The Best Vegan Croissants

Ingredients

• Vegan butter (For lamination and dough; high-quality block style recommended)
• All-purpose or bread flour (For the dough and dusting)
• Yeast (Active dry or instant)
• Sugar (To feed yeast and sweeten dough)
• Salt (For flavor balance)
• Water or plant milk (Liquid base for dough)

Steps

1. 1

   On Day 1, prepare the vegan dough by mixing the flour, yeast, sugar, salt, and liquid. Knead until smooth and elastic. Shape into a ball, cover, and refrigerate.

2. 2

   Prepare the vegan butter block for lamination by pounding it between sheets of parchment paper into a flat, even square. Refrigerate alongside the dough.

3. 3

   On Day 2, begin the lamination process. Roll out the chilled dough and encase the butter block inside it. Perform three sets of 'turns' (folding the dough like a letter) at one-hour intervals, resting the dough in the fridge between each turn to keep the butter cold.

4. 4

   After the final turn, roll the dough out into a large rectangle. Cut into long triangles and roll them up from the base to the tip to shape the croissants.

5. 5

   Place the shaped croissants on a baking sheet. At this stage, you may freeze them for later use or proceed to proofing.

6. 6

   Proof the croissants in a warm, draft-free spot for approximately 2 hours until they have doubled in size and look 'wobbly' when the pan is shaken.

7. 7

   Preheat the oven and bake the croissants for approximately 20 minutes until deep golden brown and crisp.

Notes

The process is spread over 2.5 days. To defrost frozen croissants: take them out the night before and let them thaw/proof slowly so they are ready to bake in the morning.

Nutrition per serving

• breakfast
• brunch
• vegan
• bakery
• viennoiserie
• french pastry
• dairy-free