My first attempt at croissants ended with butter all over the kitchen floor

Last Saturday I finally decided to try making croissants from scratch. I spent like 4 hours getting the dough right, did the butter block, all that stuff. Then when I went to do the first turn, the butter just exploded through the dough and dripped everywhere. My kitchen looked like a greasy crime scene. My wife walked in and asked if I was making biscuits or a butter bath. Turns out my dough was way too warm when I started laminating. I watched like 5 more videos after that and realized I needed to chill the dough way longer between folds. The second batch came out okay but still not flaky enough. Has anyone else had the butter break through on a first attempt at laminated dough?

3 comments

3 Comments

juliarodriguez1mo ago

Chilling longer between folds was the game changer for me too...

baker.holly1mo ago

Oh boy, your story sounds all too familiar! I still remember my first time trying croissants, and I had butter literally dripping down my cabinets. It was a complete mess. I finally learned the hard way that patience is key with that dough, you really have to pop it back in the fridge for a good 30 minutes between each fold. My second batch turned out better too, but it took maybe three or four tries before I got that light, flaky texture I was after.

nathan1001mo ago

Funny how that works with baking. It's kind of like everything else in life - rush it and it falls apart, take your time and it actually works.