I thought folding butter into dough was fancy chef nonsense until I read the 27 layer thing

Emery Johnson · 2026-10-03T01:55:03.685602+00:00

I always rolled my eyes at laminated dough stuff because it seemed like a way to charge $9 for a croissant, but then I picked up a used copy of a pastry book at a thrift store in Toledo for $3 and it had a section on how the butter layers actually work. Turns out you need somewhere around 27 layers before the steam from the butter can lift the dough into real flaky pockets, and I had been doing maybe 9 folds because I was rushing. So I tried the full set of folds on a batch of rough puff, chilling 30 minutes between each one, and the difference in the bake was not even close. My first attempt years ago came out like a cracker, dense and greasy, and this time the layers actually peeled apart when I tore one open. I still think $9 is too much for a croissant downtown, but now I get why the good shops charge it. Has anyone timed their chill between folds, or do you just go by how firm the dough feels?

Free To Speak

Loading…

I thought folding butter into dough was fancy chef nonsense until I read the 27 layer thing | Bakers - Free To Speak