Healthier Croissants

Protein Packed Croissants

These croissants are my take on a classic laminated French pastry with a little more protein and fiber built into the dough. They use bread flour, vital wheat gluten, whey protein, Greek yogurt, and oat fiber to create a dough that’s substantially higher in protein than a traditional croissant while still producing real flaky layers and an open, honeycomb-style interior.

The key to these croissants is patience!!! The dough gets an overnight cold ferment, followed by careful lamination, multiple folds, a relaxed final rest, and a long room-temperature proof. I found that 350°F for 20 minutes produced the best result. They bake up deeply golden and crisp on the outside while keeping the interior light and well layered.

This recipe makes 9 croissants.

Ingredients

Dough

• 240g bread flour
• 18g vital wheat gluten
• 10g oat fiber
• 20g whey protein powder
• 5g casein protein powder
• 30g granulated sugar
• 5g salt
• 5g instant yeast
• 100g 0% Greek yogurt
• 60g skim milk
• 1 large egg
• 20g egg whites
• 5g vanilla extract

For Lamination

• 120g European style butter

For Egg Wash

• 1 egg, beaten
• 10g milk
  • nutrition doesn't include egg wash

Instructions

1. Prepare the dough

In the bowl of a stand mixer, combine the bread flour, vital wheat gluten, oat fiber, whey protein, casein, sugar, salt, and instant yeast.

Add the Greek yogurt, skim milk, egg, egg whites, and vanilla extract.

Mix on low speed for 2–3 minutes, until a shaggy dough forms.

Increase to medium low speed and mix for approximately 6–8 minutes, allowing the gluten to develop.

The finished dough should be smooth, cohesive, elastic, and tacky. Transfer to an oiled bowl.

2. Cold ferment

Refrigerate for approximately 12–14 hours.

The overnight fermentation develops flavor while thoroughly chilling the dough, which makes the next day’s lamination much easier.

3. Prepare the butter

About an hour before rolling the dough out, take butter out to warm up.

The butter should be cold but pliable. You want it firm enough to maintain its shape but flexible enough to roll without cracking. Between two sheets of parchment paper, roll the butter out to a roughly 5x8" rectangle.

4. Enclose the butter

Remove the dough from the refrigerator and on a floured work surface, roll it into a rectangle large enough to completely enclose the butter.

Place the butter in the center and fold the dough in around it, sealing the edges.

Make sure there are no exposed areas where butter can escape during rolling. Using a rolling pin, tap the seems to ensure they are closed.

5. First fold

Roll the dough into a long rectangle.

Perform your first fold (dough in half) then refrigerate for approximately 30 minutes.

Keeping the dough cold is critical. If the butter starts becoming soft or greasy, refrigerate the dough before continuing.

6. Second fold

Roll the chilled dough into a long rectangle again and perform the second fold. This time, fold one half just over the center line of the rectangle, and fold the other half over top the first half. Slice the "spine" of the folded dough. 

Refrigerate for another 30 minutes.

7. Third fold

Perform the third and final fold. This should be a book fold, like the second fold.

After the final fold, refrigerate the dough for 30-45 minutes.

This longer rest is important because it allows the gluten to relax before the final roll-out. If the dough fights you or springs back excessively, give it another 15–20 minutes in the refrigerator.

8. Roll and cut

Roll the dough into your final large rectangle, keeping the thickness as even as possible. Trim the edges if you want uniform croissants.

Cut the dough into 9 triangles. Depending on your specific work surface, you might need the assistance of a bench scraper to coax the dough off your work surface.

For each triangle, make a small notch at the center of the wide base. Gently stretch the triangle, then roll it up toward the tip.

Don’t roll the croissants excessively tightly. You want to leave room for the layers to expand during proofing.

Place the shaped croissants on parchment lined baking sheets with the pointed end tucked underneath.

9. Proof

Cover the croissants loosely and allow them to proof at approximately 75–80°F.

Expect approximately 3-6 hours, although the dough should be judged by appearance rather than the clock.

The croissants are ready when they are:

• Noticeably larger and puffy
• Soft and delicate
• Slightly jiggly when the tray is gently moved
• Showing visible separation between the laminated layers

Proper proofing is one of the most important steps. Underproofed croissants will have a denser interior and won’t achieve the same open structure.

10. Egg wash

Once fully proofed, gently brush the croissants with beaten egg and a splash of milk.

Be careful not to press down on the delicate dough.

11. Bake

Preheat the oven to 350°F.

Bake for 20 minutes, or until deeply golden brown and crisp.

The 350°F/20 minute bake is the setting I found produced the best result for this particular protein-enriched dough. (I tested at 400°F and 375°F).

Allow the croissants to cool for at least 15–20 minutes before eating.

Nutrition

Per Croissant

• 245 calories
• 9g protein
• 25g carbohydrates
• 12g fat
• 2g fiber