How To Make Croissants With Puff Pastry

If you’ve been baking for a while, you’ve probably tried your hand at a variety of bakes, from classic sponge cakes to cupcakes, cookies, or even cheesecakes.

However, even bakers with a good amount of experience tend to shy away from pastries like croissants because they’re notoriously difficult to get right.

With that being said, if you love croissants and want to try making some yourself, there is an easy way to approach the task: using puff pastry.

Traditionally, croissants are not made with puff pastry dough, but using this type of pastry is a great way to recreate this French treat without having to make a complicated dough.

If you would like to learn how to make delicious golden brown chocolate croissants with homemade puff pastry, read on!

Puff Pastry Croissants Vs Regular Croissants

Before we get started, it’s important to clarify that this recipe is not the traditional French recipe for croissants.

Traditional croissants are made using laminated, yeast-leavened dough.

These croissants, on the other hand, are filled with chocolate and can be made using either homemade or store-bought puff pastry dough. They are like an easy cross between a croissant and a pain au chocolat.

How Long Does It Take To Make Puff Pastry Croissants?

You can make this delicious chocolate-filled croissant recipe in just 30 minutes using store-bought pastry!

This just goes to show that you don’t need to spend hours struggling with complicated dough to make delicious pastries.

However, you can also make these croissants from scratch by making the puff pastry yourself. We’re going to be outlining both options in this recipe.

Making Puff Pastry (Chocolate) Croissants

To make these puff pastry croissants using store-bought pastry, you will need:

  • 1 sheet of puff pastry
  • An egg (large)
  • 2/3 of a cup semi-sweet chocolate chips/chunks

If you want to make your puff pastry from scratch, the process will take longer, and you’ll need some additional ingredients:

  • 8 oz flour (plain)
  • 5 oz butter (unsalted)
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt (fine)
  • 1/4 pint water

If you’re using store-bought pastry, skip the first 10 steps of this process. Also, if you’re using frozen puff pastry, allow time for the pastry to defrost before you get started.

  1. Sift the salt and flour together into a mixing bowl and leave the mixture to cool in the refrigerator for about 5 minutes.
  2. While you’re waiting for the flour and salt to cool, cut your unsalted butter into cubes. Remember to use unsoftened, cold butter. Real butter is preferable to substitutes if you want to achieve the right texture.
  3. Take the mixing bowl out of the refrigerator and use a knife to mix the butter into the dry ingredients.
  4. Pour your water into the mixture and keep using the knife to mix until it’s combined.
  5. Transfer your dough onto your work surface. Taking care not to knead the dough at this point, manipulate it into a sausage-like shape.
  6. Wrap the dough in plastic wrap and put it back in the refrigerator for 15 minutes.
  7. Take the dough out of the refrigerator after 15 minutes and, using a rolling pin, roll the dough onto a pre-floured surface. Your sheet of croissant dough should be roughly 1 cm in thickness and it should measure 6 x 18 inches approximately.
  8. Fold the top third of your pastry sheet downward and fold the bottom third upward. This should create a roughly 6 x 6-inch block of puff pastry.
  9. Turn your pastry so that the opening is facing to your right before using a rolling pin to press the edges together.
  10. Repeat this process four times. Then, leave the pastry in the refrigerator for at least an hour.
  11. Now is the time to pre-heat your oven. Set the temperature to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.
  12. Take as many baking sheets as you will need and line them with parchment or a silicone mat.
  13. In a small bowl, combine the egg and water. This will be an egg wash for later.
  14. On a lightly-floured surface, roll out your puff pastry into a 16 x 16-inch square. You’ll then cut the square in half to form two large rectangles out of your croissant dough. Then, cut each of these rectangles into four smaller rectangles. Finally, cut triangles out of each rectangle by making a diagonal cut across each one.
  15. In the center of each triangle, add chocolate chips. About 15 chips per triangle should be enough.
  16. Take the smaller, non-diagonal edge of the first triangle and simply roll it up so that it forms a crescent shape. Finally, place the rolled croissant onto one of your baking sheets, making sure that the point of the triangle is underneath the croissant so that it doesn’t come undone during the baking process.
  17. Repeat this process with all of the triangles until your unbaked croissants are laid out on the baking sheet. Depending on the size of your baking sheets, you may need a second sheet.
  18. Gently brush every croissant with the egg wash using a pastry brush until they are coated with an even glaze.
  19. Bake your croissants in the oven until they turn a golden brown color. This should take between 20 and 25 minutes of baking time.
  20. Once your croissants have finished baking, allow them to cool slightly if you want to serve warm croissants. Alternatively, let them cool down until they reach room temperature. The croissants should have a light texture with flaky layers of pastry surrounding a soft and indulgent chocolate center.
  21. You could dust the croissants with powdered sugar at this point if you wanted to. Store your puff pastry croissants in an airtight container to keep them fresh for as long as possible.

Final Thoughts

Thank you for learning how to make puff pastry croissants with us!

Whether you’re using a frozen, store-bought puff pastry sheet or have decided to make your own puff pastry, this recipe will be easy to follow and a perfect introduction to dessert cuisine!

This simple recipe is delicious and proves that making croissants isn’t just a task for the most advanced bakers – home cooks can do it, too!

You can easily bake croissants with puff pastry at home with regular baking ingredients like butter and egg, and a parchment-lined baking sheet.

Remember that you can decorate your croissants with powdered sugar or sliced almonds at the end to turn them into chocolate-almond croissants.

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Kathryn Sewell

Hi! I'm Kate and I have been baking and cooking for as long as I can remember. I like to share the most interesting tips and recipes I try here on What Kate Baked for you to enjoy. If you have a favorite recipe you'd like to share send it over on social.

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