Butter, flour, sugar: the ingredient list for the flaky pastries you see in bakery cases is often very short, but many home bakers are intimidated by the process of preparing these pastry recipes at home. The layered structure that characterizes pastries such as croissants, kouign amann, and other similar pastries is formed through a process called lamination. What is lamination? The method can vary slightly depending on the recipe and the pastry you're making, but generally lamination happens when a lean yeasted dough is wrapped around a block of butter. The package is rolled out and folded repeatedly to form paper-thin layers of dough separated by even thinner layers of butter. As the pastry bakes, the steam separates the layers, creating rise. The result is a flaky, buttery pastry that almost melts in your mouth. In this online course, you'll learn all about lamination and other key pastry techniques, as well as how to make croissants, kouign amann, and palmiers at home. These pastry recipes take some patience, but the delicious result is worth it.