Why is it important to chill laminated dough overnight or for several hours when making croissants?

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Chilling laminated dough gives you a stable, workable dough that preserves every layer. When you roll and fold butter into dough, you want that butter to stay cold and firm so it forms distinct, separate sheets. If the dough is warm, the butter softens and can smear into the dough, collapsing the lamination and creating fewer defined layers. A cold rest also relaxes the gluten just enough so the dough isn’t too springy to roll, which helps you reach even thickness without tearing.

The long chill also helps manage fermentation. It slows yeast activity, giving the dough time to harmonize flavors and re-solidify after each fold, which supports a better rise and oven spring later on. So the overnight or several-hour chill is about keeping the butter firm, relaxing gluten for smooth rolling, and promoting proper lamination and rise.

Softening the butter to speed lamination isn’t right, because that defeats the layer structure. Aiming for the dough to fully rise during chilling isn’t the primary goal, since lamination and controlled fermentation are the focus. And removing moisture or preventing any rise isn’t accurate—chilling moderates moisture behavior and fermentation to improve the final texture.