Vegan Croissant Recipe: Flaky Vegan Homemade Croissants

For the butter square:

• 1 pound vegan butter
• 2 ounces all-purpose flour

For the dough:

• 1 cup warm water
• ½ cup warm nondairy milk (soy milk, oat milk, or cashew milk)
• 2 ¼ teaspoons (1 packet) active dry yeast
• ⅓ cup granulated sugar
• 2 ⅓ cups bread flour
• 2 ⅓ cups all-purpose flour, plus more for rolling
• 1 teaspoon kosher salt
• 4 tablespoons cold vegan butter, cubed

For the vegan “egg wash:”

• 2 tablespoons coconut oil, melted

Note: The total time of this recipe does not include up to 24 hours of inactive time.

1. 1

   For the butter square, mix together the vegan butter and all-purpose flour in a mixing bowl. Use a fork, pastry cutter, or your hands. Form the mixture into an 8-inch square and wrap it tightly in plastic wrap. Chill that in the refrigerator while you make the dough.

2. 2

   In a small bowl, mix together the warm water, warm nondairy milk, yeast, and sugar. Let that sit until the mixture is foamy, about 5–10 minutes.

3. 3

   In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the dough hook, add the bread flour, all-purpose flour, and kosher salt.

4. 4

   Add the yeast mixture slowly, with the mixer running on a low speed, and knead the dough for about 8 minutes. Add the vegan butter, one cube at a time, scraping down the sides of the mixing bowl between each addition. Knead for another 3–5 minutes.

5. 5

   Turn the dough out onto a floured surface and shape it into a ball. With a sharp knife or bench scraper, score the dough into an “X” shape, cutting less than halfway through the dough. This encourages the dough to rise in a square shape rather than a round one.

6. 6

   Place the dough back into the mixing bowl, cover it with a damp kitchen towel, and let it rise in a warm place until it doubles in size, about 1 ½ hours.

7. 7

   After the dough rises, place it in the refrigerator for about 1 hour so the vegan butter becomes firm again.

8. 8

   Remove the dough from the refrigerator and turn it out onto a lightly floured work surface. Roll the dough into a large square, leaving it thicker in the center and thinner at the corners.

9. 9

   Take the vegan butter square out of the refrigerator, unwrap it, and place it in the center of the dough square. Bring each corner of the dough into the center of the butter square until it fully covers the butter. Wrap the dough in plastic wrap and return it to the refrigerator to let the dough rest for 1 hour.

10. 10

    Start the dough laminating process. For the first turn, remove the dough from the refrigerator and place it on a lightly floured work surface. With a rolling pin, roll the dough out into a 24-inch rectangle. Fold one end of the rectangle into the center of the rectangle. Take the other end of the rectangle and fold it all the way over the first fold. Wrap it in plastic wrap and refrigerate it for 6 hours to let the gluten relax and the butter become firm.

11. 11

    Repeat the previous step twice more for a total of 3 turns and 18 hours. For the second and third turn, position the dough so the “closed” edge of the dough is at the top of the work surface.

12. 12

    About 6 hours after the third turn, roll the dough out into a 16-inch rectangle. Trim off the rough edges of the dough with a sharp knife or pizza cutter.

13. 13

    Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.

14. 14

    With the same sharp knife or pizza cutter, cut the dough into 8 equal triangles. To shape each croissant, cut a small notch into the top of the triangle. Gently pull on either side of the notch, making sure not to rip the cut farther down the triangle. Starting at the widest side, roll the dough all the way down to the point of the triangle. Turn the thinner ends of the crescent shape in toward the center of the croissant so they are almost touching each other, or leave them alone, depending on the shape you prefer.

15. 15

    Place the shaped croissants on the lined baking sheet, cover them lightly with plastic wrap (avoid tucking the plastic wrap under the baking sheet), and let the croissants proof for a rising time of about 1 ½–2 hours, or until they have doubled in size.

16. 16

    With about 20 minutes left in the rising time, preheat the oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit.

17. 17

    Remove the plastic wrap and brush the croissants with the melted coconut oil. Bake them in the oven for 20 minutes, then rotate the baking tray and allow them to bake for another 20 minutes. The croissants should be golden brown and crispy.

18. 18

    Transfer the baked croissants to a wire rack to cool slightly but serve them while they are still warm.

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