# How the Best Croissants in NYC are Made | Made to Order | Bon Appétit

Source: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qbAstEutWH4
Recap page: https://rapidrecap.app/video/qbAstEutWH4
Generated: 2025-11-11T20:08:08.326+00:00

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## Quick Overview

Pastry Chef Dominique Ansel details the meticulous process for creating his signature, highly layered croissants, emphasizing strict temperature control during mixing (aiming for 22-24°C/72-75°F), the importance of high-quality French flour and Isigny Sainte-Mère butter, precise lamination techniques resulting in hundreds of layers, and the final proofing at 28°C (82.4°F) before baking at 190°C (375°F) for 8-9 minutes to achieve a golden, crispy, and airy final product.

**Key Points:**
- The ideal dough temperature after mixing must be maintained between 22°C and 24°C (72°F–75°F) to avoid melting the butter layers during lamination.
- Key ingredients include French flour from Legoumande in Paris and high-quality Isigny Sainte-Mère butter, which contributes significantly to the final flavor and texture.
- Lamination involves multiple folds (single and double) to build hundreds of distinct dough and butter layers, which is demonstrated by folding the dough into a four-layer block before chilling.
- The dough is rolled out to 4mm thick after chilling and cut into triangles using a multi-wheel cutter to ensure uniform size for consistent shaping.
- Shaping involves tightly rolling the triangle with the tip tucked underneath to prevent unraveling during proofing.
- The shaped croissants proof in a proofer set to 28°C (82.4°F) with 80-85% humidity for about two hours to allow for proper development.
- The final bake occurs in a high-heat convection oven (like a Rational oven) at 190°C (375°F) for 8 to 9 minutes to ensure a golden color and flaky, airy interior structure.

![Screenshot at 0:21: Dominique Ansel holds up a finished, perfectly baked croissant, showcasing the deep golden color and visible, distinct layers created by the precise lamination process.](https://ss.rapidrecap.app/screens/qbAstEutWH4/00-00-21.png)

**Context:** Pastry Chef and owner of Dominique Ansel Bakery, Dominique Ansel, provides a detailed tutorial on the professional techniques required to achieve the perfect, award-winning croissant. The video focuses heavily on the critical steps of dough mixing, lamination (layering the dough and butter), shaping, proofing, and baking, all while maintaining precise temperature and humidity control to maximize flakiness and flavor.

## Detailed Analysis

Dominique Ansel guides viewers through the rigorous process of making his renowned croissants, starting with ingredient selection and dough preparation. He stresses the necessity of using digital scales for precise measurements and keeping the dough temperature cool (22–24°C or 72–75°F) during mixing to manage friction heat and prevent the butter from melting. Key components include French flour from Legoumande and high-quality Isigny Sainte-Mère butter. The lamination process is shown, involving folding the dough around the butter block and rolling it out multiple times (a single fold and a double fold are demonstrated) to create hundreds of layers, which Ansel shows by displaying a folded block with clearly separated dough and butter strata. After chilling for an hour between folds, the dough is rolled out and cut into triangles using a specialized multi-wheel cutter to ensure consistency. The triangles are then tightly rolled, tucking the tip underneath, and placed in a proofer set to 28°C (82.4°F) with 80–85% humidity for two hours to proof. Before baking, the croissants receive an egg wash to ensure a shiny, golden finish. The final bake is crucial: the croissants go into a very hot convection oven (190°C or 375°F) for 8 to 9 minutes. Ansel concludes by showing the cross-section of a finished croissant, highlighting the honeycomb interior structure and distinct, thin layers of butter and dough, which result from adhering to these strict temperature and technique controls.

### Ingredient Selection

- French flour from Legoumande in Paris is essential
- Isigny Sainte-Mère butter provides superior quality and flavor
- Eggs and a touch of salt are used in the final egg wash.

### Dough Mixing & Temperature Control

- Maintain a final dough temperature between 22°C and 24°C (72°F–75°F) to prevent butter from melting during mixing
- Digital scales are used for precision; cooling the dough during mixing is critical.

### Lamination Process

- Dough is folded around the butter block (encasing it)
- A single fold and a double fold are performed, chilling the dough for one hour between each fold to maintain layer integrity.

### Shaping and Cutting

- The laminated dough is rolled out to 4mm thickness using a large roller
- A multi-wheel cutter is used to mark and cut triangles for consistent size (e.g., 9.5cm by 27cm triangles).

### Shaping Technique

- Triangles are rolled tightly from base to tip, tucking the tip underneath to keep the layers sealed and prevent unrolling during proofing.

### Proofing

- Shaped croissants proof in a specialized proofer box at 28°C (82.4°F) with 80-85% humidity for approximately two hours to achieve maximum volume.

### Baking and Final Result

- Croissants are baked hot at 190°C (375°F) for 8-9 minutes after an egg wash
- The final product exhibits a golden crust, a light, airy interior, and hundreds of distinct, flaky layers.

![Screenshot at 0:00: A chef scores a large ball of croissant dough before it is divided.](https://ss.rapidrecap.app/screens/qbAstEutWH4/00-00-00.png)
![Screenshot at 0:21: Dominique Ansel holds up a perfectly baked croissant, showcasing its golden color and laminated structure.](https://ss.rapidrecap.app/screens/qbAstEutWH4/00-00-21.png)
![Screenshot at 0:59: A digital thermometer reads 22.9°C \(73.2°F\) inserted into the mixed dough to ensure correct temperature.](https://ss.rapidrecap.app/screens/qbAstEutWH4/00-00-59.png)
![Screenshot at 1:40: The levain \(sourdough starter\) is shown actively bubbling, indicating fermentation is underway.](https://ss.rapidrecap.app/screens/qbAstEutWH4/00-01-40.png)
![Screenshot at 3:03: The dough hook of the spiral mixer is shown working the dough, emphasizing the importance of controlled mixing speed to avoid overheating.](https://ss.rapidrecap.app/screens/qbAstEutWH4/00-03-03.png)
![Screenshot at 4:37: The chef manually shapes a piece of dough into a tight ball after degassing.](https://ss.rapidrecap.app/screens/qbAstEutWH4/00-04-37.png)
![Screenshot at 6:04: The lamination process begins as the chef uses a rolling pin to flatten the dough with the butter block encased inside.](https://ss.rapidrecap.app/screens/qbAstEutWH4/00-06-04.png)
![Screenshot at 8:41: The chef shows the cross-section of the laminated dough, displaying hundreds of distinct, thin layers of butter and dough.](https://ss.rapidrecap.app/screens/qbAstEutWH4/00-08-41.png)
![Screenshot at 10:01: The final, shaped croissant dough triangles are being rolled up to form the classic crescent shape.](https://ss.rapidrecap.app/screens/qbAstEutWH4/00-10-01.png)
![Screenshot at 13:03: The raw, shaped croissants are arranged on a tray and brushed with egg wash just before proofing/baking to achieve a golden shine.](https://ss.rapidrecap.app/screens/qbAstEutWH4/00-13-03.png)