A croissant intermediate having a stress-relieving feature such that the croissant intermediate does not become unpinched during baking. The stress-relieving feature can take the form of a cut, either completely through or partially through a thickness of the croissant intermediate, within a triangular croissant intermediate that is substantially perpendicular to a leading edge and does not intersect either the leading edge or a pair of side edges. The cut can be made, either manually or automatically, and is generally made at the same time as the triangular croissant intermediate is cut from a sheet of croissant dough. The stress-relieving feature may comprise one or more cuts within the croissant intermediate.