French Croissant – Bruno Albouze

This iconic pastry is the epitome of French gastronomy, and I'm here to guide you through the process of creating these delectable treats right in your own kitchen. I have learned the secret to making the best croissant from MOF baker Jacques Pebayle in Bordeaux in the 90s. One thing I remember saying is « The most important matter in croissant making is the quality of the butter » Have you always wanted to make French croissants from scratch but didn't know where to start? Look no further, as I will show you step-by-step how to achieve the perfect croissant dough and shape them into those beautiful croissant rolls we all love. I will teach you the techniques and tips that will ensure your croissants turn out perfectly golden, crispy on the outside, and irresistibly soft on the inside. Mastering the art of laminated dough may seem daunting, but with my guidance, you'll gain the confidence to tackle this culinary challenge like a pro...

[ledtabeth]

I made Croissants today based on this recipe and they turned out gorgeous. So delicious. Crunchy, flaky, buttery. Idk what else to say. Thank you so much Chef. I feel like I am eating a French Hotel's Croissant.

[maxduro]

Hello Bruno, it took me a while to find your channel but I absolutely love it. After a long search I have decided to use your recipe to make croissant from scratch for the first time and they came out absolutely wonderful. I followed it to the letter, with a long ruler on my side to make sure i got all the measurements perfect. I woke up at 5 in the morning to have the croissants ready for lunch time. They were beautiful, puffed, flaky and absolutely delicious, will do it again for sure.
In the meantime, if you read this, just know that I love your style and your presentation and the recipes you present are a constant inspiration. All the best!

[mimischramm]

I made these croissants today by myself. I am 13. They turned out delicious! They looked and tasted like eating croissants at a hotel in Paris!!!! Thank you Chef!!

[theericanthony]

I let the water and yeast sit for about 8-10 minutes until it bloomed meaning it activated then added it to the dry ingredients. I put the dough in a large container, covered it with plastic wrap and put it in the oven (turned off, just closed door) to prevent any air from going in. The dough doubled in size beautifully without any trouble.

[donnawatson]

I have made these amazing Croissants several times and they are incredible and delicious! It's all about using high quality ingredients, from the flour to the European style butter, just like Bruno suggests. This video is comical, informative and very easy to follow. I once made these for a friend who was born and raised in France, having lived above a family owned French bakery. She said these tasted just like those wonderful croissants from her hometown bakery. Bruno gets the credit for a fantastic recipe and the joy these brought my friend. :)

[stephaniemcgrath]

My boyfriend and I made this recipe by first activating Active Dry Yeast with water and sugar, according to package instructions, and then adding the yeast liquid to the flour, sugar, water, etc. called for in Bruno's recipe.  I hope it's okay with Bruno, but I have typed up the dialogue from the video and my understanding of his instructions.  The croissants turned out AMAZING and we love Bruno as a result!  Hope this is helpful!

Croissant Pure Beurre Recipe by Chef Bruno Albouze


Makes 12-14 croissants

Ingredients

Dough
1 cup (250g) water at 77 degrees F
2 packets (4 tsp/14g) active dry yeast (plus additional water and sugar to activate, as indicated on package)
3.5 cups (500g) unbleached bread flour
3 tsp. (12g) kosher salt
1/4 cup (50g) granulated sugar
6.5 Tbsp. (100g) softened, unsalted butter- recommend European-style cultured butter

Tourage (folding and turning process)
16.5 Tbsp. (250g) softened, unsalted butter- recommend European-style cultured butter

Fillings/Toppings/Etc.
1 egg (for eggwash)
Don't forget: parchment paper, plastic wrap
Optional: nutella, cheddar cheese, jalapenos, mushrooms, chocolate, etc.!

Instructions

Day 1
1. Activate yeast in small bowl according to directions on package.  (Make sure water is temperature indicated on package- not too hot or too cold- and wait for it to foam and bubble.)
2. In large bowl, mix flour, sugar and salt with your fingers.
3. Add and mix in the activated yeast mixture as well as the additional 1 cup 77 degree F water.
4. Knead in the 6.5 Tbsp. butter with hands until just combined
5. Transfer dough to work surface without any additional flour.  Knead (use your palm to smash the dough and fold it in half together again repeatedly) for a total of about 5 minutes. 
6. Let rise, covered with plastic wrap or towel, at room temperature (75 degrees F is ideal) for 2 hours, or until dough doubles in size. *See end of step 8 for option.
7. Dust work surface and the dough with flour.  Deflate dough with palms and pat it into the shape of a rectangle.  Fold into thirds like a letter,   Rotate 90 degrees and fold into thirds like a letter again.  Wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate overnight.

Day 2
8. Create butter slab: put 16.5 Tbsp. softened butter in 7" x 8" plastic Ziploc bag.  Roll flat. Let chill briefly in fridge then cut out of bag.  Important: you want butter slab to be the exact same consistency/firmness as the dough once you take it out of the fridge. Bruno recommends letting the butter slab sit for 45 minutes at room temperature before rolling into the dough, but use your judgment because it could take much less time (a few minutes?) to match dough's softness/consistency.  (*Option: you may want to make the butter slab the day before and let it chill in fridge for a while- pun intended- in which case you would need to let it sit out longer on day 2 than if you had just recently used the softened butter to create the slab.)
9. Put dough on floured work surface and roll into 15" x 7" rectangle. Put butter slab atop one half of dough and fold dough over it until dough edges meet, like a book.
10. Tap rolling pin over dough-butter sandwich and roll from center to create 24" x 8" rectangle.  Sweep off any excess flour.  Fold 1/3 of dough onto itself.  Fold single layer over until it just meets the double layer edge (kind of like an envelope you created then closed the flap of). 
11. Roll out a bit to flatten.  Fold dough in half like a book.
12. Roll dough to 24" x 8".  Fold left 1/3 over dough and right 1/3 over that, like a letter.  
13. Wrap dough in plastic wrap and refrigerate on baking sheet for 1 hour.  Crack one egg and beat with a very small pinch of salt to create egg wash; set aside.  Prepare any fillings or toppings now so you can assemble croissants quickly.
14. Cut dough in half; put other half in fridge in plastic wrap.  Dough should always stay cold while you work with it, so be quick.  On very, very lightly floured surface, roll to 18" x 9" rectangle, 1/8" or 3mm thick. 
15. Use chef knife to cut into 6 isosceles triangles without points on the narrow ends.  Add fillings if you wish.  Roll up and place on greased parchment paper.  Brush with egg wash.  Do the same with the other half of the dough that's still in the fridge! :)   (Note: you can leave assembled, rolled croissants in the fridge for up to 12 hours before rising and baking if you want.) 
16. Let rise at room temperature 2.5-3 hours until puffed up and spongy.
17. Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.  Gently brush croissants with egg wash again right before baking.  Bake at 400 degrees F for 10 minutes.  Turn heat down to 375 degrees F and bake an additional 12-15 minutes.
18. Cool a tiny bit on wire rack and ENJOY!!!

[MissElisabelle]

This is the best recipe on YouTube. It takes some time but it is worth it!

[rontavakoli-JD-MBA]

I love this guy...beyond being hilarious...hes superbly talented...real talent...but hes so goofy, you might miss that this guy is the real deal....thanks brother bruno. YOU CRACK ME UP

[marcushatch]

I have used the recipie several times - good explanation of the process. Has not failed so far. Watch butter and dough temps when laminating. Can always toss it back in the fridge, and his note on the putter softness when you laminate is key.

[snowcloud]

I love how you didn't need a stand mixer for the dough! I want to try to make these. I'm so tempted.

[suzannevaillancourt]

When we were in Paris a few years ago, my husband brought me croissants and cafe au lait to bed every morning. Needed to fuel up before a long day of sightseeing. Can't wait to try this recipe!

[douglasmartin]

Bruno, thanks for posting this! I made these for the first time over the weekend. I have no training in the culinary arts; I teach high school English. This recipe and method worked great. Careful attention to temperatures and technique plus a bit of patience will yield good results. I have had my share of great croissants all over Paris, Brittany, and Normandy, and the aroma from the oven triggered some very fond memories. My family is pleased enough with my first attempts that they are already asking when I will make them again.
For those interested, I used what I had available to me in my area: King Arthur bread flour, Fleischmann's active dry yeast, and Land O' Lakes unsalted butter. I can only imagine how much better they will be when I get better quality butter and a bit more practice.

[emmasgoodies]

This is perfection! You are wonderful!

[LordMacharius]

I've been in the restaurant business since I turned 18, and laminated dough has always kicked my ass. Until I watched this video. Thank you so much. You taught me in just a few minutes what I couldn't get down in years.

[AlaskanEagle]

Wolfgang Puck and Jean Claude Van Damme had a love child, and it is this guy

[arishafatima]

When I ate 10 croissants all at once had NO idea they were so much work. 😯😮

[priyankachoudhury]

I'm back to this video after about 6 years when I first found out about you... This was the video that got me thinking back then that you deserve so many more views, likes and subscribers. I watched this video for the first time when it had few 100 views. I'm so happy to find 33K likes and over 4 million views. Love you, Bruno!

[MsJulie]

i love the sound when you eat the croissant, so "Krasshh..Krashhh.."
perfect recipe, thanks!

[tylerwillRI]

Just tried the recipe and it was the best croissant I've ever had in my life. Thanks, Bruno!

[aoifukada]

As a french I totally agree with this recipe !