Learning How to Make Croissants Is Worth It

There’s something about fall weather that signals the time of year to throw on an apron and start making your favorite baked goods. If you feel confident about your go-to cookie recipe and summer fruit pies, taking a croissant baking class in NYC will level up your baking like pumpkin spice elevates a latte.

The best part about making croissants is that you don’t need to be an advanced baker to successfully create light, flakey, deliciously buttery versions of this French favorite. With patience and a bit of guidance, you can plan brunch at your place featuring your homemade croissants in no time.

Still not sure you can handle it? Here are some convincing reasons why you should try.

Simple ingredients

You probably have the five ingredients you need to make croissants from scratch in your pantry and fridge. Flour, sugar, salt, yeast, butter, and milk come together to make classic French croissants. It couldn’t be more simple.   

Vegan bakers can make croissants by substituting regular milk and butter with plant-based versions you have at home. You won’t sacrifice taste for using alternative ingredients and everyone can enjoy your croissants whether they are vegan or not. 

No special equipment needed

Using a stand mixer does make the process easier – not going to sugarcoat that part – but it is possible to use your muscles to mix your dough to the right consistency. Most home bakers have mixers, wooden spoons, and rolling pins so that’s all the equipment you need to put your croissant doubt together whether you want a kitchen tool to do the work or you want to give your arms a workout. 

Beginner-friendly techniques 

It does take time to go through all the steps of making croissants, but there aren’t that many. If you don’t mind a bit of patience, you’ll have bakery-worthy results. The process of laminating the dough requires folding a block of butter into your dough in the shape of a rectangle. If you think ahead and set out butter to be at room temperature, it will make the process of making a butter block a lot easier.

The patience part comes in when you have to let your dough rest in the refrigerator in between rounds of laminating. It can be a fun and even meditative process if you just go with it. Lamination is what gives croissants their signature flakey layers, and even though it’s not necessarily simple it’s definitely doable for beginners.

The best reason why making homemade croissants is worth it is the sense of accomplishment you’ll feel when you’ve mastered this classic pastry. You can pick up techniques a lot faster when you take a workshop, where a teacher can demonstrate the steps and offer tips. Our baking and dessert classes offer expert instruction for beginners and when your class is done, you’ll have fresh croissants to take home as extra inspiration!