Air Fryer Recipe
Croissants
Homemade croissants feel much more manageable with this air fryer method, giving you buttery, flaky pastries with a crisp golden finish.
Ingredients
- 250g all-purpose flour
- 5g salt
- 30g sugar
- 10g instant yeast
- 120ml warm milk
- 125g unsalted butter (cold and cubed)
- 1 large egg (for egg wash)
Method
- Mix the flour, salt, and sugar together in a large bowl.
- Dissolve the yeast in the warm milk, then add it to the dry ingredients and mix until a dough forms.
- Knead for 5 minutes until the dough is smooth, then cover with a damp cloth and leave to rest for 10 minutes.
- Roll the dough into a rectangle, place the cold butter cubes over one half, fold the dough over, and seal the edges.
- Roll it out again and fold into thirds, repeating this three times and chilling for 30 minutes between each fold.
- Roll the laminated dough out to 5mm thick, cut into triangles, roll each one from base to tip, and curve into crescents.
- Set them on a parchment-lined tray and leave to rise for an hour, until doubled in size.
- Preheat the air fryer to 180°C (356°F), then brush the croissants with beaten egg.
- Air fry the croissants for 8-10 minutes, until golden brown.
- Leave to cool slightly before serving.
Why this works in an air fryer
Lamination works when cold butter stays in discrete layers: in the air fryer’s fast convection, its water flashes to steam and lifts the dough while rendered fat fries the inner layers. Egg wash improves browning, but a slightly dry surface is vital so the small basket crisps rather than steams.
Equipment notes
Assumes a 4–6 litre basket holding 3–4 small croissants in a single layer with space around each. In a single-drawer air fryer, turn the tray or swap front/back positions halfway as the rear often browns faster; in dual-zone models, use one drawer per small batch or add 1–2 minutes if both drawers are loaded.
Common pitfalls
- Butter pooling in the basket by minute 4 means the dough or butter was too warm; chill the shaped croissants for 15–20 minutes before egg washing and keep the air fryer fully preheated.
- Deep brown tips with a doughy centre indicate the croissants are too large for the heat setting; reduce to 165–170°C and cook 3–5 minutes longer, shielding very dark tips loosely with parchment if needed.
- Flat, heavy croissants with tight layers usually mean under-proofing or compressed lamination; proof until visibly puffy and slightly wobbly, and roll with firm even pressure rather than pressing hard at the edges.
- Pale, soft undersides come from blocked airflow or overcrowding; use perforated parchment if available, leave gaps between croissants, and cook in batches rather than filling the basket.
Variations & substitutions
- Chocolate batons or a strip of dark chocolate can be rolled into the base; expect a little more leakage, so keep the seam underneath and cook on parchment.
- A thin smear of almond paste before rolling gives a richer centre but slows heat penetration, so make the croissants slightly smaller or add 1–2 minutes.
- Swap up to one third of the flour for strong white bread flour for more chew and better structure; the dough may need a splash more milk as it absorbs more liquid.
- For savoury croissants, reduce the sugar slightly and add a small amount of grated cheese or ham inside; avoid overfilling, as melted fat can prevent the inner layers setting.
Storage & reheating
Keep cooled croissants airtight for up to 2 days at room temperature, then reheat in the air fryer at 160°C for 3–4 minutes until the layers crisp again.
Nutrition
Calories: 250
