Butter leak at the time of baking Croissant

[Sussan Estela Olaya]

Hi Shubhi.

Thank you for your question! Let’s go over the possible causes of butter leakage together, keeping in mind the process from the course recipe you’re following:

Possible causes and adjustments:

1. Dough and butter temperature during laminating:

It’s essential that both the dough and the butter have a similar texture (cold but pliable). If the butter is either too hard or too soft compared to the dough, it can break or melt too quickly during baking.

2. Trimming the edges before the final lamination:

In the step where you trim the edges of the dough before the final lamination, it’s important to do this precisely. If there are areas that are too thin or uneven, butter tends to leak out from those spots.

3. Over-proofing or excess humidity:

Although the course recommends 2 to 2.5 hours at 28 °C and 85 % humidity, if your proofing chamber goes over that humidity level or the croissants overproof, the butter will start melting too early.

👉 You could test by shortening the proofing time by 10-15 minutes or reducing the humidity to around 80 %.

4. Initial oven temperature and baking:

Baking at 170 °C in a properly preheated oven is correct, but it’s important to make sure your oven has truly reached that temperature. If possible, introduce a bit of steam during the first 3 minutes to help the layers lift without butter leakage.

5. Freezing before proofing (if using):

If you freeze your croissants before proofing, it’s crucial to let them thaw for 1 hour before starting proofing. This helps avoid temperature shocks that could disturb the butter layers.

✅ Final tip:

If you’d like, feel free to share the exact proofing time you used and how the dough felt when it went into the oven (too soft, overproofed, dry, etc.). That way, we can help you fine-tune that detail.

Thanks so much for sharing your experience — and may your croissants keep getting better and better! 🥐✨