Freezing the croissants before baking

[Sussan Estela Olaya]

Hello רות בביוף!

Welcome to the Scoolinary community. Thanks for your question.

Freezing croissants before baking can be a useful strategy to “lock in” the butter and prevent it from melting too quickly in the oven, which helps achieve better lamination. However, there are key differences between refrigerating and freezing, depending on the stage of the product:
1. Is refrigerating enough instead of freezing before baking?It depends on the ambient temperature and resting time.

Refrigerating (4°C – 6°C): This can help firm up the butter, but if the ambient temperature is high (like in your case, 28°C), the butter may still melt between the layers before the croissants go into the oven.

Freezing (-18°C or lower): This locks in the butter more effectively and slows down fermentation. Many bakers freeze croissants once they are fully proofed and bake them straight from the freezer. (This would be the best option to choose.)
2. What about other laminated pastries like moños or New York rolls?
Moños and New York rolls (or any similar laminated pastry) can also benefit from a short chill before baking.
If they are fully proofed, freezing them could affect the final texture, as the thermal shock might prevent them from expanding properly in the oven. In that case, it’s better to refrigerate them for 30-60 minutes before baking to stabilize the butter without stopping fermentation.
3. Can croissants be put in the freezer if the butter has already melted during proofing?
If the butter in the croissants has already melted before baking (especially in warm temperatures like 28°C), you can try placing them in the freezer for a short time (10-15 minutes) to stabilize the fat before baking.
⚠️ But there is a problem:
If the butter has completely melted and leaked out of the dough, there won’t be enough fat left between the layers for proper lamination, resulting in a denser, less airy croissant.
If the dough was already fully proofed and you freeze it for too long, fermentation will stop, which may affect its final development in the oven.
The best approach for high temperatures:
Proof croissants in a cooler environment.
If you notice the butter melting during proofing, chill the tray in the fridge before it reaches that point.
Bake directly after a short chilling period (refrigerator or 10 minutes in the freezer).
If the butter has already melted and you don’t want to waste them, bake them and see how they turn out. If the lamination isn’t right, they can still be repurposed for other recipes like croissant bread pudding or French toast.
Hope this helps!Best regards.