Mix water, yeast, and 1 tablespoon sugar in the bowl of a stand mixer. Let sit 5–10 minutes until foamy.

Add flour (fluff before measuring), remaining sugar, salt, and melted butter.

Mix on low until a shaggy dough forms. Continue mixing 3–4 minutes. Dough should be soft and slightly sticky. Avoid developing too much gluten. Cover with a damp towel or oiled plastic wrap and refrigerate 2–3 hours until doubled.

Place 2 sticks + 2 tablespoons butter on lightly floured parchment. Cover with a second parchment sheet. Beat with a rolling pin into an ~8×8-inch square.

Wrap butter in plastic wrap and refrigerate. Remove 10–15 minutes before rolling dough so it stays cool but pliable.

Punch down risen dough gently. Turn onto a very lightly floured surface. Roll into a 10×16-inch rectangle.

Place butter square on the left half of dough. Fold right half over to fully enclose butter. Leave about a 1-inch dough border around the square of butter. Lightly seal edges by gently pressing them together.

Croissant layers form through repeated rolling and folding. There are 2 main types of folds: Envelope Fold- Fold the dough into thirds like a letter.

Book Fold- Fold both ends of your dough to the center, then fold again like closing a book. Use these folds for the following steps.

Perform an envelope fold on the 10×16-inch dough rectangle. After folding, wrap lightly in plastic wrap. Refrigerate 20–30 minutes to chill the butter and relax the gluten. (At this point, you will have 3 butter layers.)

After chilling, remove the dough, rotate 90 degrees from its previous position on your table, roll again to 10×16 inches. Keep layers intact and try to prevent butter leakage.

Perform a book fold. Wrap and refrigerate 20–30 minutes. (You'll now have 12 butter layers.)

After chilling, remove dough, rotate 90 degrees again, and roll to 10×16 inches.

Remove dough from fridge. Place on a lightly floured surface. Roll into a 12×26-inch rectangle. Trim 1 inch from each side to create a 10×24-inch rectangle.

Cut vertically every 4 inches across the width, creating six rectangles (4 inches wide × 10 inches tall).

Cut each rectangle diagonally corner to corner with a pizza cutter to form 12 equal triangles.

Cut a 3 cm slit in the center of each triangle’s wide base toward the tip. Spread slightly and roll toward the point into a spiral. Do not roll tightly.

Place six croissants per cookie sheet on two sheets. Cover with a damp cloth. Proof 1½–2 hours in a cool spot until slightly wobbly. Avoid warm areas to prevent butter leakage.

Preheat oven to 400°F.

Whisk egg with 1 tablespoon water. Brush tops and sides lightly.

Bake 20–25 minutes until golden brown and flaky.

Serve with butter, jam, or preferred toppings. Enjoy!