Gluten-Free Croissants (Printer-friendly)

Create bakery-worthy flaky, buttery crescents with simple ingredients and proper lamination technique.

# What You’ll Need:

→ Dough

01 - 2 1/4 cups gluten-free all-purpose flour with xanthan gum
02 - 2 tablespoons sugar
03 - 1 teaspoon salt
04 - 1 packet instant dry yeast
05 - 3/4 cup warm milk
06 - 1 large egg, room temperature
07 - 3 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened

→ Butter Layer

08 - 1/2 cup cold unsalted butter

→ Egg Wash

09 - 1 egg yolk
10 - 1 tablespoon milk

# How to Make It:

01 - Combine gluten-free flour, sugar, salt, and instant yeast in a large bowl. Whisk warm milk and egg together, then add to dry ingredients. Mix until soft dough forms. Beat in softened butter until fully incorporated. Cover and refrigerate for 1 hour.
02 - Place cold butter between two sheets of parchment paper. Pound and roll into a 5 x 7-inch rectangle. Refrigerate until firm.
03 - Roll chilled dough on lightly floured surface into a 10 x 14-inch rectangle. Place butter layer in center and fold dough over to encase completely. Roll gently back to 10 x 14-inch rectangle. Fold into thirds like a letter. Wrap and chill for 30 minutes. Repeat rolling, folding, and chilling two more times for three total folds.
04 - Roll dough into a 12 x 16-inch rectangle. Cut into 8 triangles. Starting from wide end, roll each triangle into croissant shape. Place on parchment-lined baking sheet.
05 - Cover loosely and let rise in warm place for approximately 2 hours until puffy. Preheat oven to 400°F. Whisk egg yolk and milk for glaze and brush over croissants. Bake for 18-20 minutes until golden brown.
06 - Transfer to wire rack and cool completely before serving.

# Expert Tips:

01 -
  • The texture is shockingly close to traditional croissants, with those coveted honeycomb layers inside
  • You can actually freeze these unbaked and pop them straight into the oven for fresh pastry on demand
02 -
  • If your butter starts seeping through the dough during rolling, pop everything back in the fridge immediately—melting butter ruins the layers
  • Gluten-free dough tears more easily than wheat dough, so patch any small tears with a dab of water and a scrap of dough
03 -
  • Weigh your ingredients with a kitchen scale—gluten-free baking is less forgiving than traditional baking and precision matters
  • If your kitchen is warm, work on a chilled surface or marble slab to keep the butter from softening too quickly

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