Lamination 101: The Path to Flaky Croissants

Cold butter, patient folds, and the science behind those crackly layers.

Croissants intimidate people, but the magic is just one idea repeated: thin sheets of butter trapped between thin sheets of dough. When they hit the oven, the butter steams and pushes the layers apart. That is the whole trick.

Temperature is everything. The butter and dough must stay the same cool, pliable firmness through every fold. Too warm and the butter melts into the dough; too cold and it shatters. Work in a cool kitchen and rest the dough whenever it resists.

Give yourself three turns with a chill between each, then shape and proof until the croissants jiggle. The reward for your patience is a shatteringly crisp crust and an interior of honeycomb tenderness.