There is a reason even famous bakers purchase puff pastry, or opt for the quicker and more simple rough puff pastry. Puff pastry, although honestly not difficult, is extremely time consuming. I spent a total of 22 hours making the half batch of croissants (and another 22 for the whole batch). This is definitely a recipe for the experience, flavor, and fun of filling the croissants with your favorite fillings. Give this recipe the time it needs, be patient, and dedicate a couple of days to the processes. You will only be actively involved for about 1 of the 22 hours. Mostly the puff pastry just wants to chill in the refrigerator. I am curious if preparing the puff pastry in a walk-in freezer, on a marble surface, would speed the process up tremendously. If you have access to this environment and want to try it out, I would love to hear about the results!
Overall, I could not be happier with the croissants! They were so worth the time to make. Keep in mind the actual labor was only about an hour of my time, broken up over 2-3 days (2 per batch). I thoroughly enjoyed making them, and did not become frustrated or irritated with the process (success!). Then, I was able to devour way too many of these pastries with my favorite fillings! This is what I will be doing in Heaven (hopefully).
half batch 
Pre-proof 
Post-1st proof 
half = 6×7, full = 10×14 
full batch 
post-overnight chill 
20×10 
As I made 2 batches, I did end up freezing some and taking them on a road trip to my grandparent’s house to share with my family. No one guessed that they had been frozen, and with a little butter on top and <10 seconds in the microwave, we were back to day 2 with these pastries. They held up well, but I do admit, everything is just a bit better fresh out of the oven. These are no exception. Eat them while they are warm from the oven.
how to roll 
Take-Home Tips: There are so many filling options! Sweet or savory. We tried varieties of: feta, pear, date, fig, walnut, almond, chocolate (dark, white, milk), and butter. You really cannot go wrong with any combination – follow your heart tongue. Read through the recipe a couple of times and count the folding in your head and you will be alright. Attempt to add in the total folds, but if you miss one or add in another, you will still enjoy layers and layers of pastry. Although there is technically a minimum suggested, possibly required by definition, for the total layer count (calculated using a simple formula) if you are making these for non-professional use then I doubt anyone will challenge you.
Scoring: 9 of 10. The end result was perfect in every way, and they are receptive to different stuffings. However, puff pastry cannot be rushed or whipped up for a surprise occasion. They also do get noticeably softer if stored in a container on the counter. Best to refrigerate and warm in a toaster oven to reheat. I would definitely make these again!
Make dough 
Shape butter / chill 
Proof / chill / shape dough / chill 
Add butter / fold / roll / fold / roll / fold / chill overnight 
Roll / fold / chill 
Roll out 
Cut 
Add filling 
Shape croissants / chill 
Apply egg wash 
Chill 
Bake 
Devour
Food of the Month 