Lesson 4 of 5 · Pastry & Croissant School

Proofing laminated dough

  • Free video
  • Advanced
  • Pastries & Croissants
  • 17 min
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Video by Cherrylane's on YouTube: “Baby Croissants | Fool-proof (plus proper lamination)” Watch on YouTube ↗

What you'll learn

Lesson 4 of 5

Proof shaped croissants warm enough to rise but cool enough to keep the butter layers solid, and know when they are ready to bake.

  • Proof at about 75–80°F, never warm enough to melt butter
  • They're ready when puffy, jiggly and the layers show
  • Egg wash gently so you don't deflate them

Ingredients for this lesson

Madagascar Vanilla Beans, Grade A, 5 BeansVanillaGoods$15.00
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Madagascar Vanilla Extract, 2 oz BottleVanillaGoods$13.00
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Lesson notes from VanillaGoods

How to proof

Laminated dough needs a warm, humid place, but above about 82°F the butter starts to melt out of the layers. Aim for 75–80°F (24–27°C) and cover loosely. Proofing takes 1 1/2 to 3 hours depending on the room.

Signs they're ready

  • Nearly doubled in size
  • They wobble when you gently shake the tray
  • The individual layers are visible on the sides

Troubleshooting

  • Butter pooling in the oven: underproofed, or proofed too warm
  • Collapsed or flat croissants: overproofed
  • Brush with egg wash (egg plus a splash of milk) using light strokes just before baking
← Lesson 3Next: Baking and reading the crumb →

Tools for this lesson

The equipment that makes this easier. VanillaGoods vanilla is always our own; these tools are from Amazon.

As an Amazon Associate, VanillaGoods earns from qualifying purchases. We only suggest tools that fit what you're learning.

Put it into practice

Bake along with a VanillaGoods recipe that uses this technique.

Find croissant recipes

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