Gluten-Free Croissants (Printable)
Achieve bakery-quality gluten-free croissants with buttery layers and golden crust. Perfect French pastry for weekend breakfast.
# What You'll Need:
→ Dough
01 - 2 1/2 cups gluten-free all-purpose flour with xanthan gum
02 - 1/4 cup almond flour
03 - 1/4 cup granulated sugar
04 - 2 1/4 tsp instant yeast
05 - 1 tsp salt
06 - 1/2 cup warm milk
07 - 1/2 cup warm water
08 - 1 large egg, room temperature
09 - 2 tbsp unsalted butter, softened
→ Butter Layer
10 - 10 tbsp unsalted butter, cold
→ Egg Wash
11 - 1 large egg
12 - 1 tbsp milk
# How to Make It:
01 - Whisk together gluten-free flour, almond flour, sugar, yeast, and salt in a large bowl until thoroughly combined.
02 - Combine warm milk, warm water, egg, and softened butter in a separate bowl. Pour wet mixture into dry ingredients and mix until sticky dough forms.
03 - Shape dough into a rectangle, wrap tightly in plastic wrap, and refrigerate for 45 minutes.
04 - Slice cold butter into thin slabs. Place between parchment paper sheets and pound or roll into an even 6 x 8-inch rectangle. Chill if butter becomes too soft.
05 - Roll chilled dough on lightly floured surface into 12 x 8-inch rectangle. Position butter layer over bottom two-thirds of dough, leaving border. Fold top third down over butter, then fold bottom third up like a letter.
06 - Rotate dough 90 degrees, roll to 12 x 8-inch rectangle, and fold as before. Repeat rolling and folding 2 more times, chilling for 20 minutes between each turn.
07 - After completing final fold, wrap dough and refrigerate for 1 hour.
08 - Roll chilled dough into 16 x 10-inch rectangle. Cut into 8 triangles using sharp knife or pizza cutter. Roll each triangle tightly from wide end to form croissant shape. Place point-side down on parchment-lined baking tray.
09 - Cover loosely and let rise in warm place for 1 to 1.5 hours until slightly puffy.
10 - Heat oven to 400°F.
11 - Whisk egg and milk together. Brush croissants lightly with egg wash mixture.
12 - Bake for 20 to 22 minutes until deep golden brown. Cool slightly before serving.
# Expert Hacks:
01 -
- You get that incredible flaky buttery layers that shatter when you bite them without any of the gluten fallout
- The almond flour adds this subtle nutty sweetness that actually makes them more interesting than traditional croissants
- Your glutenfree friends will cry actual tears when you serve these fresh from the oven
02 -
- If your butter starts melting into the dough at any point stop everything and return it to the fridge for 20 minutes
- The dough will feel fragile and slightly sticky compared to wheat dough this is completely normal so work gently but confidently
- Do not skip the chilling steps between folds I learned this the hard way when three hours of work turned into a flat buttery disaster
03 -
- Use a ruler during the rolling process getting those dimensions right affects the final layer count
- If your kitchen runs warm work on a chilled baking sheet or marble board to keep the butter cold