These Shio Croissants merge the flaky, buttery layers of a French croissant with the light, crisp saltiness of Japanese shio pan. Made with a semi-laminated dough and a butter block rolled inside, this salt-bread croissant hybrid bakes up golden and crisp with a soft, tender crumb.
Table of Contents
- New Texture! Shio Pan Croissant
- Why This Recipe Works
- Ingredients and Substitutions
- How to Make Shio Croissant
- VIDEO: Watch How to Make It
- Lisa’s Recipe Tips
- How to Store and Reheat Leftovers
- Recipe FAQ
- More Japanese Bakery Recipes
- Shio Croissant (Salt Bread Croissant) Recipe
New Texture! Shio Pan Croissant
Say hello to a buttery, salty new favorite.
I grew up loving shio pan — a simple buttered salt bread my mother made and that we hunted for on bakery runs in Japan. That nostalgia inspired me to experiment: what would happen if a croissant and shio pan became one? The result is a hybrid that feels familiar yet surprising — crisp and salty on the outside, layered and flaky on top, with a tender, slightly chewy interior.
Instead of a full traditional lamination, this recipe uses a semi-laminated dough with a butter block added during shaping. That approach reduces the difficulty of working with very high butter ratios while still delivering distinct flaky layers and a pronounced buttery pocket inside. After several tests to dial in the ratios and technique, I’m thrilled with how these turned out: golden, crisp, and full of buttery salt flavor.
Why This Recipe Works
Croissants and shio pan share many core elements — flour, butter, shaping, and a balance of crisp exterior with soft interior. This recipe stands out because it combines several textures in one pastry:
- The crunchy, salted crust characteristic of shio pan
- The flaky, layered surface of a croissant
- The soft, slightly chewy crumb of Japanese salt bread
- The light airiness typical of classic croissants
Traditional croissants often use very high butter percentages, which can make lamination challenging. Here we keep 25% of the butter in the dough and create a separate lamination block for the remaining butter. That makes rolling and folding more manageable while preserving the buttery flavor and flaky structure. The method is forgiving and produces an attractive, slightly rustic look rather than perfectly uniform spirals — which I think is part of the charm.
Ingredients and Substitutions
Here are the main ingredients and useful substitutions.
- Bread and cake flour: Combining bread and cake flour balances structure and tenderness. Using only all-purpose flour will work but changes the texture slightly.
- Milk powder: Adds richness and softness common to Japanese bakery breads. You can substitute with liquid milk (reduce water accordingly), but the dough may be tackier.
- Instant dried yeast, salt, sugar, water.
- Butter: Unsalted for the lamination block and salted butter for the small filling pieces that create the buttery pocket.
- Topping salt: Pretzel, rock, or flaky salt for finishing.
- Egg wash (optional): Egg mixed with a little milk for a deeper, glossy brown finish.
How to Make Shio Croissant
Overview of the process before the full instructions below:
- Make the dough: Combine bread and cake flour, milk powder, yeast, salt, sugar, water, and a little butter. Knead until smooth and elastic. Rest 30 minutes, then roll, wrap, and chill overnight (8+ hours).
- Make the butter block: Shape the lamination butter into a thin rectangle and chill until firm but pliable so it bends without cracking.
- Laminate: Enclose the butter block, roll and fold twice with short chilling intervals, then roll to final size while keeping butter and dough at similar temperatures.
- Cut: Mark and cut the dough into triangular pieces; combine small end pieces so you have six triangles in total.
- Shape: Stretch each triangle, place a small piece of salted butter at the base, fold and roll tightly into a croissant. Proof until puffy (90–120 minutes).
- Bake: Brush with egg wash if desired, sprinkle flaky salt, and bake at 425°F (218°C) for 16–18 minutes until deep golden. Cool briefly before serving.
VIDEO: Watch How to Make It
Lisa’s Recipe Tips
- Weigh ingredients: Use a kitchen scale for consistent results, especially with laminated dough.
- Use a ruler: Accurate measurements help keep layers even and triangles uniform.
- Match dough and butter temperature: Both should be cold and pliable (about 10–16°C / 50–60°F). If one is too soft or too hard, lamination suffers.
- Press the butter gently before rolling: Use downward pressure to spread the butter slightly before rolling to avoid shifting or squeezing it out.
- For a buttery pocket: Use a slightly thicker filling piece of butter to encourage a melty cavity during baking.
- Allow full proofing: Because dough and butter start cold, proofing may take 90–120 minutes; look for a puffy, slightly jiggly dough that springs back slowly.
How to Store and Reheat Leftovers
This recipe makes six croissants and they’re best fresh from the oven. Store leftovers at room temperature in an airtight container for up to 2 days or freeze for up to 1 month. To refresh, reheat at 375°F (190°C) for 2–3 minutes or use a toaster oven until the top is crisp again.
Recipe FAQ
Yes. Omit milk powder and replace the water with non-dairy milk (soy is recommended). Use plant-based butter for both the lamination block and filling.
If the butter melts into the dough, lamination fails. Keep dough and butter cold and follow the folding and chilling steps carefully.
More Japanese Bakery Recipes
- Kare Pan (Japanese Curry Bread)
- Japanese Style Bagels
- Milk France (coming soon)
- Shio Pan (Salt Bread) (coming soon)
- Custard Cream Pan (coming soon)
- Shokupan (coming soon)
- An Pan (Sweet Red Bean Paste Bun)
Enjoy! If you try this Shio Croissant, I’d love to hear how it goes. Leave a comment or rating and tag me on Instagram @Okonomikitchen if you share your bakes.
Shio Croissant (Salt Bread Croissant)
5 from 1 review
- Author: Lisa Kitahara
- Total Time: 12 hours 18 minutes
- Yield: 6 servings
- Diet: Vegetarian
Description
These Shio Croissants combine the buttery, flaky layers of a French croissant with the light, crisp and saltiness of Japanese shio pan. Made with a semi-laminated dough and a butter block rolled inside, this salt bread croissant hybrid bakes up golden and crisp with a soft, tender crumb.
Ingredients
Dough
- 1 1/3 cup (170 g) bread flour*
- 1/4 cup (30 g) cake flour*
- 1 1/2 tbsp (12 g) milk powder**
- 2/3 tsp (3 g) instant dried yeast
- 2/3 tsp (3 g) salt
- 1 tbsp (12.5 g) sugar
- 1/2 cup (120 ml) water 18–22°C (65–72°F)
- 2 tsp (10 g) unsalted butter, room temperature
Butter Blocks
- 3.5 tbsp (49 g) unsalted butter — lamination block
- 5 tbsp (72 g) salted butter — divided into six 12 g pieces for filling
Other Ingredients
- 1/2 beaten egg + 1/2 tbsp 2% milk for egg wash (optional)
- Pretzel salt, rock salt, or flaky salt for topping
Instructions
Make the Dough
- Combine ingredients: Mix bread flour, cake flour, milk powder, yeast, salt, and sugar. Add water and the small amount of butter.
- Knead: By hand, knead 10–12 minutes until smooth. With a mixer, knead 6–8 minutes. The dough should be soft but not sticky.
- Shape into a ball, cover, and rest 30 minutes. Roll to 15 × 20 cm, wrap, and refrigerate overnight (8+ hours).
Make the Butter Block
- Place 49 g butter between parchment and shape into a 12 × 14 cm rectangle.
- Chill until firm but pliable — it should bend without cracking. If too cold it will shatter; if too soft it will blend into the dough.
Laminate the Dough
- Roll chilled dough to 25 × 15 cm. Place butter block on one side, leaving a small border, fold to encase and seal the edges.
- Press gently to spread butter, then roll to 36 × 18 cm and fold into thirds (first turn). Chill 15–20 minutes.
- Repeat the roll and fold (second turn). Chill again, then roll to about 18 × 16 cm for cutting. If butter softens, chill briefly before continuing.
Cut and Shape
- Mark and cut the dough into triangles — you should get five full and two small triangles; combine the small pieces for a sixth.
- Working one at a time, flatten the base to 6–8 cm, then stretch each triangle to 35–40 cm using a rolling pin.
- Place a 12 g piece of salted butter at the base, fold to seal, and roll tightly into a croissant. Place on a tray tip-side down.
- Proof covered for 90–120 minutes until puffy and slightly jiggly. A gentle press should leave a faint indent that springs back slowly.
Bake
- Preheat oven to 425°F (218°C).
- Brush with egg wash if using, sprinkle flaky salt, and bake 16–18 minutes until deeply golden brown.
- Cool 10 minutes before serving warm.
Notes
- *Or use 200 grams all-purpose flour as a substitute.
- **Alternatively, use 130 ml 2% milk and omit the water.
- Oven temperatures vary; you may need to bake at 210°C / 410°F depending on your oven.
- Prep Time: 12 hours
- Cook Time: 18 minutes
- Category: Bread
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: Japanese-French Fusion
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1
- Calories: 255
- Sugar: 2.1 g
- Sodium: 279 mg
- Fat: 18.3 g
- Saturated Fat: 11.9 g
- Carbohydrates: 19.9 g
- Protein: 3.3 g