Step 1

I suggest that the room temperature you are at be around 70 F (21 C) or a bit lower, when you make croissants. Turn on the A/C if needed. This is important so the butter doesn't melt. When it melts, you won't get nice flaky layers

Step 2

Mix the flour, sugar, salt, and yeast in a mixing bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a dough hook attachment. You can also knead by hand of course. Stir the dry ingredients to combine. Add the milk and the softened butter

Step 3

Knead the dough on the lowest speed to combine and then increase the speed to 2 and continue to knead until the dough comes together and smooth. You don't need to reach a windowpane stage here. If you knead by hands, knead for about 5-8 minutes until the dough is smooth

Step 4

Put the dough in a bowl, lightly sprayed with non-stick spray or brush with some oil to prevent sticking. Rest the dough at room temperature for 30 minutes. It's a short proofing and the dough is not going to double in size

Step 5

Deflate the dough by punching the air out and then fold the edge to center to form a dough ball. Cover and let it rest for 10 minutes so it's easier for you to roll the dough out

Step 6

After 10 minutes, dust your work surface with some flour. Roll the dough out into about 20 x 60 cm rectangle using a rolling pin and try to deflate any air bubbles at the same time while you are rolling

Step 7

I suggest wearing a glove so our hand doesn't touch the butter directly. The butter for the filling should be soft but not melting. Use your hand to apply the softened butter all over the surface of the dough evenly. Use a dough scraper to help you spread it if needed. Make sure it's an even layer all over the surface. You want to apply quickly so butter won't melt

Step 8

Roll the dough up tightly from the short side, like a Swiss roll. Wrap with a plastic wrap so the dough doesn't dry out and chill in the fridge for 20 minutes

Step 9

Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Dust your work surface with some flour. Take the chilled dough out, the long side near you and use a rolling pin to gently flatten the dough a little bit. You don't want to break the dough and the butter leaks out later. Then start rolling out into a rectangle again, about 32 x 23 cm (just roughly), and about 4 mm in thickness. Use a dough scraper to help you make the edge of the dough as neat as possible

Step 10

If at any point during this time you notice the butter starts to melt, put the dough back in the fridge for a few minutes to let the butter hardens and then continue rolling it out again

Step 11

Make a mark on the edge of the dough near you using a dough scraper or a knife, about 4 cm apart. Then use a dough scraper or pizza cutter to cut the dough into triangles. You can combine the last two half triangles together from the edge of the dough, it won't be a perfect shape, but you can get 8 croissants

Step 12

Work with one triangle at a time, stretch the wide part a bit and then roll it up to form a croissant shape. Make sure the tip of the triangle is facing down on the baking sheet. Gently press on the tip to seal so it won't "uncurl" later. Give them some space so they don't stick together when they double in size. If you use a half sheet pan (18 x 13 inches) , they will all fit in there without being too crowded

Step 13

Proof the croissant at around 75-77 F (21-25 C). You do not want to proof them at a warm place because we don't want the butter to melt (you will lose the flaky layers inside if it melts!). I just cover them with a clean cloth and put them inside the oven with the light on. This may take 2-3 hours for them to double in size

Step 14

When you gently press on the dough, it will bounce back very slowly. That's one of the signs that the dough is done proofing. They feel light and puffy too

Step 15

If you proof the croissants in the oven, get them out and let them continue proofing at nice room temperature while you preheat the oven. Preheat the oven to 375 F (190 C) for a conventional oven and 350 F (180 C) for a convection oven, for about 15 minutes. Position the oven rack in the middle of the oven

Step 16

Once the croissants have doubled in size, very gently apply an egg wash using a pastry brush. I added some sliced almonds. You can skip if you don't want to

Step 17

Put the baking sheets in the positioned racks. Bake for 20-25 minutes or until golden brown

Step 18

Remove from the oven and let them cool down on the tray for 5 minutes and then transfer to a cooling rack. Let them cool down completely before consuming.