Easy Air Fryer Homemade Croissant (Printable)
Create bakery-style croissants with crisp, golden layers using your air fryer. A buttery French pastry made simple at home.
# What You Need:
→ Dough
01 - 2 cups all-purpose flour, plus extra for dusting
02 - 1/4 cup granulated sugar
03 - 1 tsp salt
04 - 1 packet (7 g) active dry yeast
05 - 1/2 cup warm milk (about 110°F)
06 - 2 tbsp unsalted butter, melted
07 - 1 large egg
→ Butter Block
08 - 3/4 cup cold unsalted butter
→ For Brushing
09 - 1 egg, beaten for egg wash
# How-To Steps:
01 - Dissolve yeast in warm milk with 1 tsp of sugar. Let sit for 5 minutes until foamy.
02 - Mix flour, remaining sugar, and salt in a large bowl. Add melted butter, egg, and yeast mixture. Stir until combined, then knead for 5-8 minutes until smooth. Form into a ball, cover, and refrigerate for 1 hour.
03 - Place cold butter between two sheets of parchment paper. Pound and roll into a 6x6 inch square. Refrigerate until firm.
04 - On a floured surface, roll dough into a 12x12 inch square. Place butter block at the center and fold the dough over the butter, sealing edges.
05 - Roll out into a 16x8 inch rectangle. Fold into thirds like a letter. Turn 90°, roll, and fold again. Wrap and refrigerate for 30 minutes.
06 - Repeat rolling and folding one more time, then refrigerate for another 30 minutes.
07 - Roll dough into a 16x10 inch rectangle. Cut into 8 triangles. Starting from the wide end, roll each triangle toward the tip to form a croissant. Place on parchment-lined tray.
08 - Cover croissants and let rise in a warm place until puffy, about 1-2 hours.
09 - Preheat air fryer to 320°F. Brush croissants with beaten egg.
10 - Place 2-4 croissants in the air fryer basket without overcrowding. Air fry for 8-10 minutes until golden and cooked through. Repeat with remaining croissants.
11 - Cool slightly before serving.
# Helpful Tips:
01 -
- The air fryer creates that impossibly crisp exterior while keeping the inside tender and buttery
- You get bakery worthy results with about half the effort of traditional methods
02 -
- Working quickly during the folding steps keeps the butter cold, which is absolutely critical for getting those signature flaky layers
- Overcrowding the air fryer basket will make croissants steam instead of crisp, so resist the urge to squeeze them all in at once
03 -
- Chocolate croissants are just a chocolate bar strip away from becoming your new obsession
- The egg wash makes them golden, but skip brushing the very edges or they might not puff properly