Croissant bread, made with puff pastry dough, is a less complex version of traditional French croissants. A basic yeasted dough gets layered with unsalted butter, then shaped into a spiral roll and baked in a pan to resemble a bread loaf. 

Croissant Bread Recipe: How to Make a Croissant Loaf

Croissant bread is a loaf-shaped, laminated pastry made with yeast-leavened dough. Lamination is the process of layering dough with butter, and the result is a crispy golden-brown crust with a tender, flaky interior. The buttery flavor lends itself to both sweet applications like [French toast](https://www.masterclass.com/articles/french-toast-recipe) or bread pudding and savory dishes such as grilled cheese sandwiches. If it’s your first time making laminated dough, croissant bread is an accessible introduction to a classic [French croissant recipe](https://www.masterclass.com/articles/make-the-perfect-croissant-with-chef-dominique-ansel) like Chef Dominique Ansel’s.

Traditional croissant dough features a painstaking lamination process, which can take a few days of hands-on time and lots of practice to perfect. Croissant loaf recipes combine the yeasted dough of the traditional method with the convenience of a “rough puff”–style pastry, which uses pieces of butter incorporated into a dough instead of a more labor-intensive butter block. Both methods employ a resting and folding technique that results in a layered dough, but the croissant loaf is more forgiving, requires less time, and uses [active dry yeast](https://www.masterclass.com/articles/active-dry-yeast-explained) rather than a [sourdough starter](https://www.masterclass.com/articles/apollonia-poilane-sourdough-starter-recipe). Instead of a three-day process, croissant bread takes just a few hours to make. 

Croissant bread is easier to make than traditional croissants, but it still requires some finesse. Here’s what you need to know:

1. __Use a scale__. Weighing ingredients for bread and other baked goods ensures consistent results every time. Learn [how to use a kitchen scale](https://www.masterclass.com/articles/how-to-use-a-digital-kitchen-scale-benefits-to-cooking-and-baking-with-a-digital-scale) for the most accurate measurements.
2. __Keep the dough cool__. While many yeast-leavened recipes call for letting the dough rise or rest in a warm place, croissant dough needs to stay chilled to keep the layers of butter suspended within the dough from melting. 
3. __Rest before slicing__. Hot bread that’s just come out of the oven is prone to tearing, as it’s technically still going through the carryover cooking process. Let the croissant loaf cool for at least twenty minutes before slicing it to achieve uniform slices that keep their shape. 
Croissant bread, made with puff pastry dough, is a less complex version of traditional French croissants. A basic yeasted dough gets layered with unsalted butter, then shaped into a spiral roll and baked in a pan to resemble a bread loaf. 

Croissant bread is a loaf-shaped, laminated pastry made with yeast-leavened dough. Lamination is the process of layering dough with butter, and the result is a crispy golden-brown crust with a tender, flaky interior. The buttery flavor lends itself to both sweet applications like <a href='https://www.masterclass.com/articles/french-toast-recipe' target='_self' class='mc-text--link' data-mc-segment-trigger='true' data-mc-segment-event-type='Article Page Click' data-event-obj='{"textTag":"p","href":"https://www.masterclass.com/articles/french-toast-recipe","linkCopy":"French toast","category":null}'>French toast</a> or bread pudding and savory dishes such as grilled cheese sandwiches. If it’s your first time making laminated dough, croissant bread is an accessible introduction to a classic <a href='https://www.masterclass.com/articles/make-the-perfect-croissant-with-chef-dominique-ansel' target='_self' class='mc-text--link' data-mc-segment-trigger='true' data-mc-segment-event-type='Article Page Click' data-event-obj='{"textTag":"p","href":"https://www.masterclass.com/articles/make-the-perfect-croissant-with-chef-dominique-ansel","linkCopy":"French croissant recipe","category":null}'>French croissant recipe</a> like Chef Dominique Ansel’s.Traditional croissant dough features a painstaking lamination process, which can take a few days of hands-on time and lots of practice to perfect. Croissant loaf recipes combine the yeasted dough of the traditional method with the convenience of a “rough puff”–style pastry, which uses pieces of butter incorporated into a dough instead of a more labor-intensive butter block. Both methods employ a resting and folding technique that results in a layered dough, but the croissant loaf is more forgiving, requires less time, and uses <a href='https://www.masterclass.com/articles/active-dry-yeast-explained' target='_self' class='mc-text--link' data-mc-segment-trigger='true' data-mc-segment-event-type='Article Page Click' data-event-obj='{"textTag":"p","href":"https://www.masterclass.com/articles/active-dry-yeast-explained","linkCopy":"active dry yeast","category":null}'>active dry yeast</a> rather than a <a href='https://www.masterclass.com/articles/apollonia-poilane-sourdough-starter-recipe' target='_self' class='mc-text--link' data-mc-segment-trigger='true' data-mc-segment-event-type='Article Page Click' data-event-obj='{"textTag":"p","href":"https://www.masterclass.com/articles/apollonia-poilane-sourdough-starter-recipe","linkCopy":"sourdough starter","category":null}'>sourdough starter</a>. Instead of a three-day process, croissant bread takes just a few hours to make.

What Is Croissant Bread?

Croissant bread is easier to make than traditional croissants, but it still requires some finesse. Here’s what you need to know:<ol class="mc-m-4"><li class="mc-my-4"> 1. Use a scale. Weighing ingredients for bread and other baked goods ensures consistent results every time. Learn <a href='https://www.masterclass.com/articles/how-to-use-a-digital-kitchen-scale-benefits-to-cooking-and-baking-with-a-digital-scale' target='_self' class='mc-text--link' data-mc-segment-trigger='true' data-mc-segment-event-type='Article Page Click' data-event-obj='{"textTag":"p","href":"https://www.masterclass.com/articles/how-to-use-a-digital-kitchen-scale-benefits-to-cooking-and-baking-with-a-digital-scale","linkCopy":"how to use a kitchen scale","category":null}'>how to use a kitchen scale</a> for the most accurate measurements. </li><li class="mc-my-4"> 2. Keep the dough cool. While many yeast-leavened recipes call for letting the dough rise or rest in a warm place, croissant dough needs to stay chilled to keep the layers of butter suspended within the dough from melting. </li><li class="mc-my-4"> 3. Rest before slicing. Hot bread that’s just come out of the oven is prone to tearing, as it’s technically still going through the carryover cooking process. Let the croissant loaf cool for at least twenty minutes before slicing it to achieve uniform slices that keep their shape. </li></ol>

3 Tips for Making Croissant Bread

Homemade Croissant Bread Recipe

Croissant bread, made with puff pastry dough, is a less complex version of traditional French croissants. A basic yeasted dough gets layered with unsalted butter, then shaped into a spiral roll and baked in a pan to resemble a bread loaf.

Croissant bread, made with puff pastry dough, is a less complex version of traditional French croissants. A basic yeasted dough gets layered with unsalted butter, then shaped into a spiral roll and baked in a pan to resemble a bread loaf. 
