Homemade old-fashioned croissants that are soft, aromatic and perfectly flaky. Basic recipe that can be made with or without filling. Made with healthy fresh lard, these croissants melt in your mouth.
A cracking old-fashioned croissant recipe that’s been a favourite in our family for ages. These beauties work with or without fillings—jam’s a classic, if you fancy. Soft, fragrant, and perfectly flaky, we love them for breakfast, brunch, or just when we need something tasty on the go.
ALSO try my super easy recipe for Polish Cinnamon Twists – they are extra delicious.
Ingredients and Substitutions
- Flour – all purpose or type 00 Italian flour
- Yeast – fresh or dried instant yeast
- Pork lard – organic is best
- Milk – whole milk
- Egg – binds it all better
- Olive oil, optional for brushing
- Salt
- Pinch of sugar – for activating yeast
Can I work with instant yeast instead of fresh? Short answer is, yes! However, I do recommend using fresh yeast as flavor and softness of baked croissants is always different depending on the type of yeast used. In general breads made with fresh yeast are more flavorful and stay softer for longer.
HOW TO MAKE OLD-FASHIONED CROISSANTS at home?
1st: Prepare all ingredients at room temperate. Lard can be softened in the microwave for a few seconds/minutes. Let yeast activate. Combine with remaining ingredients and knead a soft, non-sticky dough. You can use your bread machine / kitchen robot to do the kneading for you.
2nd: Cut dough in triangles and starting from the widest side roll the dough to form a croissant. Repeat for the remaining dough.
3rd: Let croissants rise again on non-stick baking sheet. Then sprinkle with sesame seeds – optional. Bake until golden brownish (toothpick should come out clean).
WHAT IS LARD?
Lard’s a type of fat that comes from pigs, and not so long ago, it was a staple in kitchens and homes alike (and actually still is today) – used for cooking, baking, and even making soap. It’s famous for giving pastries and pie crusts that perfect, flaky texture. If you’re on a Keto diet, it’s also brilliant for croissants.
Over a hundred years ago, my great-grandparents and grandparents relied on lard for everything—from breakfasts and baking to homemade soap—mainly because butter was hard to come by. Most families used lard straight from their own farms. Lots of restaurants still use lard instead of butter today because it’s cheaper, makes dough super flaky, and doesn’t give away its presence in the taste.
IS LARD HEALTHY?
One question that pops up when we cook with lard – ”Is lard healthy?” Plenty of folks write it off as a bad fat, but others know it’s got its good points too. “Healthy” means different things to different people, of course. From where I’m standing, lard’s actually one of the better fats we use at home — it’s got a high smoke point, isn’t as processed as things like canola or sunflower oil, and it works wonders in baking. That said, like with most things in life, everything in moderation is the way to go.
Homemade Old Fashioned Croissants Recipe
Ingredients
- 500 g all purpose flour
- 250 g organic pork lard melted, but not hot
- 1 egg medium size
- 100 ml milk lukewarm
- 30 g /1 ounce/ fresh yeast or 7g instant yeast
- 1 tsp brown sugar
- Pinch of salt
- 5 tbsp sesame seeds optional
- 4 tbsp. olive oil, for brushing croissants
Instructions
- In a small cup add 6 tbsp lukewarm milk, sugar and the yeast. Let sit until yeast activates (it needs warm and sugary environment to get active). When it gets bubbly it's ready for use.
- In a large mixing bowl beat egg, then add remaining milk, melted warm lard and salt. Mix until combined. Then add activated yeast, flour and knead until a soft, non-stick dough forms. Use stand mixer or knead by hand.
- Then, let dough sit in the bowl, covered with a kitchen towel until it doubles its size (approx. 30 min).
- Then divide dough into 4 smaller balls and roll out each ball onto floured surface (1/2 inch max thickness ).
- Cut dough in triangles and starting from the widest side roll the dough to form a croissant. Repeat for the remaining dough.
- Place all croissants onto non-greased baking paper by leaving breathing space in between (1-2 inches should do).
- Optional: Leave dough to rest ( and rise again) for about 15-20 minutes. Then, using a kitchen brush coat croissants with olive oil.
- Bake in preheated oven on 200C / 400F until croissants start to get brownish on top & a toothpick comes out clean.
- Let cool down and enjoy with a favorite spread.
Notes
Nutrition
This post may contain affiliate links. See full disclosure here.
