Croissant dough and the butter block

The dough

Croissant dough is a lightly enriched yeast dough of flour, sugar, salt, yeast, milk or water and a little butter. Mix only until smooth; the folds that come later develop the rest of the gluten. Chill it well, ideally overnight, before laminating.

The butter block

• Use butter with at least 82% fat; it stays flexible and has less water
• Pound and roll it between parchment into an even square, about 6–7 inches
• Chill until firm but bendable, around 55–60°F (13–16°C)
• Test it: the block should bend without cracking

Watch for

If the butter is colder or harder than the dough it will shatter into pieces; if it's softer it will smear into the dough. Matching their temperature is the secret to clean layers.