Classic French Croissants, Gluten Free

Instructions

1. 1

   Mix the dough

   In a stand mixer with the dough hook, combine the gluten-free flour blend, cold milk, cold water, sugar, egg, softened butter, psyllium husk, xanthan gum, yeast, and salt. Mix on low for 4 minutes — unlike wheat dough there's no gluten to overwork, so mix until the dough is uniform and smooth. It will feel noticeably softer and tackier than a wheat croissant dough; that's correct. Press it into a flat 6-inch square.

2. 2

   Rest, then chill overnight

   Leave the dough uncovered at room temperature for 30 minutes so the starches and psyllium fully hydrate — skip this and the dough will crack along every fold. It will firm up visibly as it sits. Then wrap tightly and refrigerate at least 8 hours or overnight.

3. 3

   Build the butter block

   Cut the cold European-style butter into slabs and arrange them in a square on parchment. Fold the parchment into a 7-inch square envelope and pound and roll until the butter fills it evenly to the corners. Chill 20 minutes, until it bends like cold clay without cracking or smearing.

4. 4

   Lock in the butter

   Roll the chilled dough between two sheets of parchment to a 14 x 8-inch rectangle — rolling between parchment keeps this softer dough from sticking and tearing. Set the butter block on the lower half, fold the top half over, and pinch the three open edges closed. Square the sides with a bench scraper.

5. 5

   First letter fold

   Roll out lengthwise to about 20 x 8 inches, working with steady, even pressure. Small surface cracks are normal here — just pinch them shut with damp fingertips and keep going. Fold in thirds like a letter, wrap, and chill 45 minutes.

6. 6

   Second and third folds

   Repeat the roll-and-letter-fold twice more, rotating 90 degrees each time and chilling 45 minutes between folds. Let the dough sit at room temperature for 5 minutes before each roll — straight from the fridge it's prone to fracturing rather than stretching. After the last fold, chill at least 4 hours or overnight.

7. 7

   Roll and cut

   Roll to a 22 x 10-inch rectangle about 1/4 inch thick. Don't try to go thinner than this; gluten-free dough has less elasticity and will split. Trim the edges square, then cut 12 long triangles with a pizza wheel.

8. 8

   Shape the crescents

   Notch the base of each triangle, stretch gently to about 9 inches, and roll up toward the tip with a light hand. Stretch less than you would wheat dough — it has a shorter give before it tears. Finish tip-side down on parchment-lined pans.

9. 9

   Proof at room temperature

   Cover loosely and proof at 70-75°F for 2 to 3 hours. Gluten-free dough traps gas less efficiently, so judge by look rather than clock: they should be visibly puffed and wobble when you shake the pan, but stop before they start to slump or spread.

10. 10

    Egg wash and bake

    Heat the oven to 400°F. Brush each croissant thinly with the egg-and-milk wash, going with the grain of the layers. Bake 10 minutes, rotate the pans, lower to 350°F, and bake another 15 to 18 minutes — a few minutes longer than the wheat version, since gluten-free starches need the extra time to set. Go for a deep golden brown; pulling them early leaves a gummy center.

11. 11

    Cool completely

    Transfer to a rack and let them cool for at least 30 minutes before eating. Gluten-free crumb firms up as it cools, so a croissant that seems damp straight from the oven will set into a proper flaky texture by the time it's cool.

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Baker's Tips

• 1.

  Temperature is the whole game: dough and butter should be the same firmness when you roll. If either gets soft or the kitchen feels warm, stop and chill for 20 minutes — an extra rest never hurt a croissant.

• 2.

  Use butter with at least 82% butterfat. Lower-fat supermarket butter holds more water, turns brittle when cold, and tears through the dough layers instead of stretching with them.

• 3.

  Keep the dough rectangle genuinely rectangular. Rounded corners mean uneven layers, so square the sides with a bench scraper before every fold.

• 4.

  Don't let egg wash drip down the cut sides. It glues the layers together and stops them from fanning open in the oven.

• 5.

  Scraps are not waste — stack them flat rather than balling them up, roll thin, and bake with cinnamon sugar for a baker's treat.

• 6.

  Shaped, unproofed croissants freeze beautifully. Freeze solid on the pan, bag them, then thaw and proof overnight in the fridge plus 2 to 3 hours at room temperature before baking.