People are sometimes surprised to learn that the croissant they're holding on Friday morning was started on Wednesday afternoon. Here is how the three days break down.
Day one: the détrempe
We mix the détrempe — the base dough of flour, water, milk, sugar, salt and a small amount of yeast — late in the afternoon. It rests in the walk-in overnight, slowly developing flavor and structure.
Day two: the lamination
The next morning Marisol, our head of pastry, encloses a slab of European cultured butter inside the dough and begins the folding process. We do three single folds, with a thirty-minute rest between each one, in a kitchen we keep deliberately cool. By the end of the morning the dough holds 27 alternating layers of butter and dough, each one paper-thin.
That afternoon the laminated block goes back to the walk-in to firm up overnight.
Day three: shape, proof, bake
At 4am we roll the block out for a final time, cut it into triangles, shape and proof. Proofing is the part most home bakers undercook — a properly proofed croissant nearly doubles in size and feels light and jiggly to the touch. Then they go in the oven at 425°F until the layers separate into the honeycomb you find when you tear one open.
Three days for one pastry sounds excessive until you bite into one and realize there is no other way to get there.
Written by Leilani Josef. Last reviewed by our team on 2025-08-20. Have feedback or a question? Email us — we read everything.
Keep reading
Why we ferment our sourdough for thirty-six hours
How long fermentation changes flavor, digestibility and shelf life — and why we think the wait is worth it.
Five California coffee roasters we love right now
A short tour of the small independent roasters we currently pour through our espresso machine and pour-over bar.
We started milling our own flour. Here is what changed.
Why we invested in a stone mill and what fresh flour does to bread, pastry and our suppliers.