Homemade Sourdough Croissants (Step by Step Instructions!)

This post may contain affiliate links. As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases. Please read my disclosure.

Crispy on the outside and perfectly light and flaky on the inside, my homemade sourdough croissants are so much better than bakery ones. Made with a handful of simple ingredients, anyone can make delicious discard croissants with my easy recipe. Whether you’re looking to level up your breakfast or add an extra flair to sandwiches, your whole family will fall in love with these croissants!

If you’ve ever wondered, can you make croissants with sourdough starter? The answer is yes!

As a lover of breads and pastries, I knew I had to try my hand at creating a croissant recipe with sourdough starter. While I love traditional croissants, using sourdough starter adds a delicious depth of flavor and eliminates the need for added commercial yeast.

So I set out to make sourdough starter croissants that matched the best of the best in the bakery world.

I won’t lie, your first time making these might feel challenging and overwhelming, but I assure you they are much easier than you think! With only 2 hours total of prep time, 30 minutes of cook time, and some patience during rest times, you’ll have warm croissants ready to eat!

(Pro tip: If you don’t feel like making your own starter, ask around. You will likely find a friend who can gift you some of theirs!) And if you love making sourdough recipes, you can always use that starter in other recipes like my buckwheat sourdough bread or this sourdough sandwich bread!

Latest Recipe Video!

🥘 Ingredients

My sourdough discard croissants recipe only requires a few pantry staples, all of which you can find at your local grocery store.

Scroll down to the recipe card at the bottom of this post for the exact amounts and more details about sourdough croissant calories, fat, and nutritional info.

Active Starter: You want a very active sourdough starter for this recipe to work. This replaces the yeast that is common in most croissant recipes, and helps the croissants rise! Also, croissants with sourdough starter rely on this ingredient to give them their delicious signature tangy flavor, similar to sourdough bread.

All-Purpose Flour: My recipe calls for all-purpose flour which gives the croissants a fluffy and chewy texture. You can also use pastry flour for a more delicate croissant.

Salt & Sugar: These staple ingredients are very common in pastry and sweet bread recipes. The sugar adds the perfect touch of sweetness, while the salt enhances all the natural flavors of sourdough.

Milk: Milk adds more richness to the croissant, creating the perfect balance of softness and flakiness. 

Unsalted Butter: My sourdough croissants recipe calls for a lot of butter! You will use butter in the dough and use a package of butter for laminating the dough as well. The key to a flaky croissant lies in all the thin layers of folded butter and dough.

Egg: You’ll need a whole egg or just the egg yolk to make an egg wash. Just whisk and coat with a pastry brush. It’s what gives the croissants their beautiful shiny golden brown tops! 

🔪 How To Make Sourdough Croissants

When learning how to make sourdough croissants vs. normal croissants, you’ll be happy to know that it’s basically the same process. I know the idea of making French pastry may sound intimidating, but I’ve broken it down into simple steps for you. With a little practice, you’ll be a total expert in no time. 

Check out my video below to see how these croissants are made step-by-step.

Preparing The Dough

Knead The Dough: To begin, I put all dough ingredients into the bowl of a stand mixer with a dough whisk or dough hook attachment. Now, I knead the mixture until a soft, sticky dough has formed, scraping the sides of the bowl if needed. Then I remove the dough and shape into a ball. 

Rest For 1 Hour: Once made, I transfer the dough to a lightly greased bowl, cover with plastic wrap, and let it rest for 1 hour at room temperature.

Fold The Dough: After an hour, I place the dough onto an unfloured surface and gently press it into a circle. Next, I take one edge and fold it over into the center, turn the dough a quarter turn, and repeat. Then I continue to fold the edges into the middle of the dough until I have worked every edge into the center. Now, I turn the dough over and repeat. I repeat this folding technique 2 more times. The dough will become very smooth. 

Rest For 3 Hours, Then Chill Overnight: After folding, I return the dough to a lightly oiled bowl, cover it again, and allow the dough to rest at room temperature for another 3 hours. Then I transfer it to the fridge to rest overnight (approximately 12 hours). You can continue the recipe the following morning.

Laminating

Prepare Butter For Lamination: The next morning, I prepare the room-temperature butter for lamination. First, I place the softened butter block in the center of two sheets of parchment paper. Then, I fold the parchment paper to make a 5”x5” square in the center and fold the edges of the paper to cover the butter.

Flatten Butter: Using a rolling pin, I flatten the butter to form a square.

Roll The Dough: When the butter is ready, I remove the chilled dough from the fridge and allow it to come to room temperature. Then on a lightly floured surface roll the dough, making sure the surface is large enough to encase the butter square. 

Enclose The Butter: I carefully unwrap the butter and place it into the center of the dough, removing the baking paper

Fold The Corners: With the butter in place, I fold each corner of the dough over to enclose the butter. Then I press to seal the edges so no butter can escape.

Roll Out The Dough: First, I turn the dough over. Then I roll it into a long rectangle, focusing more on length than width.

Fold And Cover: After rolling, I fold the dough into three equal parts by taking the top edge and folding it into the center and then covering it with the bottom third of the dough, like you’re folding a letter. Then I cover it in plastic wrap and chill it in the fridge for 30 minutes.

Roll And Fold Again: Once it’s chilled, I remove the plastic wrap and place the dough with the shortest edge facing me, and roll it into a 20”x6” rectangle. Next, I fold the bottom edge into the center, then fold the top edge into the center, and then finally fold the dough in half like you’re closing a book. Then I cover and let the dough rest in the fridge for 30 minutes.

Repeat: After I let the dough chill again, I repeat this rolling and folding process 2 more times, making sure to have the smallest edge facing me each time and to chill in between each roll. This repetition creates lots of flaky layers.

Shaping Croissants And Baking

Roll The Dough: After the cold dough has been rolled and folded 4 times, I roll the laminated dough one more time, on a lightly floured work surface, into a 16”x10” rectangle.

Measure, And Form Triangles: First, I measure and mark every 4” along the top and bottom of the dough and trim off the side edges for neater croissants. Next, using a pizza cutter or sharp knife I cut from the first mark on the bottom edge to the top left corner, forming a long triangle. Then I cut a straight line from the same mark on the bottom to the corresponding mark on the top forming a second triangle. I repeat this process at each mark along the dough until I have 8 dough triangles. 

Shape The Croissants: To shape the sourdough crescent rolls, I make a small incision at the base of the triangle and gently stretch the dough outwards. Then I roll the dough tightly towards the tip of the triangle. I repeat this shaping technique until all 8 croissants have been shaped. You can also form a crescent shape.

Proof For 3 Hours: Once shaped, I place croissants onto the prepared baking sheets allowing a lot of space for them to rise. Then I lightly cover the trays with plastic wrap and let them rest in a warm place to rise for 3 hours.

Let Them Double: The croissants will double from the original size and will be soft and jiggly when touched. You have the option to continue and bake them or place them in the fridge for 1 hour before baking. Chilling helps to retain the shape but is completely optional.

Preheat The Oven & Bake: When ready, I preheat my oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit (190 degrees Celsius). Then I gently brush the tops of each croissant with egg wash and bake them in the preheated oven for 25-30 minutes until golden brown.

Cool: After baking, I remove them from the oven and allow to cool completely on the baking trays before serving.

Serve: My sourdough discard croissants are best served the day they’re made!

🥐 Detailed Croissant Troubleshooting Tips

When making my recipe for the first time, you may run into some setbacks. These are my top troubleshooting tips to make sure you end up with the best croissants!

How To Fix Croissant Dough That Is Too Sticky

If your croissant dough is too sticky, you may be using a butter that is too low in fat. You want to use butter that has a high fat content and low water content. For example, European butter has a fat content of 82% and is ideal for French pastry. 

Additionally, your dough may be too warm. It is important to chill the dough in between each fold and roll, which will help it firm up and be easier to work with. If the dough is still too sticky, you may need to add 1 to 2 tbsp of flour.

How To Fix Melting Butter

If your butter starts melting while working with the dough, immediately place the dough in the refrigerator for 15-20 minutes to firm up the butter. Ensure you are working quickly and in a cool environment to minimize the risk of the butter softening. Using a chilled surface, like a marble slab, can also help maintain the butter’s consistency. 

How To Fix Croissants That Are Not Airy

Your croissants will come out more bread-like and less airy if you are not mindful of the temperatures when making your dough. It is best to have both the dough and the butter at room temperature during the lamination process so that the dough does not tear and the butter does not shatter. Too warm of butter will cause the dough layers to stick together, and too cold of butter will break and leave you with an incohesive layer structure.

How To Fix Dough That Won’t Roll Out

When rolling your dough, the gluten can get overworked and you’ll have stiff dough that is difficult to roll out and work with. You want to allow the dough time to rest and relax so that it does not get too tough. Cover with plastic and chill in the fridge for 30 minutes. When you take the dough out, it should be easier to roll out!

What To Do If Croissants Won’t Rise

If your croissants are not rising, it is likely that you did not proof the dough long enough. Next time, be sure to allow plenty of time for proofing. Proof the dough in between folds and overnight in the fridge. Your final proofing will be after the croissants are shaped, in which you want to give them at least 3 hours to double in size. 

If you had set them in an area that is cooler to proof, you may need to find a better place. You can set them near a warm, sunny window or in a turned-off oven with the lights on. Monitor closely for optimal temperatures.

✔️ How To Make Sourdough Starter

Most croissants use commercial yeast, but my sourdough croissant recipe uses an active starter instead, adding delicious flavor and health benefits. While you can buy starter, making your own is a simple process that takes about five days.

Day 1: To begin, I measure out equal weights of flour and water, starting with 113 g of each. I add both to a large jar and stir well with a wooden spoon to ensure no excess flour remains unmixed. Then I cover the jar loosely and let it sit at room temperature overnight.

Day 2: The next day, I might start to see a bit of growth in my starter. I discard 113 g of the starter and feed the remaining starter with 113 g of fresh flour and 113 g of water. If my home is warm, I use cold water. Then I cover the jar again and let it rest for another 24 hours.

Day 3-5: By day 3, I keep 113 g of the sourdough starter and discard the rest. I then add 113 g of water and 113 g of flour. After mixing, I cover the jar and let it rest for 12 hours. I repeat this process every 12 hours on days 4 and 5. I know my starter is ready when it has risen and is very bubbly.

⏲️ Croissant Baking Timeline

Making my sourdough croissants is an easy process that requires some patience and attention to detail. I’ve broken down the steps into a simple timeline that outlines everything from making the dough to shaping the croissants and baking them to perfection. Feel free to modify the times to fit your schedule.

Day 1

3:00 PM	Make the dough, put it in a lightly oiled bowl, cover it with plastic wrap, and rest for 1 hour at room temperature.
4:30 PM	Press the dough into a circle and perform the folding instructions 3 times.
4:45 PM	Return the dough to a lightly oiled bowl, cover, and rest at room temperature for 3 hours.
7:45 PM	Transfer the dough to the fridge to rest overnight (approximately 12 hours).

Day 2

9:00 AM	Prepare the room-temperature butter for lamination.
9:30 AM	Remove the dough from the fridge and follow the instructions to encase the butter in the dough.
10:00 AM	Turn the dough over and roll into a 20”x6” rectangle. Fold the dough into thirds like a letter. Cover with plastic wrap and chill for 30 minutes.
10:30 AM	Roll the dough with the shortest edge facing you into a 20”x6” rectangle. Fold the bottom edge into the center, then fold the top edge into the center and fold the dough in half like a book. Cover and chill for 30 minutes.
11:00 AM	Repeat the rolling and folding process. Then chill for 30 minutes.
11:30 AM	Once again, repeat the rolling and folding process and chill for 30 minutes.
12:00 PM	Roll the dough one last time into a 16”x10” rectangle. Then cut and form the croissants by following the instructions of the recipe.
12:30 PM	Cover the croissants on the baking sheet with plastic wrap and let them rise in a warm place for 3 hours.
3:30 PM	Preheat oven to 375°F (190°C). Brush croissants with egg wash and bake for 25-30 minutes until golden.
4:00 PM	Remove from the oven and cool completely on baking trays. Serve immediately.

📖 Variations

Vegan Sourdough Croissants: For a vegan option, I typically substitute the milk for any plant based milk, and the butter for a good quality vegan butter. For the egg wash, I use plant based milk instead (which you can whisk together with an optional tbsp of maple syrup for more shine).

Sourdough Chocolate Croissants: Add a layer of chocolate when rolling your croissant dough for a delicious pain au chocolat! I highly recommend using my vegan Nutella!

Almond Croissants: Try these homemade croissants with added almond extract or a layer of almond paste. You can top them with some sliced almonds, as well!

Fruit-Filled Croissants: Spread a spoonful of your favorite fruit preserves (raspberry, apricot, or strawberry) on the dough before rolling up. Then proof and bake as usual.

Savory Herb Croissants: I love to add a savory twist by blending finely chopped herbs such as rosemary, thyme, or chives into the dough during mixing. 

Cinnamon Sugar Croissants: Before rolling, brush the dough with melted butter and sprinkle with a cinnamon sugar mixture. My kids love this variation.

🍽 Serving Suggestions

Croissants are incredibly versatile and go well with a variety of dishes. Their buttery, flaky texture and tangy flavor make them a great addition to any meal. Here are some delicious ways I love to serve croissants:

With Breakfast: Enjoy plain or spread with butter and my strawberry chia seed jam for a classic breakfast served with coffee or tea. Pair with this egg white omelette or vegan frittata and this breakfast fruit salad for a hearty start to your day.

For Brunch: Use as the base for this vegan French toast casserole or make traditional French toast by dipping croissant halves in an egg mixture and frying until golden brown. Serve with maple syrup and fresh berries.

As Sandwiches: Slice open and fill with a buttery garlic mixture, pinch of salt, and melted cheese for the ultimate savory treat. Use them as a bread replacement in a tasty sandwich like this kale and caramelized onion panini or vegan egg salad sandwich.

With Soups and Salads: Serve alongside a bowl of hot soup, such as this vegan tomato soup or this 4 ingredient potato soup, for a comforting meal. Pair with a fresh salad, like this beetroot and feta salad, or simple mixed greens with vegan Italian dressing, for a balanced light lunch.

🧊 Storage Directions

Room Temperature: I store my croissants in an airtight container in a cool dry place for up to 2 days, if they even last that long! They go quickly in my house.

Freezer: It’s possible to freeze croissants either baked or unbaked. If freezing before baking, I follow the instructions until step 20. After the croissants have fully risen, I lightly cover the tray with cling film and place it in the freezer for at least 2 hours. Then I transfer the croissants to a ziplock plastic bag and freeze them for up to 2 months. If freezing baked croissants, I place them in a ziplock bag and freeze them for up to 2 months. 

Baking and Reheating: To reheat frozen baked croissants, I place them directly in my oven, preheated to 375 degrees Fahrenheit (190 degrees Celsius), for about 10-12 minutes or until they are warmed through and crispy. For frozen unbaked croissants, I let them thaw at room temperature for about 30 minutes or until they’ve risen slightly. Then, I bake them for 20-25 minutes as directed in the recipe.

❓Recipe FAQs

📋 Recipe Card