What Is Laminated Dough? How Dough Lamination Works

Laminated dough is a pastry dough that undergoes lamination—a process by which chefs fold butter into the layers of dough. This creates a flaky texture in the final product. Some laminated doughs are flakier than others. For example, a puff pastry, which omits yeast, has a crispier flake than croissant dough, which does contain yeast. The complexity of a laminated dough recipe depends on the specific food. A laminated dough recipe might call for a minimum of six hours of chill time between folds, while another could have a much shorter resting time.

Laminated dough, which involves alternating layers of butter and dough, is a common base for pastries. Here are four types of pastries that require a laminated dough:

1. 1. Croissants: A basic croissant dough recipe uses a yeasted dough (usually incorporating active dry yeast) that undergoes lamination. Classic French croissants, almond croissants, ham and cheese croissants, and pain au chocolat (chocolate croissants) all require a well-laminated dough to produce a buttery, flaky pastry with distinct layers.
2. 2. Danish pastries: Traditional Danish dough is a yeasted dough that contains eggs in the détrempe (the starting portion of the dough). This differs from croissant dough and puff pastry dough, which do not include eggs. Chefs use book fold or letter fold techniques to laminate Danish dough, resulting in classic Danish pastries of all shapes, sizes, and flavors, usually containing a fruit jam or cheese custard. Kanelsnegle, or cinnamon rolls, are among the most popular Danish pastry.
3. 3. Kouign-amann: These round laminated pastries bake in muffin tins instead of baking sheets. Kouign-amann use either the same laminated dough as croissants or a more bread-like laminated dough.
4. 4. Palmiers: Using puff pastry or a rough puff pastry, a palmier contains a cinnamon sugar filling. Pastry chefs roll the ends of the dough toward each other to create the signature heart or scroll shape. Puff pastry dough contains no yeast and relies solely on the laminated layers of cold butter and dough to create a flaky texture. To make a rough puff pastry, the chef cuts the butter into the dough—similar to how they would for a pie crust—instead of using a butter block.

Preparing laminated dough is an intricate process that requires finesse as you fold unsalted butter into the layers of dough. Follow these tips to streamline the process if you want to produce flaky, buttery pastries:

1. 1. Brush away excess flour. Lightly flour your work surface, so the dough releases easily from the work surface. Brush away any excess flour on top of the dough during the folding step of the process since the addition of any extra flour, especially between the layers, will dry out the dough.
2. 2. Chill the dough between folds. This step in the lamination process allows the gluten in the dough to rest. Additionally, it allows the butter to become cold and firm again—a requirement for creating the flaky layers. As the pastry cooks, the butter melts into the dough, leaving air pockets which create a light texture. Butter at room temperature will leach out during the final proofing or in the oven, resulting in dry pastries and fewer air pockets. Refrigerate the dough for a minimum of three hours between each fold, although some recipes call for six hours.
3. 3. Do a book fold. There are two types of folds you can use in dough lamination—a letter fold or a book fold. The latter increases the number of layers of dough, resulting in greater flakiness. To perform a book fold, pull two ends of the triangle into the center of the dough, then close those folds like you might a book. By contrast, a letter fold means folding one end of the dough into the middle of a rectangle, then folding the other end over the first fold.
4. 4. Knead the dough properly. The initial kneading of the dough is what determines the chew and tenderness of the final product. Too little kneading results in poor structure, and the dough will tear as it undergoes the lamination process. Too much kneading results in dough that is tough, difficult to roll out, and rubbery. Knead your dough by hand or on a low speed in a stand mixer with the dough hook.
5. 5. Proof the dough on the baking sheet. Use the same baking sheet for proofing that you will use for baking since transferring the pastries risks deflating the dough and deforming the pastries. Line your baking sheet with parchment paper to prevent the dough from sticking to the baking sheet. You can apply an egg wash to the pastries while they’re on this same sheet, too.
6. 6. Use bread flour. Instead of all-purpose flour, use bread flour, which contains more gluten—a necessary component in laminated dough. A mixture of all-purpose flour and bread flour will work, too—the addition of all-purpose flour can help beginners prevent the negative effects of over-kneading.
7. 7. Wrap the dough tightly. Before chilling the dough, wrap it tightly in plastic wrap. Any exposure to air, especially cold refrigerator air, will cause the dough to dry out. It’s tough to use a rolling pin on a dry dough, and it will bake unevenly compared to a dough possessing the correct level of moisture.

We’ve got you covered. All you knead (see what we did there?) is The MasterClass Annual Membership, some water, flour, salt, and yeast, and our exclusive lessons from Apollonia Poilâne—Paris’s premier bread maker and one of the earliest architects of the artisanal bread movement. Roll up your sleeves and get baking.