Croissant Dough

Ingredients

Détrempe (dough)

• 500g strong white bread flour
• 10g fine salt
• 75g caster sugar
• 7g instant yeast
• 300ml whole milk, lukewarm
• 40g unsalted butter, softened

Beurrage (butter block)

• 280g unsalted butter, cold

Method

Make the détrempe

1. Combine the flour, salt, sugar and yeast in a large bowl. Keep the yeast and salt on opposite sides initially.
2. Add the lukewarm milk and softened butter. Mix until a shaggy dough forms.
3. Knead for 4-5 minutes until smooth. Don’t overwork it — you want minimal gluten development at this stage.
4. Flatten into a 2cm-thick rectangle, wrap tightly in cling film and refrigerate for at least 1 hour, or overnight.

Make the butter block

5. Place the cold butter between two sheets of baking parchment. Beat with a rolling pin and fold repeatedly until it forms a pliable but still-cold 20x20cm square.
6. Refrigerate for 15 minutes — it should be the same consistency as the dough.

Lamination (3 turns)

7. On a lightly floured surface, roll the chilled dough out to a 40x20cm rectangle.
8. Place the butter block in the centre. Fold each side of the dough over to enclose it like an envelope. Press the edges to seal.
9. Roll out gently to a 60x20cm rectangle, working from the centre outwards.
10. Fold into thirds like a letter — this is turn 1. Wrap in cling film and refrigerate for 30 minutes.
11. Repeat the roll and fold twice more, resting 30 minutes in the fridge between each turn. That’s 3 turns total.
12. After the final turn, refrigerate overnight (minimum 4 hours) before shaping.

The dough is now ready to use for croissants, pain au chocolat or pain au raisin. Divide into thirds — one portion per pastry recipe.