Buttery, flaky, feathery, and light. We didn't think these gluten free croissants could get any better, but yet here they are in all their glory!!
It took me YEARS to create my very first gluten free croissants and they were glorious in their own rite. I really didn't think they could get any better. But I was WRONG!!!! These new and improved gluten free croissants will ROCK YOUR WORLD!
AAAANNNNNNDDDDD, would you believe it if I told you they are EASIER than the original ones???? Well, believe it because not only are they easier, they'll take you less than half the time to make. You'll be eating your new and improved gluten free croissants in no time!
Like all my recipes, I will walk you through making them and they aren't as daunting as you might think. I did all the hard work for you so now you just have to follow through the recipe. You will be rewarded with these PHENOMENAL gluten free croissants made with your own two hands!!!!
When I found out I had celiac, one of the things I knew I would miss the most was croissants. Not that I ate them every day. I hardly ate them every month. But it was nice to be able to make my chopped chicken salad and serve it on a croissant every once in a while.
So I set out to find a really great gluten free croissant. I found Schar's gluten free croissants at my local Whole Foods. While they actually tasted pretty good, they were more like a crescent roll and not a croissant. And they were way too tiny to make a sandwich with and way too expensive to settle for.
How I Reformulated My Gluten Free Croissants to Make Them the Best Ever!!
I consider myself a pretty decent self-taught baker, but I had never made croissants, even in my gluten filled world. After many years of trial and error, I finally developed what I thought to be the be all end all to a gluten free croissant. It was light, flaky, and buttery. How could it get better than that?
I started experimenting with using psyllium husks (affiliate link) in my breads. Not necessarily as a replacement for xanthan gum (I like to pre-mix my gluten free flour blends with the tiny amount of xanthan gum). But as an addition to the recipe.
I found that adding psyllium husks (affiliate link) to some gluten free bread dough helps with the extensibility of the dough itself, even more so than xanthan gum in most cases. Using it in my gluten free hamburger and hot dog buns was revolutionary, so I just HAD to try it in the croissants.
But I also watched Youtuber Bruno Albouze from the Real Deal Cooking Channel and found yet another technique that I knew would work wonders. By putting the dough in the freezer first, before locking in the butter, I was able to create a similar consistency of the dough and butter. This made it easier to roll the butter block into the dough without breakage!
Before Beginning--Please Read This!!!
Please read through these tips before beginning. You must understand that any croissant making, gluten free or not, is not something to jump right into without knowing all the information. There are very skilled gluten bakers who have never made their own croissants or have failed miserably, so don't be surprised if you don't get it right the first time.
- Read through the recipe a couple of times before beginning.
- Make sure you have the time to make them. Plan croissant making as a weekend project, at least at first, until you've made them once.
- I researched and researched to come up with what I believe to be the PERFECT gluten free croissant. Taking into account how gluten free dough works, I had to modify a few things. For instance, there is more sugar in this dough than usual. Please know that in gluten free yeast baking, sometimes up is down and down is up.
- PLEASE use the ingredients I recommend. If you don't, most likely you won't have success and you'll wonder why your croissants aren't all they were cracked up to be. Trust me on this. Veering from the recipe may NOT get you the flaky croissant you long for. That being said, if you yourself want to experiment with ingredient substitutions for dairy free, egg free, etc, be my guest. Just know the only thing I substituted is gluten so I DON'T KNOW if any other substitutions will work.
- Gluten free croissants usually take 1-2 days to make. The rising times are what take up most of the time. Once all the folds and turns have been done, you can keep the dough in the refrigerator for a few days before shaping it into croissants and proofing and baking.
Let's Talk Laminated Dough for Gluten Free Croissants
Croissants are made up of two parts--the beurrage, or butter packet, and the detrempe, or dough.
Laminating is simply layering the butter between the dough. When the butter hits the heat, it creates steam as it's melting and this, along with the yeast in the dough, pushes up the layers. What we're left with is an ethereally light croissant that's flaky on the outside with soft, buttery layers on the inside!
Making the Dough (The Detrempe)
Add the flour, sugar, psyllium husk, salt, yeast, and baking powder to the bowl of a stand mixer. Whisk together before attaching to your stand mixer.
Begin mixing on low with the dough hook and add the butter, milk, and beaten eggs. Let the dough come together and then turn up the speed to medium high and mix for 5 minutes.
When done mixing, use a plastic scraper (like this one) or a flexible spatula to scrape the sides and mound the dough into one cohesive mass in the bowl and cover it with plastic wrap. You can also transfer it to another bowl or a container with a lid.
Place the dough right in the fridge. We're skipping the warm rising for this dough and opting for cold fermentation. Refrigerate the dough overnight. During this time, it will rise some but we're not looking for noticeable rising. We want most of our rising to be at the end when it matters most.
Making the Butter Block (Beurrage)
The next morning, mix the butter and two tablespoons of bread flour in a small bowl until smooth and well combined. Scrape it into a quart-sized ziptop baggie and push it into the corners, then take a rolling pin to roll it into an even block. Place the butter block in the refrigerator while you work with the dough. Please note: this butter block is for HALF the dough. If you plan on using all the dough at once, you'll need to double the amount of butter and flour and put it in a gallon bag.
Preparing the Dough
When ready to begin, remove the dough from the fridge. Note--I STRONGLY suggest using only half of the dough at first, until you get a feel for how these croissants are made. Once you are successful, you can then pull out the rest of the dough, make another butter block, and make six more croissants!
Knead the dough on a lightly floured surface until smooth. Roll it into a rectangle that's a little smaller than a ¼ sheet pan (9 by 13 inches). Place it on the sheet pan, cover it with plastic wrap, and put it in the FREEZER for 10 minutes. After the first 10 minutes, flip it over and put it back in the freezer for another 10 minutes.
Locking in the Butter and Making the First Fold
Remove the butter block from the fridge. It should be cold, but not completely solid. A test to make sure it's at the right consistency is to roll it along the edge of your counter. If it bends easily without breaking, it's perfect. If it's too soft, keep it in the fridge for another 10 minutes.
Taking kitchen shears, cut down the sides of the baggie to expose one side of the butter block. Set it aside while you prepare the dough.
Remove the dough from the freezer and roll it out to a rectangle large enough to fit the butter block with about ½-inch of an overhang on either side (the butter block will be facing width wise on the dough--the zip top will be to the right or left, not on top).
Flip the exposed side of the butter block over onto the top two thirds of dough. Peel away the baggie and toss it. Fold the bottom third of the dough over top of the middle third of butter. Then fold the top third of the dough and butter together over the bottom third of dough, like a letter fold. Press and pinch to seal the edges of the butter into the dough.
Turning the Dough
While most (including my first) croissant recipes call for refrigerating between turns, you don't have to refrigerate this dough AT ALL if you work quickly enough to keep the dough cold. If at any point the dough gets too warm, place it back in the freezer for 10 minutes.
Turn the dough lengthwise (the short end is toward you) and begin "pressing" the rolling pin along the length of dough. This will elongate the dough without pushing all the butter out of it.
Then start rolling from the center to each end, but don't roll too firmly, just glide over the dough with the rolling pin. You're still striving to lengthen the dough and the butter, not completely flatten it and push the butter out.
Constantly move the dough and check for sticking on the underside. If you find that it's sticking, use your bench scraper to scrape the dough, lift it, and add more flour underneath. If you find a tear in the dough, take extra flour, sprinkle it over the tear, pat it carefully with your fingertips, and brush the excess flour away.
I don't like to give measurements of the dough because I don't think it's practical to constantly have a ruler in hand while rolling out dough. I think going by the thickness of dough is a better observation, so you're looking for about ¼-inch in thickness.
Making the Second Fold
This second fold is what's called a book fold. I saw it on some YouTube channel (I can't remember which one) and thought it might remove a step from my gluten free croissant recipe.
Fold the bottom third of the dough up (see pictures and video). Then fold the top two thirds down to meet the bottom Brush away any extra flour. Now fold the top third to reach to the bottom edge. You'll be left with four layers of dough.
Turn the dough 90 degrees counterclockwise so that the long opening of the dough is on your right side and the short end of the dough is closest to you.
The Final Fold
Again, roll out the dough into a rectangle using the press and roll method (explained above). Now we'll do the final fold, which is going to be a simple letter fold. Fold the bottom third up to the top third, and then fold the top third down to cover the bottom third.
Turn the dough 90 degrees and again roll it out, but this time roll it to roughly the size of a quarter sheet pan (9 by 13 inch). Place the dough onto your sheet pan, cover it with plastic wrap, and chill it in the fridge for about 30 minutes.
Cutting the Triangles
Remove the dough from the fridge and roll out into a little bigger size to be able to cut out 6 large triangles, about 10 by 12 inches in size (but again, you don't have to be beholden to this size). Anything close to that will work, as long as it's about ¼-inch thick.
If desired, trim the edges (not necessary, but it does help in the final lift of the dough and to expose the layers). Using a ruler, mark a few notches across the bottom of the dough, about 4 inches apart from each other. Then take your ruler and cut out triangles as shown. You should get a total of 6 triangles from ½ batch of dough.
Shaping the Croissants
Shaping the croissants is very easy. And with the added psyllium husk in the dough, it's more extensible and is able to be rolled a little tighter than my old croissants.
Cut a notch about an inch long in the middle of the 4-inch base of each triangle. With your fingers on each side of the notch, pull it apart slightly and begin rolling up the triangle. Of note, don't put the point of the dough on the underside of the rolled croissants. This is a tip that's always suggested when making gluten-filled croissants, but remember these are gluten free croissants. When rising, they will pull too much and tear the dough. Ask me how I know this 😉
Proofing the Croissants
Place the croissants at least 2 inches apart on a parchment-lined baking sheet and cover loosely with plastic wrap. Proofing croissants is tricky. If the temperature is higher than 80 degrees F, the butter will leak out and you'll be left with a dense roll. Here's my trick:
- Place the croissants in your oven that is turned off. Don't preheat it to the warm cycle like we do when proofing other dough.
- Fill a small saucepan with water and bring it to a boil on the stove.
- Place the small saucepan in the oven on a rack that is much lower than the croissants (or even on the oven floor).
- Shut the oven door and allow the gluten free croissants to proof until visibly larger in size, although not doubled. You may need to reheat the water a second or even third time. They should look like they've puffed up and maybe some of the layers will start separating. A marshmallow-like appearance is what you're looking for. This could take anywhere from 1 ½-4 hours. Don't rush it!
Baking Gluten Free Croissants
I've tried every combination of temperatures and times and believe this is the best method for baking gluten free croissants. It's nothing like baking regular croissants, though. Remember everything that's up is down and down is up in gluten free baking sometimes 🤪
Before doing anything else, place the baking sheet filled with the croissants on another baking sheet. This will insulate the bottom of the croissants while baking so they won't burn before the rest of the croissant is done.
Preheat the oven to 475 degrees F. Brush your croissants ever so lightly with an egg wash, being careful not to deflate them. Place the croissants in the freezer for about 10 minutes (or fridge for 20).
Once the oven is preheated, open the door and throw 2-3 ice cubes right onto the oven floor. Place the croissants in the oven and quickly shut the door. Set a timer for 5 minutes.
Lower the temp to 450 degrees F and set a timer again for 5 minutes. Lower the temperature yet again to 425 degrees F and set another timer for 5 minutes.
Remove the croissants from the oven and check to see if they're done. Carefully lift up one croissant (with a gloved hand). If it feels relatively light for its size, it's done. If it feels at all heavy, place the croissants back in the oven to bake for another 5 minutes at 375 degrees F.
The Tools I Use for Making Gluten Free Croissants
You don't absolutely need these tools (affiliate links) to make gf croissants, but they definitely make it easier:
- Dough scrapers--these are so cheap, but are one of my favorite kitchen tools EVER! They make it so easy to get any dough completely out of bowls.
- Bench scraper--another priceless tool to have in the kitchen, bench scrapers make it easier to keep dough from sticking to your counter and can also be used as a cutting tool in many instances.
- Pastry wheel--the one I use is old and no longer available, but this one is exactly the same (other than the black handle).
- Pastry brush--I purchased the pastry brush I use from our local Restaurant Depot, but this one is just like mine.
- Acrylic ruler--I also can't live without this ruler! It helps to keep the edges of the croissant dough straight, you can see through it (which helps in pastry making), and it offers a straight edge when cutting triangles for croissants (or anything you're cutting in the kitchen).
- Quarter sheet pans--I recently purchased these stainless steel quarter sheet pans because I got sick of my aluminum pans warping and discoloring. These are so sturdy and come in a 2-pack.
- Half sheet pans--these are the ones I have, although I would opt to purchase these stainless steel ones in the future (for the same reason as above).
- Pre-cut parchment sheets--I use these ALL THE TIME for anything and everything. So convenient!!
- French rolling pin--I have THREE rolling pins and I always gravitate to this one.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I Double the Recipe? Why Go Through All of This for Just Six Croissants???
Although it can be done, I strongly recommend against using all the dough the very FIRST time you make croissants. The small number of croissants is more manageable when just starting out. Your best bet, when first starting out, is to make two batches of 6 croissants. I recommend trying the smaller version with only half the dough first so you can get a feel for how the croissants are made.
If you don't feel like making more croissants right away, wrap the other half of the dough well in a double layer of plastic wrap and place it in a freezer baggie and put it in the freezer. It will keep in the freezer for up to one month. Thaw it overnight in the fridge before proceeding with the recipe.
As you feel more comfortable and have made the croissants once or twice, then you can think using all the dough. You'll need to double the recipe for the butter block and use a gallon bag.
Can I Make Smaller Croissants?
Yes, you can make smaller croissants (although I wouldn't recommend it your first go round). You'll need to adjust the size of the base of each croissant. You'll get more croissants out of one recipe, but you will need to adjust the baking time. Start with the same temperatures and work your way down, checking after 10 minutes.
Do I Have to Use European Butter?
I've made these croissants with both European and American butter and I've found that European butter works best. European butter has a higher fat content and a lower water content. This produces more flakes and the layers separate more definitively, causing a higher rise. However, American butter will still produce a nice gluten free croissant if you don't wish to splurge on the good stuff.
Can I Make The Croissants Ahead of Time?
Unbaked croissant dough can be frozen up to one month, well wrapped. Unbaked shaped croissants can also be frozen up to one month. Line the unbaked croissants on a baking sheet. Cover and place them in the freezer until they are frozen. Place them in a freezer bag, removing as much of the air as possible. Label and date the bag.
Thaw unbaked croissants by removing them from the freezer the day before you're going to bake them. Place on a parchment lined baking sheet, covering them with plastic wrap, and let them thaw in the refrigerator overnight. The next morning, remove the croissants from the refrigerator and start the process of proofing them.
You can also freeze baked croissants. Thaw baked croissants at room temperature for a few hours (or in the refrigerator overnight). Refresh them in the oven at 350 degrees F for 5 to 7 minutes before serving.
If you've been missing a great croissant, these gluten free croissants will blow your mind!!! After one bite, you'll be transported back to those pre-gluten free days 🙂
New and Improved Gluten Free Croissants
Ingredients
BUTTER BLOCK (BEURRAGE) FOR HALF THE DOUGH
- 1 cup (2 sticks or 226 g) high-quality unsalted butter, such as Irish butter or other European butter, at room temperature
- 2 tablespoon Kim's gluten free bread flour blend
DOUGH (DETREMPE) FULL RECIPE (it's highly recommended to use half your first time)
- 3 cups (420 g) Kim's gluten free bread flour blend ***
- 2 tablespoon whole psyllium husks or 1½ tablespoon psyllium husk powder
- 1 teaspoon fine sea salt
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1 tbsp plus ¾ tsp fast acting (instant or bread machine) yeast
- ½ cup (100 g) granulated sugar
- 1 cup (240 ml) milk
- 6 tablespoon butter, softened
- 2 large eggs, beaten
EGG WASH
- 1 large egg, beaten with 1 tablespoon water and a pinch of salt
Instructions
FOR THE DOUGH (DETREMPE):
- In the bowl of a stand mixer, add all the dry ingredients and whisk to combine. Place the bowl on the stand mixer and turn it on to low while slowly adding the milk, followed by the beaten eggs and softened butter.
- Turn the mixer up to medium high and knead the dough for 5 minutes. Scrape down the sides of the bowl and mound the dough in the middle of the bowl, cover it with plastic wrap, and place it directly in the refrigerator overnight and up to 48 hours. Alternatively, you can place the dough in a container with a well-fitting lid.
FOR THE BUTTER BLOCK (BEURRAGE):
- The next day, mix the softened butter with 2 tablespoon Kim's gluten free bread flour blend in a small bowl until well combined and smooth.
- Place a quart-sized baggie into a large coffee cup or wide-mouthed glass and fold the top over to hold the bag up. With a spatula, scrape the butter mixture into the baggie. Unfold the top of the baggie and seal almost all of it. Using a rolling pin, press and roll the butter inside the baggie into an even thickness spread throughout the entire baggie, up to the zipper (be careful not to push the butter out of the small opening). Push out as much air as possible and seal the rest of the baggie. Place the baggie on a flat surface in the refrigerator. This butter block is to be used with half the dough. Once you get better at making these croissants, if you want to use the entire amount of dough you'll need to double the amount of butter (1 lb of butter and 4 tablespoon flour) and place it in a gallon-sized baggie.
LAMINATING THE DOUGH and MAKING THE FIRST FOLD AND TURN
- Remove half the dough** from the refrigerator and knead it on a floured surface until smooth. Roll it out into a rectangle about the size of, or smaller than, a quarter sheet pan (9 by 13 inches). Place it on a parchment-lined pan, cover it with plastic wrap, and put it in the freezer for 10 minutes. Remove it from the freezer, flip the dough over, cover it, and put it back in the freezer for another 10 minutes.
- Remove the dough from the freezer and the butter block from the fridge. They should both be roughly the same temperature and consistency (firm but not too firm). Make sure the butter isn't too firm by running it along the edge of the counter. If it bends somewhat easily, it's perfect. If it breaks, leave it set out for about 5 minutes before using.
- Using a pair of kitchen scissors or a sharp knife, cut down the sides of the ziptop baggie to expose the butter block. Set it aside while you prepare the dough.
- Roll out the dough until it's about ¼-inch thick. It should be a rectangular shape that will fit the size of the butter block width wise. Place the butter block on the top two thirds of the rectangle. Fold the bottom third over the butter and press to seal the edges. Then fold the top two thirds of dough with the butter over the bottom third. Pinch and press to seal the edges and turn the dough 90 degrees.
SECOND FOLD AND TURN
- Using your rolling pin, press along the dough to lengthen it. Then begin rolling out the dough until it's an even ¼-inch thick throughout (the size of the dough isn't important, just as long as it's ¼-inch thick). Make a book fold by folding the bottom third of the dough up and then folding the top ⅔rds of the dough down to meet that bottom third. Then fold the dough over once more to the bottom edge of the dough. You should have 4 layers of dough. Turn the dough 90 degrees again. The short edge should be closest to you.
THIRD FOLD AND TURN
- Press and roll the dough as above into a ¼-thick rectangle. Now make a letter fold by folding the bottom third up and then the top third down. Turn the dough 90 degrees.
PREPARING THE DOUGH FOR CUTTING
- Roll the dough out once more to a size that's roughly 9 by 13 inches, enough to fit on a quarter sheet pan. Place it on the sheet pan, cover it with plastic wrap, and place it in the fridge for 30 minutes.
SHAPING THE CROISSANTS
- Remove the dough from the fridge and place it on a lightly floured surface. Roll out the dough to a rectangle that's about 10 inches high by 12 inches wide (¼-inch thick). Trim the edges (not necessary, but definitely helps with the rise of the dough and showing the layers).
- Cut notches about 4 inches apart along the bottom edge of the dough, and then cut triangles using these notches as guides. See the video and pictures for how to do this. You should end up with 6 croissants.
- Cut about an inch slit in the middle of the base of each triangle using your pastry cutter. Using your thumb and forefinger, gently pull this slit apart and begin rolling the croissants up very loosely. If they're too tight, they may split open as they rise and bake.
- Place the croissants at least 2 inches apart on parchment-lined baking sheet. Cover loosely with plastic wrap.
PROOFING THE SHAPED CROISSANTS
- Bring a small pot of water to a boil on the stove. Remove from the heat and place the pot in your oven on the very bottom rack or even right on the bottom of the oven.
- Place the croissants on a rack in the upper third of the oven. Close the oven door and allow the croissants to slowly rise, which can take anywhere from 1 to 4 hours. Don't rush it. If the temperature of the croissants rises above 80 degrees F, the butter can leak out. When the croissants are well risen, they should be puffy and marshmallow-like, but not doubled in size. They will be noticeably larger and you may begin to see layers.
BAKING THE CROISSANTS
- Place the baking sheet of fully risen croissants on another baking sheet to insulate the bottoms of the croissants. Brush the croissants gently with an egg wash consisting of one egg whisked with about a tablespoon of water and a pinch of salt.
- Place the croissants in the fridge for about 20 minutes while you preheat the oven to 475° F.
- Take a couple of ice cubes and throw them onto the oven floor and place the croissants on the middle rack. Quickly close the oven door and set a timer for 5 minutes.
- Drop the temperature down to 450° F and set a timer again for 5 minutes.
- Again, drop the temperature down to 425° F and set a timer for 5 minutes.
- Remove the croissants from the oven. Using an oven mitt, carefully lift up one croissant. If it feels very light, they're done. If it still feels slightly heavy, put the croissants back in the oven and drop the temperature to 375° F and bake for another 5 minutes.
- Croissants are best freshly baked. See notes for storage options.
Notes
Featured on celiacsanonymous.com
Ahmad
Hi Kim, I’ve spent days looking up GF croissant recipes, and I’ve landed on yours because they look the best! I’m eager to try these and am trying to surprise my fiancé while she’s gone for a couple of days. A few questions…
I’m using bob’s red mill flour which is fairly similar to yours and also has no binder. Would it be the end of the world to use xantham gum or should I bight the bullet and order psyllium husk over night delivery? I’m worried I wouldn’t be able to find it at the grocery store.
I want to add some baking powder as well, I feel like it always helps GF baked goods get the right texture, unless you’d strongly advise against it?
Finally, how necessary is the overnight refrigeration for the dough? Would it be okay to just let it chill for an hour and then move on to lamination similar to other GF croissant recipes or is there a purpose to the overnight chill? And do I NEED to chill overnight after lamination or can I just get it cold for an hour and then proceed to rolling them?
Sorry for all the questions and thank you for any help!!!
Kim
Hi, Ahmad. I'll try to answer all of your questions.
1) Bob's red mill will not give you the same results as my flour blend. That's why I created my own flour blend (because nothing on the market worked the way I wanted it to).
2) For something as delicate and notoriously difficult to make (gluten free or not) I would suggest using the psyllium husks. It really makes a world of difference in the texture of the dough.
3) There is already baking powder in the dough.
4) It is very crucial that the dough be properly chilled or you will not be able to roll it out without a struggle.
Marna
Hi Kim, I have tried this recipe 4 times and they are delicious. I am having a little trouble though. I can't seem to get the formed croissants to rise enough and the butter leaks out everywhere during the rise and during baking. I've thought that maybe I can chill the dough in the freezer for 10 min. then go right into laminating and do all the folds, shape them then regridgerate the formed croissants overnight. This might fix the rise problem as my dough seems to rise in the overnight chill. Then the croissants will go into the oven really chilled which might solve the leaky butter issue. My dough never looks like yours during folds as I can usually see my butter peak through while I'm rolling it out. Any suggestions for me? Thank you for any help.
Marna
Norma
Hi Kim - amazing recipe. First try turned out well and I know where I went wrong so I’m excited for round 2 with the second half of the dough.
Question - can I shape the croissants and then put them in the fridge overnight before baking? If so can I proof before they go in the fridge or should I proof them after the fridge, directly before baking? Planning for Christmas morning croissants… Xxxx
Kim
So glad you had success on your first go round!
I haven't tried proofing them before putting in the fridge overnight so I'm not completely sure how they'd do, but I think it would work. Just make sure to keep them covered. Fingers crossed 🤞
Norma
Thanks so much for your reply. Reading your instructions for freezing I think I will shape and refrigerate overnight, take them out to proof then bake. So just refrigerate overnight instead of freezing. I’ll let you know how it goes. Thank you again and Merry Christmas x
Emma
Hi Kim! I am currently making the recipe and am finding that my dough is crackly. No matter how much I knead the dough I can never quite seem to get it as smooth and crack free as yours. I halved the recipe from the start of making the dough and followed everything.. do you know why this would be? Will the croissants still come out okay if th dough does crack?
Grace Patterson
These were so amazing! The one issue I had was that they got brown way too fast after the first 10 minutes of baking they were starting to burn. I live in Minnesota, so it's not an elevation problem and I have an oven thermometer to confirm oven temps. Any advice on how I should tweak it so they can bake the full time and not burn?
Nani Colish
I just made these tonight, and it was a complete and utter fail. It was a complete mess. For the first half of the dough I used, I couldnt even get 1 fold without rips and tears and the butter melting and just becoming a mess. For the second half of the batch, I got to the second fold, and it started tearing and ripping and melting just like the first half. I don’t know where I went wrong or why it happened.
The three things that could have affected it are:
1.I don’t remember how much yeast I put in; it said 1 tablespoon and 3/4th of a teaspoon, I believe, and while making it, I stopped to double check something and couldn’t remember if I already added the 2nd 1/4 teaspoon or not. So it could’ve been A. 2/4 teaspoons or B. 3/4 teaspoon, and I’m not sure which one it was.
The second thing I did was use Smart Balance dairy-free butter, so that may have affected it.
3. I used hemp power as the whey substitute since I can’t have dairy, so maybe that messed it up? I’m really not sure, but it was disappointing because I spent $60 on ingredients (had to buy the stuff for the flour blend) and was so excited for 2 weeks to make this all for a big mess and a complete fail. I knew it would take a couple tries, but if I make it again, I’d like to know where I went wrong so I can fix it. Any ideas what it could’ve been? Thanks in advance!
Emily
Hey, Nani,
gluten free vegan chef here!
First off, I have never had great success using earth balance or other margarines in lamination recipes. I would suggest a hard cultured butter.
Second. Hemp protein powder dries out recipes quite a bit so when I mistakenly made a 20C batch I had to add extra liquid to everything.
I prefer using pea protein.
Hope this helps you in the future!
Kim
All three things you mentioned: not knowing how much of an ingredient you put in the recipe will definitely affect the outcome, not using real butter will definitely affect the outcome (I state in my post that you should make the recipe exactly as written at least once before trying to change any of the ingredients). "Fake" butter is nowhere near the same consistency as real dairy butter, so you won't be able to roll it out the same way and get the same results. Finally, I have not tried any of my recipes with hemp protein so I only offer alternatives to the whey protein isolate as suggestions, not something I have tried (as I state in the post) and not something I would recommend using the first time trying to make the croissants (as I also state in the post). I'm sorry the recipe was a complete and utter failure for you, but when you haven't followed the recipe hardly at all, I can't say that I'm surprised. I don't profess to be anyone but a gluten free recipe developer and blogger. I unfortunately don't have any expertise in dairy free AND gluten free baking (although I do have a few recipes that are both), and something like croissants, which can be intimidating for even the most experienced REGULAR (gluten eating) pastry chefs, is not something I would start with fresh out of the gates.
Kitty
It wad definitely the Earth Balance... that butter is just oil and does not stabilize like regular butter. I can't guarantee results but a better butter (for the recipe and for your health because hydrogenated oils are so bad for you) is Miyoko's Plant Milk butter, it's made in the European style and stabilizes!
Nathaly
Hi Kim,
I love your recipes, I have quiet of success with most of the once I tried... you are a great recipe developer !
Small question, so the 226 gr butter is for half recipe of croissants? or for full recipe? I used to made croissant when I could eat gluten free and 226 gr for 210gr flour is a lot ! that is the amount I would use for a whole recipe with 500 gr flour... But maybe it is because it is gluten free that needs to me more?
Thank you for your feedback 🙂
Kim
Yes, that is correct!
Josh
I made these this weekend... have a question. They turned grey during baking (?)
They taste great, they're flake and layered. Trying to figure out why they came out grey...
any help is appreciated.
Kim
That is baffling. The only thing I can think of is the dough and/or butter block oxidized in the fridge. How long was it in the fridge? If kept more than a few days, it definitely could have oxidized. Did you use my flour blend or have any substitutions within the flour blend? That could be another reason.
Next time you could try adding a half a tsp of lemon juice or vinegar to the butter block if you plan on keeping either the dough or the butter block longer than a few days.
Josh
I tried again, i did not do the boiling water in the bottom of the oven and that seems to have kept them the right color, i have no idea if those are related issues.
This time the middles of the croissants were underdone though. Going to try again with less temp / longer bake.
I'm in Colorado so I think the altitude is impacting the temp/times.
Kim
Oh no! I bet the altitude is the problem. I wish I knew more about high altitude baking. I am at sea level so I've never had a chance to try any of my recipes at high altitude. There might be a Google page somewhere that could help with that.
Vicki
even though I really screwed up this recipe, it STILL produced the best gf croissants I’ve ever had! now that I know better what I’m doing, I know my next batch will be even better (which seems like an impossible standard right now)! also, this dough, without butter block, also makes totally delicious cinnamon buns. 🙂 you are such a genius!
Kim
You're too kind! I'm thrilled you enjoyed them 🥰
Christine R.
The sound is not working on the video.
Izabela Lois
This recipe for croissant is amazing! I'm in love with it! I also recommend everyone reading this comment to try this recipe for donuts- without the butter block.
Katy Springer
Hey! I'm just loving the recipes I've tried from herre. Just F.Y.I. psyllium husk is a far better thing to cook with than xantham gum or gar gum. It makes everything poofy!
Momster
My 17 year just made a half batch and they were delicious, but not light and flaky. Trying to figure out how to adjust the 2nd half of the dough as I try again. We used all the ingredients exactly except that I bought rice flour at an Asian grocery, the finest they had, but it didn't say superfine or anything on the bag. If that wasn't the problem then I think we had too much dry or not enough wet. Can I kneed in a few drops of water or milk when I start working with the dough? Or maybe a little more butter? Our dough was hard to roll without cracking and the butter layer broke through in many places to the point that patching with flour was kind of pointless and made the dough dryer.
Kim
I think I tried Asian rice flour a very long time ago, back when I was developing this recipe, and it didn't work at all. I seem to remember it being gritty and not anything like the superfine rice flour I use in my flour blends. Therefore, it most likely was the rice flour as it probably soaked up too much of the liquid.
That being said, you can attempt to add more liquid to the dough to compensate, but I don't know if it will help at this point. Your best bet is to use the ingredients I strongly suggest on my flour blends page to get the results that I obtain in my recipes.
Sadie
Finally getting back to this because we're going to try again - thank you for your reply about the Asian versus superfine rice flour!
bridgett sledge
I want to try these, but I am dairy free as well as GF so it should be okay with no salt dairy free butter ?
Kim
I haven't tried them with dairy free butter, but it's worth a shot!
Sarah
When these were baking in the oven, I yelled out, "IT SMELLS LIKE CROISSANTS!" My family thought I was crazy. Then I tried them, and thought that maybe I died and went to heaven. I haven't had a croissant in probably more than 10 years. But it was just as I remember. Thank you so much for this recipe!!!
A side note, I found it helpful to cover the croissants with foil about halfway through the 450 bake. Otherwise, they get a tad too dark and burnt-looking. The inside is still beautiful and flakey, though!!! Also, I just jumped right in and did the whole recipe and not half of it (we're a family of 6). I put the butter in a large freezer bag for the butter block, and then cut it in half to do half the dough, and then the other half of the dough.
Kim
Awe, I'm so glad you liked the croissants!!!!
Great idea for making the entire recipe at once 😊
Krista Johnston
I'm in love with these croissants and appreciate all the work you've put into refining the recipe! There was one time where I was able to watch the video of the folding process, but can't get it to pop up again (the butter block portion came up, but then it goes to a creme brulee video). Is there a link you could add to get back to the full video, or can you give me pointers on how to get to the folding portion?
Kim
Thank you so much! The reason the video goes to the next one is because you need to actually click the "stay" button when it asks if you want the "next" video or would like to "stay" on this one. You can also find this and all the videos I've ever made on my youtube channel, which is here: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCBIMroJp0URZoYGbTilnVSg
tom fred
Greetings,
I am planning to make this recipe in stages.
I am wondering what you would recommend for
pausing overnight after laminating: put laminated
dough in fridge overnight, or freeze and then put
frozen laminated dough in fridge overnight to thaw?
Or would you recommend not trying to pause between
laminating and baking? Thank you.
Kim
I always put the dough in the fridge overnight after laminating because I'd prefer freshly baked croissants in the morning with breakfast, so that's what I would recommend. You CAN freeze the laminated dough, but if you're planning on making the croissants within the next 24-48 hours, that's not necessary. 😊
Chantal
These don’t have much flavour. I wonder if adding salt to the butter block mixture would help? I have seen this done in other recipes. Rice-based Gluten free flour suffers from lack of flavour in the first place (comparing to wheat flour which has a subtle flavour) so it might help.
Kim
Really??? Everyone who has ever had them around me (myself included) said they were some of the best tasting croissants they'd ever had! I guess to each his own.
Michelle Touma
I feel the same way. It needed a touch more of salt-Next time I’m going to try to make it with one stick of unsalted butter and one stick of salted or half stick of salted..
ThankYOU Kim for sharing your new & improved recipes and the comments are very helpful ! I’ve heard your ultimate cinnamon rolls are just like regular flour cinnamon rolls and people can’t tell the difference. Nice job perfecting your recipes. Can’t wait to try those and more of your recipes..
Gay Touma
I feel the same way. It needed a touch more of salt-Next time I’m going to try to make it with one stick of unsalted butter and one stick of salted or half stick of salted.
ThankYOU Kim for sharing your new & improved recipes and the comments are very helpful ! I’ve heard your ultimate cinnamon rolls are just like regular flour cinnamon rolls and people can’t tell the difference. Nice job perfecting your recipes. Can’t wait to try those and more of your recipes.
Gay Touma
Sorry Kim I thought I deleted the first comment under “Michelle”.
Liz T-D
I used the dough to make pain au chocolate and it worked magnificently. This dough is brilliant! My husband said he could not tell these were GF, and that’s true!
Gina Vieira
Quick question. In your cinnamon roll recipe the dough ingredients include "2 tbsp psyllium husks or 1 1/2 tbsp psyllium powder". Here it reads "2 tbsp psyllium husks or 1 1/2 TSP psyllium powder". Is there really that much diference between the two recipes using psyllium powder? Thanks so much.
Kim
Wow, great catch!!!! I can't believe no one has caught that until now (including myself)! It should be 2 tbsp psyllium husks or 1 1/2 tbsp psyllium husk powder, NOT teaspoons. I'm correcting that right now. Thank you for alerting me 😊😊😊
Ruth Frank
I would like to make these using your gluten free starter. Have you tried this or do you think it would yield an unfavorable result?
Annie
Do you have any tips on how to prevent butter leaking out while they bake?
Kim
A little bit leaking out is okay, but mostly it's in the lamination. It's all about the temperature and the texture of both the dough and the butter block. Sometimes it just takes practice. I've found there are so many things that are different between gluten-free and gluten-filled baking that I almost had to retrain my brain from what I knew about baking beforehand.
Marion Streulens
Hi,
The recipe states 1tbsp plus 3/4 tsp fast acting yeast (instant or bread machine) yeast. I know when it's stated in grams, that I need to triple 1g of dry yeast to 3g of fresh yeast. I want to use fresh yeast insteas of dry yeast, but since your recipe is not in g, I don't have a clue on how much fresh yeast I should use. Could you help me out?
Tx in advance!!
Kind regards,
Marion
Kim
Hi, Marion! I don't usually weigh small amounts like this because I don't have one of those micro scales, and I doubt many others do either. That's why I use teaspoons and tablespoons. But I looked it up on Google and found that one tablespoon of instant yeast weighs approximately 9.45 grams, so 3/4 teaspoon should be 2.36 grams. Adding the two together would be 11.81. It's not a whole number, so I would round up to 12 grams.
MELISSA RAMIREZ
Kim, these are amazing! You are now my GO TO recipes source. I can't wait to try many more. I have two kids (18 and 24) with Celiac and my daughter and I are intolerant (no endoscopy for us). I've made other croissants following another favorite GF baker, but these are far and away better. We did them as chocolate croissants and are in heaven!
Kim
Awe, thank you so much!!! I'm so glad you all liked them 😍😍😍 They are definitely a labor of love 💗
Benjamin
I have made regular croissants before, so I felt the urge to try these out for a friend of mine who is gluten free. I was shocked at how much they tasted and had the texture of a regular croissant. I was very afraid they didn't work because I had butter leaking out all over the place, which one doesn't normally want with laminated dough, but they turned out beautifully. Thank you for this creation!
Benjamin
To clarify, butter only leaked out while baking, not while laminating the dough.
Kim
Awe, yay!!!!! I'm so glad you and your friend enjoyed them! The butter leaking will get a little better as you get more used to the dough I think. It's such a different dough from regular (wheat-based) dough so it takes some getting used to.
Thanks for your nice comment 🙂
Beth
Wow! The first bite when these were fresh out of the oven was pure bliss. This recipe is well worth the effort. I even made some mistakes in my folding and proofing and they still turned out great! My local gf bakeries are all dairy-free, so I can't find a buttery croissant anywhere. I will be making my own croissants from now on though. I used the French brand Président's unsalted cultured butter and wow, *chef's kiss*. Your recipes never disappoint, Kim!
Kim
Awe, thank you so much for your kind words!!! I'm absolutely thrilled that you like them 😍😍😍
Jennifer M Laird
Hi Kim, your recipes make my GF self so very happy! I was wondering if I could add more salt to my dough without compromising your recipe?
Kim
You may be able to, but sometimes it results in a drier dough. Have you tried using salted butter? That's always an option to get more salt flavor, which shouldn't compromise the texture of the dough.
Dorota
Hi, I really want to try and make these, they look absolutely yummy. One question though - I cannot eat xanthan and was thinking of using more psyllium husk but have no idea how much to use as a substitute in your flour mix. I recently had to go gluten-free and the baking is proving to be quite a challenge... Thanks for your help 🙂
Katia
Hi,
The 1 cup of butter for the butter block is the half batch of croissants or do I also cut the butter block in half too?
Kim
Yes, it's just for half the batch of croissants. Don't cut it in half.
Steph Ryall
Can you modify this for vegan please?? Croissants are my fave!
Kim
I'm not sure these would work vegan because of the eggs. You could try it using an egg replacer, but I'm not experienced with that so I don't know if you'd be successful. The rest of the ingredients could be subbed for vegan (plant-based butter spread for the butter and plant-based milk for the milk), but I have no idea how to substitute the eggs. I'm sorry! I wish I knew more (believe me). My daughter is vegan and I've tried to convert some of my recipes to vegan for her, but they never turn out well 😕
Natalie Cupps
I had collected all of the ingredients (took me about a month) and was ready to bake today, but I am struggling on converting the baking flour blend recipe grams into cups. Can anyone help me with this math? Do I need a scale?
Kim
This is an excerpt from my flour blends page, which I realize now that no one really reads much of, haha!
"WHY ARE THESE BLENDS IN GRAMS AND NOT CUPS?
I developed my blends in grams because it’s so much more precise AND unbelievably easy to weigh ingredients than to measure by volume. My blends don’t translate very well to cups. I sure don’t have an 18th of a cup measurement, do you? I strongly suggest you invest in a scale (they’re very cheap) and weigh your ingredients–you’d be surprised at how easy it is and you’ll most likely never switch back."
The word "scale" in the excerpt above is actually a link to a cheap scale on Amazon, but scales can also be bought (very cheap) at any store, including any Walmart. They really are essential to accurate baking and croissants (gluten free or not) really need the most accurate situations for success 🙂
Pooja Wason
I am speechless, I tried your recipe and it has turned out excellent. I am celiac for last 20 years, I am extremely thankful to you, God bless you:)
Kim
Awe, that's wonderful! Thank you so much, Pooja 🙂 🙂 🙂
Taina
Kim, thank you for your amazing recipe and thorough instructions (with visuals! So helpful!) Best looking and tasting GF croissants I’ve had. Couple of questions: 1) my croissants darkened immediately and ended up much darker than yours. Did I go a little too heavy on the egg wash? Should I water it down? Should I place them closer to the bottom of the oven? How do I keep them from getting too dark? 2) how long can I keep the second half of the dough in the fridge before making the second batch? Thank you for your help on this!
Kim
I assume you mean the tops of the croissants and not the bottoms? I always put 1 tbsp of water in my egg wash (see in the recipe card) but that shouldn't matter a whole lot. I would just loosely cover them with tin foil if they're getting too dark while baking. I would keep the rest of the dough no more than 3 days because of the eggs in the dough. However, you can freeze it if you're not ready to make croissants again within 3 days' time.
Taina
Yes, just the tops got too dark (not burned but they look burned). The bottoms and insides came out perfectly. PERFECTLY! I will try a foil tent next time. Thanks again for such detailed instructions and video. So helpful. I probably wouldn’t have dare try it without them.
Catrina 🦋 Genaris
Kim, Amazing recipe. Thank you for your bread flour blend. The dough was so easy to work with. These are delicious croissants. I had a lot of butter leak out while baking. Is that normal? Is there a secret to keeping that from happening? And they were a little heavy instead of light. Thank you for your insights.
Take care,
Catrina 🦋
Kim
A little butter leakage is normal. A lot, not so much. Really, it's just a matter of practice in laminating and also with knowing when the croissants have properly proofed. Make sure your butter block isn't too soft when laminating. It shouldn't be really hard, but shouldn't be so soft that it squishes out the sides. When baking, if you take them out and they're too heavy, I would bake them a little longer 🙂
Kimberly
These look fantastic and I can’t wait to try them out! It would be awesome to link the following tools: pastry brush, the dough rolling cutter thingy, and the large ruler thing u use. I would like to invest in all three and would love to click through your site so u get “credit” for the purchase... esp since you are the reason I want to purchase them! 🙂
I adore your website- your recipes are Amazing!
Kim
Thank you so much, Kimberly!!! That's a great idea and I really appreciate it!
I've gone back through the post and put a section for all the tools I use with links to all of them 🙂 🙂 🙂
Itziar Caceres
Hi Kim!
Thanks so much for this recipe! Croissants is one of the things I miss the most since going gluten free!
I decided to have a go today, made the dough yesterday with your flour recipe, did the rest this morning following all steps.
The outcome was 50/50: the flavour was very good, but they ended up a bit burnt in the outside, a little tiny bit flaky outside and quite doughy in the inside.
Any ideas what did I do wrong?
I have the other half in the freezer so I want to make sure to do it right next time!
Thank you!
Kim
It's quite possible they weren't proofed long enough. That is usually the issue when something is doughy on the inside and burnt on the outside. Sometimes it takes hours for them to proof properly, especially during the colder months. Or if they weren't covered well enough, they could have formed a skin on the outside and didn't get a chance to rise properly when baked. It could be a number of things and often, even with gluten-filled croissants, it just takes practice.
Itziar Caceres
Thanks! I will persevere ☺️
I made your gf burger buns and they were the best I have ever had!
So worth trying with these!
Sydney Lockard
Help! I’ve gone through 4 attempts to make this recipe. My most recent was absolutely my best. No matter what I do, the butter immediately leaks out as soon as I put them in the oven! I feel like I’m losing rise from the leakage.
Kim
There will be a little seepage in general, but it really is just a matter of practice to get the laminating process down pat. If laminated properly and the temperatures of everything are right, then you shouldn't lose much butter. If you're having problems keeping the dough cold enough while doing the folds and turns, then refrigerate it for 20-30 minutes in between each turn. Making croissants, whether gluten free or not, requires a lot of practice and it took me FOREVER to get these perfect so don't give up. I wish I could tell you more other than to just keep practicing, keep your dough and butter cold, but not too cold, and when proofing, don't try to rush it. If you try to rush it, some butter might seep out then as well. Before baking, put them in the freezer for at least 10 minutes, but longer might actually be a little better in this case (20-30 minutes).
I hope this helps and I'm sending great gluten free baking vibes your way 🙂
Sydney Lockard
Thank you!!!
Agnes
Wow Kim!!! These turned out soooooo verrry delicious. I thought croissants were a goner from my life. Hubby and I made these for the 1st time and used Bob's Cup for cup and deviated just a little from the recipe (oops too much psyllium) and the butter started to ooze out after rising. The oven wasn't yet up to temp and forgot to refrigerate them, panicked and stuck them in a 350 oven that was heating up to 475. I just kept the oven at 375 and they turned out beautifully. Thank you so very for all your dedicated work!
Katie
Just wondering if there’s a substitute for psyllium husk powder? I don’t think I’ve ever seen that in Australia.
Kim
Hi, Katie! Have you checked Amazon? Here's a link for psyllium husk powder through amazon.com.au (I am an affiliate with Australia Amazon as well): https://amzn.to/34wOu7A The croissants would probably work okay without it, but it really helps with the stretch.
Katie
Thank you! I actually found it so that’s great. But haven’t been able to get my hands on potato starch. Could arrowroot powder be used instead? Thanks!
Dorothy Nicholls
Hi Katie, I live in Western Australia & buy psyllium husk powder from Coles. It is labelled Psyllium & sits helpfully (ha ha) next to another Psyllium but you can see the difference - one is little husks ($6) & the other is light brown powder ($8)
Kim
Hi, Dorothy! I use the powder, but if you don't want to spend the extra money, you could try pulsing the husks in a food processor or spice grinder into a powder 🙂
Denel Wardell
Hi Kim
I'm wanting to make a star bread for Christmas. Do you think this dough would work? I thought maybe this dough or the challah bread dough.
Thoughts?
Thanks in advance.
Kim
I actually have a star bread recipe right on the blog! Here's the link. You can fill it with whatever you want: https://www.letthemeatgfcake.com/gluten-free-star-bread/
Denel Wardell
Yay! Thank you
Gus Highstein
Hi again:)
Sorry for so many questions, but I’m still having difficulty. Could you give me an idea of the temperatures you think are best to work in? Even with the freezer, my detrampe is still too soft for the butter.
Thanks!!!
Kim
Hi, Gus and I'm so sorry you're still having difficulty. I honestly don't think it's the temperature. I made the dough for the croissants yesterday (minus the butter block as I'm trying to create a different recipe using just the dough) and after spending all night in the fridge, it was perfectly malleable, able to be rolled into a round, and also rolled with a rolling pin with little to no sticking. My kitchen itself wasn't hot yesterday, but the last time I made croissants was in the summer and it was pretty hot then.
The butter block shouldn't be so hard that it can't bend (if rolled on the edge of the counter, it should bend and not break). Are you putting the 2 tbsp of gf bread flour into the butter block? This makes it more malleable and less likely to shatter inside the dough.
I'd love to know what brand flours you're using as I think that's where your biggest problem might be--in the actual gf bread flour blend. Can you send me a list of your exact brands and everything else you used in the making of your dough?
Gus Highstein
Dear Kim,
You’re so kind to take the time to respond!!! I didn’t see your response and thus my delay in answering. Because I’m dealing with rice and corn allergies in my wife and kids as well as gluten, I use a mix of 60% bob’s red mill Millet flour 25%tapioca starch (I’ve used many brands, but right now I have Whole Earth tapioca starch), and 15% Cassava flour either Tiana’s or Otto’s. I stubbornly didn’t add the flour to the butter last time:), so I will definitely add it this time, maybe I can reduce the liquid a little because millet flour seems to absorb less water than rice flour. Thanks again for your answers and also the thoughtful, brilliant recipes!
Kim
Oh wow, Gus! You have a real challenge on your hands. I wish I could be more helpful with those other allergies.
Good baking vibes coming your way 🙂
Michelle G
Hi Kim. What flour do you use for rolling? I find some absorb a lot more than others and can dry the dough out, like brown rice flour. Trying your recipe all the way in South Africa here 🙂
Kim
Hi, Michelle from South Africa!! Thanks for visiting my website! I always just use whatever flour was in the recipe, so if it's one of my breads I will sprinkle the surface with my bread flour blend. If it's something like pie crust, I will sprinkle the surface with my all purpose flour blend. I always make enough of the flour blend to have extra for sprinkling on the surface.
Good luck with your croissant making and I hope you like them 🙂
Katie Poland
Hi Kim! So excited to make these for my daughter's french class! Question: you say to use half the recipe first- does this mean the butter as well? Is the 6tbsp butter for half the flour or should I halve the butter too? Thanks!
Chloe Chan
No, it says on the recipe card that the whole 1 cup of butter is for half the dough 🙂 You would ned to double the butter to use all the dough
Kim
You're exactly right, Chloe!
Jayne Roberts
I am just making up the GF Bread Flour Blend right now. I will let you know how it goes. I did use arrowroot flour for the potato starch. I found the info about konjac powder on one of the corn allergy websites, or when checking out substitutions for xantham gum. Thanks for the help!!!
Jayne Roberts
Hi Kim! Thank you for this recipe and the gluten free flour blend. I will be trying these this week. I am a home ec teacher and have been doing regular croissants with my students and want to do some at home. My daughter is now corn and wheat free, as well as cross reactions with birch trees.....so no potatoes or xanthum gum. Is Konjac powder a good substitution for xanthum gum? Can I use tapioca starch instead of potato starch? Thanks for the help and tips.
Kim
I've never heard of konjac powder so I can't say whether it would work or not as a substitute for xanthan gum, but you could try to eliminate the xanthan gum and just use the psyllium husk powder. As far as the tapioca starch, they're a lot different. I would maybe try arrowroot powder? I wish I could be more helpful.
Jayne Roberts
I am just making up the GF Bread Flour Blend right now. I will let you know how it goes. I did use arrowroot flour for the potato starch. I found the info about konjac powder on one of the corn allergy websites, or when checking out substitutions for xantham gum. Thanks for the help!!!
lulu
and also if I can replace potato starch for tapioca starch cause I couldn't find it. thanks so much!
Lulu
Hi! I want to do the gluten free bread flour blend but not sure about quantities can you specify here please?
Thanks
Kim
I'm not sure I understand what you're asking. I've given the amount of flour needed in the recipe. I would not suggest substituting tapioca starch for the potato starch, especially for this recipe.
Lulu
Im trying to do the blend for using it in the croissants recipe. I have an scale so about the different flours and starchs I’m not sure about quantities that you specific in the chart.
Kim
So you're asking for just the amount of flour blend needed to make the recipe? I think that's what I'm understanding. I don't have those exact amounts, mainly because there will always be more flour for kneading and such that I make enough for 5 cups and then use what's leftover for dusting the work surface and kneading the dough. You'll have some leftover, but that will last a while in an airtight container, until the next time you make something else.
I hope this helps 🙂
Gus
Thanks for your recipe! And for continuously striving for great pastry. It’s inspiring. I love the idea of putting the detrampe in the freezer to make it stiffer! I’ve been struggling with this. My question is: have you tried the detrampe without eggs? My ordinary croissant detrempe doesn’t use eggs. Is it necessary for gluten free croissants? Thanks very much!
Kim
Hi, Gus and thanks for your kind words! Yes, I have tried it without eggs. I've tried it every which way possible, experimenting for roughly 6-7 years. I probably made croissants over 200 times, with and without eggs, and found that the eggs were crucial to the final texture of the croissant. I know that most regular (wheat) flour croissants don't use eggs, but sometimes we have to throw out what we know about regular (wheat) baking when we're gluten free baking. It's like everything up is down and down is up when you're baking gluten free, especially yeast breads/pastries 🙂
Gus Highstein
Thanks for your answer. I really appreciate that you’ve done all this work for the rest of us!
Stephanie
Hi, my daughter Joanna who left a comment about weight in cups of flour not corresponding prepared the croissant dough and butter block . Unfortunately she didn't have time to bake them , so I completed the job. With the first half of the dough I made the 6 croissants exactly as you recommended, a lot of butter seeped out and they were slightly overdone. For the second half of the dough I made mini pains aux chocolat which I found rather dense. However I also made mini pains aux raisins which were 100% perfect . I added creme patissiere and rum soaked raisins to the dough. There are still a few left in the freezer but I will definitely make them again. Thanks so much for your recipe.
Don Messick
Thanks-I will try again.
Don Messick
KIm.
I need your/members assistance.
I am having trouble with this recipe.
When I use you bread flour (without ingredient substitutions) blend, the dough is more of a batter than a dough. I had to add 90 grams of flour blend to get it to come together at all. Will this affect the final dough? Has anyone else reported such a problem? I mezzed the blend twice so my quantities are not off.
I have made hundreds of hand rolled croissants,15 at a time, so I am familiar with the process. What am I missing here?
Thanks!
Kim
Did you refrigerate the dough for the time frame recommended? The dough IS first like a batter, but once it goes through a cold ferment overnight it really transforms into a lovely dough that's easy to work with. Did you see the video that shows the texture of the dough at first and then once it's been chilled significantly?
Gluten free baking is so much different than gluten-FILLED baking so you have to understand that what you may have known to work great for wheat-based baking won't always work or will be significantly different with gluten free baking.
Don Messick
Thank you very much indeed for your swift reply. I left the first batch in over night but did not freeze it. Ok-I will try and forget all I know about traditional baking and follow more closely. I will let you know how I do. Thank you again so much for your help.
Regards,
Don M.
Kim
I'm crossing my fingers for you, Don! Please let me know how they turn out 🙂
Don Messick
Thus far this has been a great learning experience.
Do you remove the plastic wrap before proofing in the oven?
I have a set of electric Vikings and they went above 80 with the first pots of water. A few did show sighns of proffing. I will of course bake off anyway.
Do you consider the temp or the humidirty to be more important?
Kim
No, I don't remove the plastic wrap. I think both are pretty important, but I guess I'd say temp more so.
Joanna
Hi Kim,
I have just prepared the dough and put it in the fridge but have a question to ask. I tend to use grams rather than cups but thought I would try both at the same time here.
When I measured the go bread flour out, it turns out that 2 .5 cups equalled 420 grams.....and not 3 cups. I now wonder which measure I should have gone with.
Not too sure my dough is thick enough now 🙁
Thanks
Joanna
Kim
Hi, Joanna! You got me curious because I measured out all my flour blends years ago when I first started making them, so I just now went in to measure and I got exactly 420 grams for 3 cups. I did it twice so I'm not sure if your scale is off or your measuring cup? Or maybe did you substitute something in my bread flour blend?
Julie
Do I need to Prove dough in fridge overnight? Can I prove out of fridge for half the time?thanks recipe looks good!
Kim
Hi Julie! The time in the fridge is more for making the dough cold enough to work with than proofing. You can certainly proof it at room temp, but you'll still need to put it in the fridge overnight, or at least for 4-5 hours. The longer it's in the fridge, the easier it is to work with 🙂
loulou
hi kim! I've never made croissants before, let alone GF. I can tell that these are such a lovely recipe because they're flaky and do taste good, despite my definite mistakes with laminating. My butter leaked out all over the place in round 1- any idea what I can do better next time?
Thanks for this awesome recipe!
Kim
Hi, Loulou! Thanks for trying my recipe and your nice comment!!
Some butter leakage is normal, but I found when a lot would leak I either didn't laminate properly (and I think it just takes practice) or I didn't proof them long enough. Putting the dough in the freezer before locking in the butter block really helps with the lamination process. As far as proofing, it could take anywhere from 2 hours to 6 hours or longer to proof. If you need to refresh the boiling water several times, that's okay.
Sending you good croissant-making vibes 🙂
Lanette
The recipe and video need a little clarification on the butter block. I'm on my 3rd time making the recipe, couldn't figure out what was happening and my chef hubby finally said that my ratio of butter to dough is off, which, of course, I argued. You see, in the instructions and video you show taking half the dough with the butter block. I thought it was a little weird that you would give the ingredients for the butter block without explaining that you have to halve them if you roll out half the dough at a time, so, I figured the butter block had to be created, as directed, for each half of the dough... So, I had a one cup of butter block to half the dough and just struggled to get the butter to roll out evenly... Next week, I will attempt this with the correct amount of butter and I'm sure it will turn out... LOL. BTW, even with double the butter, the croissants turned out great, but I do use a combination of sorghum, brown rice, and starches as my flour blend - the dough is AWESOME! Can't wait to try this again the right way... But hubby is going to start calling me a chunky monkey for all of the experimenting with twice the butter... 🙂
Kim
I'm sorry, Lanette. I didn't realize it wasn't clear, but actually the butter block (one cup) IS for half the dough, not the entire amount of dough. I'll try to clarify it better in the recipe, but if you read through it does state to make the butter block and then remove half the dough from the fridge.
I researched and researched and tried every which way to make gluten free croissants. It may not be the proper ratio for regular croissants, but it works perfectly for these. When it comes to gluten free baking, it isn't always (rarely actually) like gluten-filled (wheat) baking. I think that's why it's so difficult for so many people (myself included at first). I had to re-train my brain to what I knew about baking into a whole new way of baking.
If you're having trouble rolling out the butter block, make sure it's not too cold and hard (it should bend slightly if you press it along the edge of your counter, not break). And make sure you also put the dough in the freezer for the amount of time indicated. That makes a world of difference.
One thing I forgot to mention, though, is as you're using a different flour blend than mine, I can't guarantee success. See the disclaimer at the bottom of the recipe. That said, if it's working for you with your blend and you're fine with it, that's all that matters.
Christine S
Where do you get the psyllium husk powder? Is it powder like flours?
Kim
Hi, Christine! I realize I didn't put a link as to where to find it, so I just went back through my post and added it to the post and the recipe card 🙂
Teresa Glynn
Hi Kim, I haven't tried this recipe yet because I'm still trying to perfect your amazing baguette bread recipe (for my tiny little oven and using the whey left from my kefir yogurt making - we sliced open and re-toasted as the first batch was gummy, resulting in the best bread I have ever eaten). I wanted to ask why you say you need to up the sugar content for these gf croissants - as I can't have sugar and will be substituting xylitol? Thanks, MariTere.
Kim
I'm so glad you finally got a good loaf of bread!!
I wish I knew exactly why the dough behaves better with more sugar, but I just know when I try to reduce it or eliminate it, I don't get the texture I'm looking for. That's not to say that maybe to others the texture would be fine, but in my perfectionist brain I just can't accept it. I'm not a trained chef so I don't know the reason why this is. I just know I don't like the texture without that added sugar.
Teresa Glynn
I just looked up online in regards to your response and found this explanation:
The sugar forms strong bonds with water molecules so it helps to keep baked goods soft and moist. Additionally, adding a small amount of sugar will result in a denser texture, such as bread or rolls, and a larger amount of sugar will give a light fluffy texture, such as for cake and other pastries.22 Aug 2016
https://analyticalanswersinc.com › fo...
Food Science: Sugar - Analytical Answers
That's extremely clear now - not sure if xylitol will do the trick: more experimenting then!
Sabina
Hi Kim! I have made your previous croissants several times for my mom and two sisters (all somewhat recent Celiac's) and they love them! I will be attempting this new recipe shortly, I just had one question. In your previous recipe the butter block was one cup of butter for the entire batch of dough, but this one is one cup of butter for half the batch of dough. Is that correct?
Thank you!
Kim
Hi, Sabina!! I checked back on the original post just to make sure I wasn't missing something, but it was the same amount of butter block per half the batch of dough (1 cup). Maybe you were splitting up the butter block for half a batch, but that wasn't my intent when writing the original recipe. The only thing I changed about the new recipe was the psyllium husk powder addition and the method.
I hope this helps, Sabina 🙂
Sabina
Thank you for clarifying Kim! I must have been doing it wrong the other times I made them. I am trying the recipe today and am very excited to see the results!
Thank you again!
Colleen
Quick question, Kim:
The notes say "Finally, lower the temp to 375 degrees F and set your final timer for 5 minutes."
But the official recipe instructions read as if it's optional.
Based on Sidney's thread, I'm guessing the 375F bake is only used if they aren't done after the 10 minutes of baking (5 min at 450F and 5 min at 425F)? I wanted to double-check before I embark on this exciting 2-day adventure! Thank you SO MUCH for sharing this recipe!!!!
Kim
Hi, Colleen! I'm so sorry about the confusion. This was my longest post ever and I went over it several times but apparently missed that change. I appreciate you spotting that and letting me know because, you're right, the 375 bake is only if they aren't done after the initial 10 minutes. I found that these new & improved croissants don't need as much time in the oven as the old ones. But again, when you pull them out and lift one, if it feels at all heavy, definitely put it back in for another 5 minutes at the lower temp. That's one of the best tools I learned for testing when bread is done in a class I took on Bluprint (the heaviness test). They should feel extremely light relative to their size.
Sending good gluten free baking vibes your way! Please let me know how they turn out for you 🙂
Colleen
Thanks for the quick reply! And I appreciate all of the details in the post—it makes me more comfortable trying out this challenge 😊
Belle Smith
Hi Kim, so far so good (I've just made the flour mixture and the butter block so far lol) but I have not found the the whey/ pea/ soy protein for the flour. I'm wondering first of all what adding the protein does for the flour? Also your advice about maybe skipping the protein in the flour ... (from reading previous comments I see you stick to your recipes to a T so I think I can predict your answer) thanks!
Kim
Hi, Belle! The reason I put protein in the flour blend is because gluten is a group of proteins found in wheat (regular flour) as well as other grains (barley, rye). I felt the best way to mimic gluten loss is to add it back in in the form of whey protein. And it worked! That being said, I can't tell you what to do when you're in your own kitchen, but I can suggest you follow the recipe to a "T" as I can't guarantee it will work without it. If you read the disclaimer in the notes section of the recipe card, it explains that further.
Hope that makes sense 🙂
Karina
Hi Kim! I was wondering if the freezing the shaped croissants step was before or after the proofing. Shoud i let them rise or directly send them into the freezer after shaping them?
Kim
Before proofing, definitely. I should correct that on the recipe. Thanks for alerting me to it 🙂
Gustav
Thanks for all the info and recipes!
I have two big problems making gf croissants which your recipe seems sensitive to, but haven’t solved for me. Any further advice will be welcome!
My biggest problem has been that they don’t seem to rise from the yeast😡 even when I add extra yeast. I know the yeast is good because my wheat croissants rise beautifully. However, when well laminated they don’t proof. It’s maddening.
And second, the gf dough is so much softer than the butter when it’s cold, that I feel like I never find the magic temperature when the plasticity of the butter matches the plasticity of the detrampe. When I let the butter get softer it laminates well, but still leaked out during baking.
Any thoughts would be SUPER-APPRECIATED!
Kim
Croissants are such a finicky creature, that's for sure. Add in the fact that we're trying to make them gluten free? Even more finicky! Sometimes I'll make my croissants one day and get one result and then do it again the next day and get an entirely different result. Here's some suggestions:
Did you read through the entire blog post at least once?
The butter packet needs to be a little warmer than making normal wheat-based croissants would be. And when you first lock in the butter, press instead of roll the dough, just like what I show in the video.
As far as proofing and getting a good rise, make sure you allow them enough time to rise in an area that's not over 80 degrees F. Did you read what I do about putting the pan of hot water in the oven with them and sometimes having to replace the water 3-4 times? Sometimes the rise will take as long as 4 hours, depending on the ambient temperature. Also, make sure you drop the ice cubes into the bottom of the oven for a little bit of oven spring. I know it's not normal to use steam when baking enriched breads, but we almost have to retrain our brains in reverse when it comes to gluten free baking.
I hope this helps!
Gustav
Thanks for your thoughtful reply. Unfortunately, I tried to do everything very carefully as you suggested - it’s a conundrum. I’ll write again if I manage to solve this issue consistently. (That’s hopeful isn’t it:)
Thanks again!
Andi
I am over the moon with this recipe. I love baking and have tried gfree bread baking for years with various store bought flour blends and haven't had much success. It really wasn't until your bread flour blend that all of that changed. I first tried your artisan bread recipe with your flour blend and was thrilled with the results. I just tried this croissant recipe and am so excited it turned out so well. I did save half of the dough (thank you for that suggestion) and have a better understanding of how to handle the dough and butter block throughout the process. Do you have a recipe on your blog for pain au chocolat or suggestions on how to use the scraps?
Kim
Thanks so much, Andi!!!! I planned on putting a pain au chocolat post on the blog shortly after that, but life got in the way and it never happened. You can stack up your scraps and roll them out and use them again for more croissants or make pain au chocolat with them by cutting them into rectangles instead of triangles and laying some chocolate in the middle and rolling them up. You can also freeze them! I need to put all of this info on the post, or better yet just create that post for making pain au chocolat with the scraps 🙂
Kim
My son is allergic to gluten & dairy. Will dairy free butter work just as good??
Kim
I haven't tried it, but I don't see why not!
Isabel Palethorpe
My 14-year-old son, who has coeliac disease, asked me if we could try making gluten-free croissants. We were blown away by the result! The croissants were incredibly light and flaky - I wouldn't have imagined that anything gluten-free could have that texture. I can see that we'll be making a lot more of these! The only problem that we had is that our croissants cooked considerably faster than the recipe would suggest, and so unfortunately we burnt the first batch (I was very glad of the second batch of dough). I watched the second batch like a hawk, and they came out perfectly. The pain au chocolat made with the scraps were also delicious. Thanks for the recipe and all your hard work testing it - my son is over the moon with his first proper croissant in 7 years. You wouldn't believe how quickly they are disappearing!
Kim
Hi, Isabel! I'm so happy you both liked the croissants!! I do have a question for you. Did you make them with the 2 extra egg whites? I recently looked at the recipe and noticed I had somehow put 2 egg whites on the recipe card, and they weren't supposed to be there! So I removed the egg whites from the recipe yesterday morning. I wondered if you had success with the two egg whites being in the dough. A few other people found the dough to be way too wet to roll out.
Paula Green
I used one egg white - because two seemed excessive - I didn't have anything to do with two egg yokes the day I made them. They turned out fine. I'm just making my second batch without the extra egg whites and the dough is much easier to handle.
Kim
Good to know! Sorry about that, Paula.
Isabel Palethorpe
Yes, I think we did make it with the extra egg whites - and we did find the dough very sticky. We had to use a lot of flour and to be careful in the folding stage not to end up with it thoroughly stuck to the bench! But good to know that it will be a little easier without the egg whites.
Kim
So sorry, Isabel!!! I'm so glad I found that error and corrected it.
Morgan
My dough was very wet after taking it out of the fridge, I needed to add about 2 cups more flour. Is this normal?
Kim
No it's not. Did you use my gluten free bread flour blend?
Kim
I'm so sorry, Morgan! I just happened to look on my croissants recipe and noticed there was a line added for 2 egg whites. That is incorrect! I'm not sure how that got on my croissants post, but the croissants do NOT use 2 egg whites.
I apologize for that misinformation and have changed it to reflect the correct information. That's probably why your dough was very wet.
Ruth Stonecipher
Dough instructions still refer to egg whites. Place the bowl on the stand mixer and turn it on to low while slowly adding the milk, followed by the beaten eggs and egg whites and softened butter.
Kim
Sorry, Ruth! I took the egg whites off the ingredients, but forgot to take it off the instructions as well. It's fixed now 🙂
Claudette Fubler
Hi Kim,
Your croissants look amazing. As I am also vegan besides being gluten free,; I am wondering if I can
substitute the European butter for Earth Balance Buttery sticks?
Thanks,
Claudette
Paula Green
Thank you for a great recipe. My daughter's celiac boyfriend said they were amazing - they didn't taste like a gluten free product!! They looked fabulous too.
Sidney
Things were going well until I blindly (as in didn't read carefully enough) followed the baking instructions. Decided to check on the croissants 2 minutes into the 375F (as I didn't see this setting was optional)and they were over-cooked. I'm letting them cool now and will check the insides soon. Overall, I would say your instructions and recommendations are very helpful. Guess I've always got the 2nd half of the dough to try later.
Kim
Oh no, Sidney! That's one of the reasons I decided to halve the dough, so everyone could get the feel for the dough and how it works and have some in the fridge if the first 4 don't turn out. It's a difficult thing to master, even for pro chefs with actual gluten-containing croissants, so give yourself a break and try again.
I'm crossing my fingers that the next set turn out wonderfully flaky and delicious 🤞🏻
Sidney
I've been baking gluten free for about 10 years and made wheat-based croissants before that. Over the years, I have made a few attempts at GF croissants, but they never worked out for me. I overcooked these, but they were still edible. They smell good, taste good, and are flaky on the outsides. I could see layers on the inside, which is remarkable. I used regular (US butter) because it was what I had in the fridge and then needed to drop the fridge time to 20-25min rests. One other thing I picked up along the way is pressing with the rolling pin, instead of regular rolling. As you know, the GF dough is fragile, so gently pressing from the center to the top or bottom edge and lightly rolling helps me keep the butter from breaking through. Thanks for your recipe Kim 🙂
Kim
That's awesome, Sidney! I had never made croissants before I was diagnosed with celiac so it was a learning experience for sure. I'm glad someone with prior experience has finally tried my recipe to give me some feedback. They're not perfect and I'm always trying different ways, but for now they're as close as I can get. Thank you so much for the feedback 🙂
Andrea Witzke
You give direction
“ Remove the dough from the bowl and knead it on a well-floured surface until smooth. Cut it in half with a bench scraper and place the other half back in the bowl and refrigerate it after covering. (More on that later)”
However you did not explain further; can I assume that this extra is NOT used in this recipe? I have read and reread the directions several times and can not see any direction for that second half of the dough.
Kim
You are so right, Andrea! I'm so sorry that I forgot to add that part. It was a very long post. The other half is not to be used for the recipe. You can make another butter packet and use the other half of the dough to make a second batch of croissants, or you can freeze the second half for making croissants another time.
Nick
I am about to embark on this journey but have a question: In the text you mention xanthan gum, but it’s missing in the ingredients list. Do you or don’t you use xanthan gum, and if you do, how much? Thanks!
Kim
I'm sorry I didn't get back to you sooner, Nick. I've been on vacation. The xanthan gum is in my gf bread flour blend.
Juliet
Hi there! I am dying to make these!!!! I’m wondering if I can use Cup4Cup in place of your blend? In the recipe for your blend, I think you mention that Cup4Cup can be used in place of your blend for everything other than actual bread. I have Cup4Cup on hand and don’t have all of the components to make your blend - and seeing as it’s currently a pandemic, I can’t run out to the store (and shipping for everything has been taking ages (understandably!)). Thank you!!
Kim
I really don't think it will work, but if you want to give it a shot you're welcome to. Cup4Cup, in my opinion, only works well in substituting in recipes that aren't bread, like you said, like cookies, cakes, etc--basically anything that doesn't need gluten development in a normal (non-gf) setting. That's why I developed my own flour blend, to address the issues I had when trying to make breads, and I consider croissants to be a form of bread.
I wish I knew of some proper substitute for my bread flour blend during this pandemic. We certainly didn't expect this to happen, let alone not be able to get our Amazon Prime orders quickly like we once were able to. I understand the desire to make these croissants (or anything bread-related at this time) and if you feel strongly about wanting to make them and all you have is Cup4Cup and don't mind risking using the ingredients if they don't work, go for it! You'd be surprised how much dough and ingredients I've thrown away through the years--probably thousands of dollars worth, haha!
I will send good gluten free baking vibes your way if you choose to give it a go, Juliet 🤗
carmelina pantano
i made and used your GF bread flour blend... its the best thing ive ever tried... thank you sooooo much
Kim
Awe, yay!!!!!! I love hearing success stories!
Pam V
Wow! I can’t wait to make these Kim! Thank you so much for sharing all your hard work!!! The video is great too. I already have some Irish butter waiting in the fridge.
Kim
I'm so excited for you to try them, Pam!!!! They're gonna blow your mind!
Viktoria Schneider
Hi, What can I use instead of the milk for the croissant?
Kim
You can try almond milk or any other non-dairy milk substitute, or you could also just use water.
Susan
I’m going to make this week. I’ll keep you posted. Thanks for the comprehensive instructions for this. I can’t wait. Haven’t eaten a croissant for 8 years.
Guérin A.P
J'ai fais un mix avec votre recette et celle de thermomix avec des morceaux de beurre congelé 😁magique ! C'est la 1ère fois que je réussis ma pâte feuilletée 🥰 merci 😉