Learn how to make flaky, buttery croissants from scratch with this detailed recipe. The dough is enriched with malt for extra flavor, then folded with chilled butter to create delicate layers baked to a golden brown.
In a bowl, combine the milk and water. Add the flour, sugar, salt, yeast, and barley malt extract for enhanced flavor. Finally, add the unsalted butter and mix everything together by hand until the dough is uniform but still slightly shaggy, without developing gluten. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap or a cloth and let the dough rest at room temperature until it doubles in size, about 1 hour.
Press down the dough and transfer it onto plastic wrap. Shape it into a roughly 20 cm (8 inch) square, wrap it tightly, and refrigerate for at least 3 hours, preferably overnight.
Prepare the butter block: slice the butter into 0.5 cm (¼ inch) thick slabs and arrange them side by side on parchment paper. Wrap the butter and roll it out with a rolling pin into an even layer, then chill it in the refrigerator until firm.
Before layering the dough and butter, ensure both are at similar temperature and consistency. Roll the dough out to about twice the height of the butter block and roughly the same width as the butter.
Place the butter block, butter-side down, onto the bottom half of the rolled dough. Remove the parchment paper, then fold the top half of the dough over the butter. Gently press the edges together to seal the package.
Roll the dough out until it measures approximately 30 cm (12 inches) long and 0.5 cm (¼ inch) thick. Cut a small slit lengthwise in the center to relieve tension.
Perform the first fold: fold the bottom third of the dough upwards, then fold the top third down like closing a letter. Roll out the dough again to the original rectangle size and thickness of 0.5 cm, trimming the edges with a sharp knife or pastry wheel to straighten them.
Perform the second fold: fold the left two-thirds of the dough towards the center, then fold the right third over so the edges meet. Press gently, then fold the left edge over the right one to create four layers. Let the dough rest and chill.
Roll the dough out again to 0.5 cm thickness. Cut the dough into triangles with base lengths of about 7.5 cm (3 inches). Make a small cut in the middle of the base of each triangle, then roll the triangle tightly from the base to the tip into a crescent shape.
Place a small bowl of hot water on the bottom rack of the oven to create steam during baking. Let the croissants proof under plastic wrap with a small cup of hot water underneath until they become puffy and slightly springy, resembling clouds.