Homemade Croissants

"Ansel admits making croissants at home is particularly tough because we lack the industrial dough sheeter (which rolls dough with gentle and even pressure) and copious refrigeration of commercial kitchens. But it can be done! Break the process up over several days-the dough and butter block on day one, the shaping and baking on day two. Before you begin, clear enough space in your fridge to fit a large rimmed baking sheet."

"As he tells it, his head bakers have been instructed to send him a picture first thing every morning of the day's freshly baked croissants. Through his phone, Ansel is able to examine the cross section of the croissant and deduce every nuance of the dough, knowing at a glance if the lamination was done correctly."

"In the game of man versus temperature, you want to be the winner. The goal is to have the butter and the dough always be the same temperature (and neither too warm nor too cold) so they can be manipulated as a whole. As always, weighing your ingredients, particularly the flour, is preferable to measuring with cups."

Croissant-making at home is difficult but achievable with precise technique and temperature control. Professional croissant assessment relies on cross sections to judge lamination and dough quality. Home kitchens lack industrial dough sheeters and commercial refrigeration, so patience and staged preparation are essential. Breaking the process over multiple days—creating dough and butter block first, then shaping and baking later—improves results. Ensure ample refrigerator space for large rimmed sheets and keep butter and dough the same temperature so they behave as one. Weighing ingredients, especially flour, yields more consistent results than measuring by cups.

Read at Bon Appetit