# No-Fold Croissants (Magic Method)

> Homemade croissants without the scary part. No laminating, no pastry technique: a butter-enriched dough, a **magic stacking method** that creates the layers, and the oven does the rest. Yes, it takes 4 hours total. But you only work for 50 minutes: the other 3 hours, the dough does the job for you. Result: **16 golden croissants**, half of which go straight to the freezer.

**Total time** : 1 h 10 · **Prep** : 50 min · **Cook** : 20 min · **Servings** : 16 · **Difficulty** : facile

## Ingredients

- 500 g Plain flour (T45)
- 250 g Butter (good quality, min. 82% fat)
- 125 ml Warm milk
- 125 ml Warm water
- 50 g Sugar
- 10 g Fresh baker's yeast (or 5g dried)
- 10 g Salt
- 1 pc Egg yolk (for glazing)
- A little milk (for glazing)

## Method

1. In the stand mixer bowl, combine the **flour**, **salt** and **sugar**. Dissolve the yeast in the mixed **warm milk + water**. Pour the liquid over the flour and knead for **10 minutes** on medium speed. Add the **butter** in pieces and knead for another 5 minutes until you get a smooth, homogeneous dough.
   _Tip: The liquids must be **warm, not hot** (around 30-35°C): too much heat kills the yeast. If you don't have a stand mixer, you can knead by hand: it takes an extra 15 minutes but it's perfectly doable._
2. Cover the dough with a tea towel and leave to prove for **2 hours** at room temperature until it has **doubled in size**.
   _Tip: If your kitchen is cool, put the dough in the **oven with just the light on** (no heat): it creates the ideal temperature for the yeast. The dough must clearly double in size before moving on._
3. Turn the dough onto a lightly floured surface. Divide it into **6 equal portions**. **Stack all 6 portions** on top of each other and flatten slightly with your palm. Roll out into a large rectangle and cut into **16 triangles**. Roll each triangle from the **base to the tip** to form the croissant. Gently curve the ends.
   _Tip: This is **the magic step** that replaces the traditional laminating: stacking the 6 layers creates the flakiness without the effort. No need to understand why, it works. Roll the triangles without pressing too tightly so the croissants can still rise._
4. Place the croissants on a baking tray, well spaced. Cover and leave to prove for a further **1 hour**.
   _Tip: Space the croissants well apart: they expand again during the second prove and during baking. Too close together and they stick to each other._
5. Preheat the oven to **180°C (350°F)**. Beat the egg yolk with a little milk and **generously brush** the top of each croissant. Bake for **20 minutes** until well **golden**.
   _Tip: Don't hold back on the **glaze**: it's what gives that beautiful shiny mahogany colour. Two coats with the pastry brush if you want an even better result._

## Tips & variations

**Freezing**: croissants freeze well either raw (after shaping, before the second prove) or baked (once fully cooled). Baked, reheat at **150°C for 8 minutes**.

Use **good quality butter** with at least 82% fat content. Poitou-Charentes or laminating butter (84% fat) gives the best results. This is not the time to save money on butter.

The result won't be identical to croissants from a great bakery, but it's **impressive** for a no-laminating recipe. Far tastier than any supermarket croissant.

**Tags** : Breakfast, French, More 3 hours

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Source : https://disheazy.fr/en/recettes/no-fold-croissants-magic-method