Welcome to The Storied Recipe! I host a unique podcast where every guest gives me a recipe that’s significant to their culture, life, and memories. I make, photograph, and share the recipe with you. I invite you to listen to Michelin-starred chef Monique Chan's fascinating, vulnerable story as you make Puff Pastry Croissants.
Puff pastry croissants are probably one of the most challenging things a home baker can attempt, so you definitely want to start with a good recipe. This particular recipe comes to us from a Michelin-starred pastry chef, so you *know* it is perfection!
You can learn more about my podcast guest Monique Chan, who has worked in renowned bakeries (Dominique Ansel Bakery), five star hotels (Le Bristol Paris) and multiple Michelin starred restaurants (Epicure, The French Laundry). Here's what she had to say about the recipe:
Croissants are not only a hallmark of traditional Western pastry, but have also been a constant in my own baking journey. I discovered my love for pastry working at a bakery in Rome where we made hundreds of cornetti (an Italian version of the croissant) daily, and a quest for the perfect iteration of that flaky crescent has shaped my trajectory ever since. It took me through culinary school, bakeries in Paris and Los Angeles, and most recently wrapped up my nomadic adventures in Australia where I worked in a croissanterie. Through croissants, I met amazing chefs and made unforgettable memories with now-lifelong friends. Suffice it to say, they are very near and dear to my heart!
Even with the perfect recipe and the videos that Monique provided below, I found these quite challenging! I think you can tell that my personal results are a little less than perfect. Although they were certainly delicious (the butter took care of that), they should have been more pillowy. I asked Monique for advice at the very end of our interview and she made two very helpful suggestions:
First, if the dough is resisting at all - put it back in the fridge. I was working under time constraints to get these finished and photographed. I definitely believe that led to the less that perfect results! So I'd say leave yourself *lots* of extra time to get these done. It's probably a multi-day project the first time.
Second, don't be afraid to dust your work surface. I was very rigid - overly rigid - in my refusal to add any gluten at all to the dough by dusting my work surface. That was a mistake and it resulted in the slightest tearing of dough during the second turn, which worsened slightly with every additional step. If I hadn't torn the dough, I think the rise would have been everything I hoped and dreamed. The lightest dusting could have prevented this.
Third tip, this one from me: Read the recipe and watch Monique's videos several times before starting!
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Episodes Related to these Puff Pastry Croissants
Visit the episode post:
Ep. 060 A Conversation with Michelen Starred Pastry Chef Monique Chan (Owner of Chez Momo)
Follow The Storied Recipe in Your Favorite Player
How To Contact Monique Chan, Owner of Chez Momo
YouTube: The Real Chez Momo
Website: www.therealchezmomo.com
Instagram: @therealchezmomo
Videos Monique Shared With Us - How To Make Puff Pastry Croissants At Home
Once you read the recipe at the bottom of this post, you may want to refer to these helpful videos from Monique along the way! They really helped me.
Puff Pastry Croissants
Difficulty: Difficult4
servings24
hours20
minutes24
hours20
minutesPuff pastry croissants at home are challenging, so start with this reliable recipe from Monique Chan, a Michelin-starred pastry chef!
Keep the screen of your device on
Ingredients
- Dough
500 g 500 all purpose flour
12 g 12 salt
60 g 60 sugar
25 g 25 soft butter
10 g 10 instant yeast
120 g 120 water
120 g 120 milk
- Butter Block
250 g 250 butter
- Egg Wash
1 1 egg
Splash milk
Pinch salt
Directions
- Dough
- Combine all dough ingredients in the bowl of a stand mixer. Make sure to avoid putting the salt and yeast next to each other. Mix on low speed for ~4 minutes, just until dough comes together. (It will be a little rough/ shaggy. This is normal.)
- Note: Resist the temptation to mix longer, as this will develop gluten in the dough, making lamination later much more difficult.
- Remove dough from the bowl, and press into a square, approximately 23 cm x 23 cm (9 in x 9 in). Wrap in cling film, and refrigerate overnight.
- Butter Block
- Use a rolling pin and bench scraper to form the butter into a 23 cm x 23 cm (9 in x 9 in) square between a folded over sheet of parchment. Refrigerate until ready to use.
- Lamination
- Remove both dough and butter from the fridge. Allow the butter block to temper until it is flexible but still cold. Meanwhile, roll out the dough until its length is doubled 23 cm x 46 cm (9 in x 18 in). Place the butter block in the middle of the dough, and fold the sides of the dough into the middle, enclosing the butter. Make sure not to overlap any edges of the dough. Pinch seams together.
- Roll this square packet until is is about three times as long, keeping roughly the same width. Trim short ends, and fold the rectangle into thirds. This is called “the first turn.” Wrap in plastic, and rest in the fridge for 30 minutes.
- Then repeat the process for the second turn, making sure to roll the dough out with the seam on the right side (meaning it has been rotated 90 degrees since it was folded). Wrap and rest dough for 1 hour in the fridge before repeating the folding process for the third and last turn.
- Note: if at any point, you notice the dough resisting or retracting back while you are rolling it, wrap it in plastic and rest in the refrigerator for another 20 minutes before continuing.
- Shaping
- Roll out dough into a 32 cm wide x 52 cm long rectangle. Trim the rectangle’s long edges before dividing into 9 triangles with a base of 9 cm. Extend each triangle gently to ~ 34 cm before rolling up. Press down firmly to keep the croissant centered, and place on a parchment lined baking tray. Repeat with all triangles of dough.
- Proof for 2.5-3 hours at ~ 80 F, until croissants are puffy with visibly distinct layers. They should jiggle when you shake the tray 🙂
- Meanwhile, combine all ingredients for egg wash, and mix well.
- Baking
- Once croissants are fully proofed, preheat oven to 400 F, and brush croissants with egg wash. Place croissants in oven and turn down temperature to 375 F. Bake for 5 minutes, then turn down temperature to 350 F and bake for another 10-15 minutes until croissants are golden brown. Rotate tray as necessary to ensure even browning.
- Note: These baking settings are for a convection oven. If using a conventional oven, the baking times might need to be increased by a few minutes for each temperature setting.
- Once croissants are golden brown and delicious, remove from the oven, and allow to cool. Serve plain or with softened butter, jams, and/or Nutella. Bon appétit !
Notes
- Make sure to listen to Monique on The Storied Recipe Podcast, A Conversation with Michelin Starred Pastry Chef Monique Chan, Owner of Chez Momo while you make her Puff Pastry Croissants recipe!
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