Whole Grain Croissants Recipe
Croissants don’t have to be all white flour to turn out tasty. I wanted to make something a bit more wholesome, so here’s my go-to whole grain croissant recipe. I throw in flax and sesame seeds for a little extra crunch and nutrition, and honestly, they’re really good.
Equipment
- 1 Large mixing bowl – for getting your dough started
- 1 Dough whisk – makes mixing easier and keeps you from overworking things
- 1 Rolling Pin – heavier is better for rolling out those buttery layers
- 1 Pastry brush – for brushing off flour and egg washing the tops
- 1 Sharp knife or pizza cutter – to slice those triangles
- 2-3 baking sheets
- 1 Silicone baking mat or parchment paper – keeps things from sticking and makes cleanup less of a hassle
- Plastic wrap – for wrapping up dough while it chills
- Ruler or measuring tape – helps with even dough and triangle sizes
Ingredients
For the Dough:
- 2 cups whole grain flour (I usually mix whole wheat and white wheat)1
- 1 ½ cups all-purpose flour or sifted artisan bread flour
- ¼ cup whole wheat pastry flour (or try spelt or turkey red flour)
- 2 ¼ tsp instant yeast (active dry works too)
- 1/4 cup sugar
- 1 ½ tsp salt
- 1 cup cold whole milk
- 1/4 cup water
- 3 tbsp melted unsalted butter
FOR THE BUTTER BLOCK:
- 1 ¼ cups cold unsalted butter (european butter is extra tasty here)
FOR THE SEED TOPPING:
- 2 tbsp Flax seeds
- 2 tbsp sesame seeds
- 1 tbsp poppy seeds (optional)
- 1 egg beaten with 1 tablespoon water for egg wash
Instructions
FOR A DOUGH
- Start by rolling your whole grain dough on a lightly floured counter into a big rectangle, about 10x20 inches.Make sure your dough is cold from the fridge—it’s way easier to work with that way.
For the lamination:
- place cold butter in the middle, then fold the dough like you’re folding a letter. Roll it out again, then fold into thirds. This is what gives you all those flaky layers.
FOR MAKING:
- Roll the dough out to about 1/4 inch thick
- Cut triangles, each 4-5 inches wide at the base
- Make a little notch at the wide end of each triangle
- Roll them up tightly from the wide end to the tip
- Curve the ends in to get that classic croissant shape
- Put the shaped croissants on a baking sheet lined with parchment. Let them rise at room temp for 1.5 to 2 hours, until they’re puffy and almost doubled.
- Before you bake, brush each croissant with egg wash (just one egg beaten with a little water). Sprinkle flax and sesame seeds on top—be generous.
Notes
Store your croissants in an airtight container at room temp for up to 2 days. They’re best fresh, but a quick reheat in the oven at 350°F for about 5 minutes brings back the flaky texture.
Use cold butter straight from the fridge for the dough. If it gets too soft, you lose those flaky layers that make croissants so good.
You can swap in other seeds if you want. Sometimes I add sunflower seeds for extra crunch.
If your dough starts feeling sticky or warm while you’re rolling, just pop it in the fridge for 15-20 minutes. Warm dough makes lamination a pain and you’ll lose some flakiness.
Whole wheat flour soaks up more liquid than white flour, so if your dough feels dry, add an extra tablespoon or two of water.
I like to freeze unbaked croissants for later. Shape them, freeze on a baking sheet, then toss them in a freezer bag. They’ll last about 3 months. Bake straight from frozen—just add 5 minutes to the bake time.
Don’t skip the egg wash. It gives that lovely, shiny golden color.
If you remember, take your eggs and milk out of the fridge 30 minutes before you start. It just makes the dough come together a bit more smoothly.