Homemade croissants, milk bread, doughnuts and dinner rolls start with the perfect dough!

 

Homemade Croissants, Milk Bread, Doughnuts, and Dinner Rolls: Master the Perfect Dough

The secret to creating bakery-quality pastries, bread, and rolls at home always starts with the perfect dough. Whether you’re making flaky croissants, soft milk bread, pillowy doughnuts, or fluffy dinner rolls, the foundation lies in understanding how to mix, knead, proof, and shape dough correctly. This guide will provide step-by-step instructions, tips, and variations for each recipe.

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🥐 Part 1: The Perfect Dough – Foundation of All Good Baking

Before diving into individual recipes, let’s discuss how to prepare versatile dough that works for a variety of baked goods.

Ingredients for Basic Dough

Ingredient	Purpose
All-purpose flour (or bread flour)	Structure and gluten development
Yeast (active dry or instant)	Leavening
Milk or water	Hydration and tenderness
Sugar	Feeds yeast and adds sweetness
Salt	Flavor and controls yeast activity
Butter or oil	Tenderness, flavor, and richness
Eggs (optional)	Structure, moisture, and richness

Basic Dough Recipe (Approx. 1.2 kg total dough)

• 500 g bread flour

• 10 g salt

• 40 g sugar

• 7 g instant yeast (or 15 g active dry yeast)

• 250 ml whole milk, warmed to 110°F/43°C

• 50 g unsalted butter, softened (plus extra for laminating in croissants or enriching milk bread)

• 1 large egg (optional, for richer dough)

Instructions:

1. Activate the yeast (if using active dry yeast):
   Mix yeast with warm milk and a pinch of sugar. Let it sit for 5–10 minutes until foamy. Skip this step if using instant yeast.

2. Mixing the dough:

   • In a large bowl, combine flour, sugar, and salt.

   • Add the yeast mixture, egg, and softened butter.

   • Mix until a rough dough forms.

3. Kneading:

   • Knead on a floured surface or with a stand mixer for 8–10 minutes until the dough is smooth, elastic, and slightly tacky.

   • Tip: Perform the windowpane test: stretch a small piece of dough; it should stretch thinly without tearing.

4. First proof:

   • Place dough in a greased bowl, cover, and let rise in a warm, draft-free area until doubled in size (1–2 hours).

This basic dough can be adapted for croissants (with lamination), milk bread (enriched with butter and eggs), doughnuts (soft and fluffy), and dinner rolls (soft, pillowy, and golden).

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🥐 Part 2: Croissants – Flaky, Buttery Layers

Ingredients (makes 12 croissants)

• 250 g basic dough (enriched with 50 g butter)

• 200 g cold unsalted butter for laminating

• 1 egg, beaten (for egg wash)

Instructions

1. Prepare the butter block:

   • Shape cold butter into a flat rectangle (~15x10 cm). Chill.

2. Laminate dough:

   • Roll dough into a rectangle larger than the butter block.

   • Place butter on dough, fold dough over, sealing edges.

3. Folding and rolling (turns):

   • Roll dough to 45 cm long rectangle. Fold into thirds (letter fold).

   • Chill 30 minutes. Repeat rolling and folding 3–4 times.

4. Shape croissants:

   • Roll dough to ~0.5 cm thickness. Cut triangles (~10 cm base).

   • Roll from base to tip.

5. Final proof:

   • Place on baking sheet, cover, let rise 1–2 hours.

6. Bake:

   • Preheat oven to 200°C (390°F).

   • Brush with egg wash. Bake 15–20 minutes until golden and puffed.

Tip: Keep dough and butter cold to maintain layers and prevent butter from melting into the dough.

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🥛 Part 3: Milk Bread – Soft, Enriched, Sweet Bread

Milk bread is known for its tender crumb and slightly sweet flavor, often baked in a pull-apart shape or loaf pan.

Ingredients (makes 1 loaf)

• 250 g basic dough

• 50 ml milk

• 30 g sugar

• 30 g unsalted butter, softened

• 1 egg

Instructions

1. Enrich the dough:

   • Mix milk, sugar, egg, and butter into basic dough. Knead until smooth.

2. Shape:

   • Divide dough into equal portions. Shape into smooth balls.

   • Place in a greased loaf pan or arrange as pull-apart rolls.

3. Proof:

   • Cover and let rise 1–1.5 hours until doubled.

4. Bake:

   • Preheat oven to 180°C (350°F).

   • Brush with milk or egg wash for a glossy crust.

   • Bake 25–30 minutes until golden brown.

Tip: Use tangzhong (flour-water roux) for extra soft, fluffy milk bread.

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🍩 Part 4: Doughnuts – Light and Fluffy

Homemade doughnuts can be fried or baked. Using the perfect dough ensures a soft, airy texture.

Ingredients (makes 12 doughnuts)

• 250 g basic dough

• 50 g sugar

• 1 egg

•