directly with the flour without mixing with milk ? if so , should i use the same measurement of 7g ?

    Thanks for the great recipe. Everyone should try it out !!

  29. Anna Author says:

    I would love for my culinary class to make these croissants, the only problem I have is time. At step 10 when you cover the rolled croissants in plastic wrap and let them rise for 2-3 hours, can I have them sit in the refrigerator overnight? Or will they rise too much? Please help! I love this recipe and want to show my students that they can make croissants too.

  30. Leyla Author says:

    Is it possible to shape the croissants and instead of letting them rise for 2-3)
    Hours, putting them in the fridge overnight? If yes do you let them come to room temperature or something in the morning?

  31. jenna Author says:

    howdy – I’ve just this season become obsessed with “The Great British Baking Show” and based on the show’s contestants, every “from scratch” home baker in Britain knows this dough as “rough puff”. I looked up the BBC’s published recipe, which is Gordon Ramsey’s version, but it has only one pic (the finished dough being rolled out) and found your post, which is FANTASTIC! BTW, Mr. Ramsey only works one turn in his dough, so I’ll bet that yours is WAYYY more flaky. Have to wonder why the BBC used Mr. Ramsey’s recipe, since I’ve never seen him do pastry like, ever . . . hmmm. Anyway, thanks for such a detailed tutorial & including English & metric measurements (we Americans are so backwards, sometimes). Great job!

  32. Diane Author says:

    I just pulled my from the oven and they look amazing!!! I made the dough as stated until after the folding steps. Instead of chilling before shaping, I went ahead and cut and shaped the croissants and then let them stay in the fridge overnight. They needed to sit out on the counter this morning for two hours before they were ready to bake. Also I applied the egg wash last night before I covered with cling wrap (to decrease the chance of deflation). Just popped them in oven and baked as directed. Thanks for showing the folding technique as well. I found the video super helpful. (Also I used 1 3/4 tsp of bread machine yeast)

  33. Mary Author says:

    Can i use this dough for the receipe call for danish pastey. And this such the easiest receipe for croissant i have never seen before

  34. Mansour Author says:

    Hello dear.. ^_^
    I hope you’re doing so well..
    I’m one of your fans I really like what you do its magical..
    I was just wondering about this recipe ..
    Does the all purpose flour works the same as strong bread flour?!
    Thank you and King regards..

    1. Ella-HomeCookingAdventure Author says:

      Hi Mansour.

      The strong bread flour is more suited for pastry but you can use all purpose flour too.

  35. Jennie Author says:

    Hi Ella. This recipe looks wonderful. However, I have some problem when making this. The whole process went smothly but my croissants didn’t rise although the yeasr is still active, there was one thing that I let them rise in the fridge because of the hot weather of our country. The average temp is about 30°C so I scared that the butter will melt. But next time I tried, I let them rise at room temperature and I end up with a croissant shaped bread in a butter bath. What should I do now?
    P/s: I tried your recipe for rough puff pastry and the final result came out so good, just like they are made in traditional way. Thank you so much :))

  36. Elizabeth Author says:

    Total WIN. I made these on a whim and didn’t expect them to work since I only had dry yeast. The came out great. I made 1/2 with dark chocolate and 1/2 plain. SO GOOD!

  37. C. Kohr Author says:

    1. Place yeast in a bowl. Add sugar and stir until it liquefies.
    Question – How do 2 dry ingredients become a liquid?

  38. Andreina Author says:

    I felt so excited to find a quick croissant recipe since I wanted to make something nice for my family… saw the times at the beginning and figure out I would give them a try… BIG mistake of not reading all the recipe before… it’s very confusing that you list the total time as 45 but it actually takes a lot of hours with the resting 🙁 I felt very tricked when I got to the let rest over night.. what a bummer 🙁

  39. brian Author says:

    how much is it to make 32 cause i need them for my french class in a few days

  40. Ben Author says:

    It’s no wonder you don’t show a picture of the inside after the ‘croissants’ are cooked. This is without a doubt the shittest recipe I’ve ever seen. Spend more time on your cooking rather than your story telling and you might get better.

  41. LJay Author says:

    Hello Ella, I just love your recipes and website. My question is can I make this croissant dough into a loaf in a Pullman pan ?? And would I increase the ingredient amounts ? Would the baking time be the same ?
    Thank you so much!

  42. SMC Author says:

    These are amazing. Supposedly not “real” croissants but who would really know the difference. Made them several times, multiplying the recipe 3x. I just make one big piece of dough and then use my handy-dandy roller that cuts out the shape. I can get about 36-40 out of 3x. They disappear!
    Thanks for such a great recipe!

  43. Astha Author says:

    hi !! am a home cook.. new to baking.. loved this recipe.. plan to try it today.. 2 things.. couldn’t find white bread flour anywhere.. got brown bread flour.. will that be good ? also, I have dry instant yeast not the fresh one.. how to use that ? thanks so much.. I want to surprise my husband tomorrow for breakfast 🙂

  44. Anna Author says:

    Tried these. Perfect. Beautiful. I wanted to cry. Used regular all purpose flour because that’s what I had but they turned out exactly like yours. Flaky with all those gorgeous layers visible. Thank you!

  45. Justina Author says:

    Hi :), thank you for another great recipe! I was wondering if using this recipe you could make mini version of it and how would you adjust the baking time? Thank you in advance!

  46. Just got done with the rolls and fold and it is now in fridge for overnight, but dough was really dry- is that right?

  47. Just got done with the rolls and fold and it is now in fridge for overnight, but dough was really dry- is that right?

  48. Rayneroo Author says:

    Oh my gosh! I absolutely love this recipe! Much cheaper than the regular already made croissants I get from the store (and tastier!) They came out to be absolutely scrumptious and I can’t wait to try out all of these amazing recipes! I’ve already made the challah and focaccia and those were magnificent as well. All of these recipes are absolutely amazing! – Rayne

  49. Jodyates Author says:

    Fantastic! Thank you, for a quick, easy, delicious croissant recipe.

    One question; with the ingredients you have yolk and tbsp of milk, it they’re never mentioned in the recipe…what gives?

    1. Ella-HomeCookingAdventure Author says:

      that is the egg wash, you just mix the yolk with milk and brush the top of the croissants before baking. 

  50. ella Author says:

    I love these croissants! I’m sixteen so I don’t have a lot of time to bake with school and work but now I make these every weekend for my family and they love them. I always add a little bit more milk to the dough because I find it makes it easier to work with but every other aspect of these is perfect 🙂

  51. Judy Author says:

    This recipe is amazing. So much easier and quicker than every single other recipe on the internet. They came out just perfect which is unbelievable considering I messed up a few steps and definitely overworked the dough. Heavenly!

  52. Rivka Author says:

    Hi, I want to use this recipe for a practical at school. Is there anyway to speed up the step of leaving it in the fridge over night? Like rotating between fridge and freezer or something to get it done quicker without messing it up?

  53. Bee Huh Author says:

    A life-saving recipe. I’ve used it several times when I’ve had to make croissants on short notice (albeit with a few of my own modifications). A caveat to the ease and quickness of this recipe is a slight lack of correctly made layers, as one would expect with a faux-lamination technique, but to the untrained eye and mouth, they are delicious all the same. I would reccomend using this recipe for pain au chocolat, as the chocolate compensates for the croissant in its (few and far between) lacking traits, so the croissant does not have to stand to scrutiny alone. Overall a wonderful recipe when you’re in a pinch, and most wouldn’t notice the difference between this and “real” croissants.

  54. Stephen Author says:

    I just wanted to ask if from the block that’s been refrigerated overnight and I only wanted to make 2-4 croissants can I cut that block and put the pastry back in the fridge/freezer to use for 2-3 days?

    1. Ella-HomeCookingAdventure Author says:

      Sure.. should be just fine

  55. Linda Simms says:

    2 stars
    These are not quick. I googled Quick croissants. It said 45 minutes. So I started making them. Then it says refrigerate overnight, then let rise for 2-3 hours. So, no, not quick. At all. I’m giving them two stars because the dough came together exactly as described.

    1. Ella Marincus-HomeCookingAdventure Author says:

      By quick means that it require less time to prepare the dough for these ones than the classic croissant dough. The classic croissants take like 3 days of preparing. Here it’s not the case. It is quick because you can prepare the dough very quick, refrigerate for only 2 hours if desired, shape and let rise. You can do them and bake them in the same day if desired. It is a quick method, not instant indeed. But much quicker than the classic.

  56. How can I adapt the recipe if i only have dry (powder like) yeast and not fresh?

    1. Ella - Home Cooking Adventure Author says:

      You can use 7g of active dry yeast instead.

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