Amylase for Croissant dough

[Sussan Estela Olaya]

Hi David.

Thank you for your question your idea of incorporating amylase into the croissant recipe is a very interesting one.

Can amylase be used in this recipe?

Yes, using amylase in viennoiserie doughs like croissants is perfectly appropriate. It’s an enzyme that helps break down starch into simple sugars, which can:

• Improve fermentation (more food for the yeast),

• Enhance flavor (naturally sweeter),

• Promote better browning of the crust (via Maillard reaction),

• And in some cases, improve dough extensibility.

Recommended dosage

The amount of amylase depends on its potency (activity in U/g) and the type you’re using (fungal or bacterial), but as a general rule:

Use between 0.02% and 0.05% of the flour weight.
In the course recipe (Croissant and Viennoiserie – First Edition), which uses 1500 g of flour, this would be:

👉 0.3 g to 0.75 g of enzymatic amylase.

This is a very small amount—using too much can weaken the gluten structure, make the dough sticky, complicate lamination, and result in poorly defined layers.

Do other ingredients need to be adjusted?

You don’t need to change the rest of the ingredient proportions. However, we recommend:

• Carefully monitoring fermentation (it may speed up),

• Avoiding over-mixing, since amylase speeds up dough metabolism.

Benefits of using amylase

• Better flavor and browning during baking,

• Slight improvement in final texture,

• More efficient fermentation.

Risks or downsides

• If you use too much, the dough can become weak, sticky, and hard to laminate,

• The croissant layers may lose definition, and the crumb may turn slightly wet or gummy.

Conclusion

Yes, you can use amylase, as long as the dosage is precise and moderate (0.02–0.05%). There’s no need to alter the rest of the recipe, but do observe how the dough behaves. It’s best to test it on a small portion first, and adjust from there.

I hope this information is helpful.
Best regards.

[Sol Damiani]

Hey there chef David!👋

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