Recipes Breakfast & Brunch Breakfast Breads & Pastries Pastries Braided Croissant Loaf 5.0 (1) 1 Review Delicious using plain laminated dough, this loaf leaps to the next level with the addition of dried herbs to the butter block before lamination. Follow the recipe here to make the Herb Butter for Croissant Dough, then use it in step 3 of the All-Butter Croissant Dough. Proceed with the Braided Croissant Loaf recipe below as directed. As an added bonus, this recipe leaves behind just enough dough for a few extra croissants or breakfast buns; see the note below for details. Be sure to trim away the edges of the laminated dough before measuring and cutting for this loaf. Butter can be unevenly dispersed around the edges, which can lead to less-than-flaky results.See our full step-by-step guide to making Braided Croissant Loaf here. By Paige Grandjean Paige Grandjean Paige Grandjean is a food editor, recipe developer, and food stylist with over seven years of experience in food media. Her work has appeared in more than 15 nationally distributed publications, award-winning cookbooks, and digital platforms. Food & Wine's Editorial Guidelines Updated on July 26, 2023 Tested by Food & Wine Test Kitchen Tested by Food & Wine Test Kitchen Recipes published by Food & Wine are rigorously tested by the culinary professionals at the Dotdash Meredith Food Studios in order to empower home cooks to enjoy being in the kitchen and preparing meals they will love. Our expert culinary team tests and retests each recipe using equipment and ingredients found in home kitchens to ensure that every recipe is delicious and works for cooks at home every single time. Meet the Food & Wine Test Kitchen Save Rate PRINT Share Close Photo: Photo by Victor Protasio / Food Styling by Torie Cox / Prop Styling by Claire Spollen Active Time: 40 mins Total Time: 5 hrs 50 mins Yield: 8 to 10 Cook Mode (Keep screen awake) Ingredients All-Butter Croissant Dough All-purpose flour, for dusting 1 large egg 2 teaspoons whole milk 2 cups hot water Directions Place refrigerated dough on a lightly floured surface. Lightly flour top of dough; roll into a 19- x 12-inch rectangle. Using a pizza cutter, trim edges to form an 18- x 11-inch rectangle; discard scraps. Cut dough crosswise into 9 (11- x 1 1/4-inch) strips; reserve scraps for croissants (see Note). Place dough strips in a single layer on a parchment paper–lined baking sheet; cover with plastic wrap, and refrigerate 15 minutes. Line an 8 1/2- x 4 1/2-inch loaf pan with parchment paper, leaving a 2-inch overhang on both long sides. Braid 3 dough strips, and roll braid into a ball. Repeat with remaining 6 dough strips for a total of 3 braided dough balls. Place dough balls in an evenly spaced line, seam sides down, in prepared pan. Proceed with recipe, or cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate up to 8 hours or overnight for deeper flavor. Whisk together egg and milk in a small bowl. Brush top of loaf lightly with egg mixture. Reserve remaining egg mixture in refrigerator. To proof loaf, add 2 cups hot water to a small bowl, and place in a cold oven. Place loaf pan, uncovered, in oven with hot water. Close door, and let proof until loaf doubles in size, 2 hours and 30 minutes to 3 hours and 30 minutes. Remove loaf pan and water from oven, and let loaf stand at room temperature 30 minutes. Preheat oven to 425°F. Lightly brush loaf with a second coat of egg mixture. Place loaf pan in preheated oven, and immediately decrease temperature to 375°F. Bake until a thermometer inserted in center of loaf registers 210°F, 45 to 55 minutes, tenting with aluminum foil after 35 minutes if needed to prevent excessive browning. Let loaf cool in pan 10 minutes. Using parchment paper as handles, lift loaf from pan, and transfer to a wire rack. Let cool completely, about 1 hour, before slicing. Notes If desired, cut dough scraps into 3 (11- x 3 1/3-inch) triangles for croissants. Cover and chill 15 minutes. Proceed with step 3 of Classic Croissants. Originally appeared: September 2020 Rate It Print