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Homemade sourdough croissants, served on a white plate with jam and coffee on the side.
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5 from 9 votes

Sourdough Croissants

These homemade sourdough croissants are better than the bakery ones! They are fresh, light, and flaky with a glossy golden brown coating. Level up your breakfast or add an extra flare to sandwiches with this easy recipe that the whole family will love! 
Prep Time1 hour 45 minutes
Cook Time30 minutes
Resting / Chilling Time1 day
Total Time1 day 2 hours 15 minutes
Course: Baking, Bread, Breakfast, Brunch
Cuisine: American, French
Diet: Vegetarian
Servings: 8
Calories: 375kcal
Author: Anjali Shah

Ingredients

Dough Ingredients

Butter Block For Lamination

Glaze

Instructions

Preparing The Dough

  • Add all dough ingredients into the bowl of a stand mixer and knead until a soft, sticky dough has formed.
  • Remove the dough and shape into a ball.
  • Transfer the dough to a lightly oiled bowl, cover with plastic wrap and rest for 1 hour at room temperature.
  • After the hour, place the dough onto a bench and gently press it into a circle. Take one edge and fold it over into the center, turn the dough a quarter turn and repeat. Continue to fold the edges into the centre until you have worked every edge into the center. Turn the dough over and repeat.
  • Repeat this folding technique 2 more times. The dough will now become very smooth.
  • Return the dough to a lightly oiled bowl. Cover and allow the dough to rest at room temperature for another 3 hours.
  • Transfer to the fridge to rest overnight (approximately 12 hours).

Laminating

  • The next morning prepare the room temperature butter for lamination.
  • Place the softened butter in the center of a sheet of baking paper. Fold the baking paper to make a 5”x5” square in the center. Fold the edges of the paper to cover the butter.
  • Using a rolling pin, flatten the butter to form a square.
  • Remove the dough from the fridge and allow it to come to room temperature.
  • Roll the dough on a lightly floured bench large enough to encase the butter square.
  • Unwrap the butter and place it into the center of the dough, removing the baking paper.
  • Fold the edges of the dough over to enclose the butter, press to seal the edges so no butter can escape.
  • Turn the dough over and roll into a 20”x6” rectangle, focusing more on length than width.
  • Fold the dough into thirds by taking the top edge and folding into the center and then covering it with the bottom third of dough, like you’re folding a letter.
  • Cover in plastic wrap and chill in the fridge for 30 minutes.
  • Remove the plastic wrap, place the dough with the shortest edge facing you and roll into a 20”x6” rectangle. Fold the bottom edge into the center, next fold the top edge into the center and then fold the dough in half like you’re closing a book.
  • Cover and rest in the fridge for 30 minutes.
  • Repeat this rolling and folding process 2 more times, making sure to have the smallest edge facing you each time and to chill in between each roll.

Shaping Croissants And Baking

  • After the dough has been rolled and folded 4 times roll the dough one more time, on a lightly floured bench, into a 16”x10” rectangle.
  • Measure and mark every 4” along the top and bottom edges of the dough, trim off the side edges for neater croissants.
  • Using a pizza cutter or sharp knife cut from the first mark on the bottom edge to the top left corner, forming a long triangle. Next cut a straight line from the same mark on the bottom to the corresponding mark on the top forming a second triangle. Repeat this process at each mark along the dough until you have 8 dough triangles.
  • To shape the croissants make a small incision at the bass of the triangle and gently stretch the dough outwards. Roll the dough tightly towards the tip of the triangle.
  • Repeat this shaping technique until all 8 croissants have been shaped.
  • Place the croissants onto the prepared baking trays allowing a lot of space for the croissants to rise.
  • Lightly cover the trays with plastic wrap and rest them in a warm place to rise for 3 hours, the croissants will double in size and will be soft and jiggly when touched. You have the option to continue and cook 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 to 375 degrees F / 190 C. Line 2 trays with baking paper and set aside.
  • Gently brush the tops of each croissant with the whisked egg and bake in the preheated oven for 25-30 minutes until golden.
  • Remove from the oven and allow to cool completely on the baking trays before serving. These croissants are best served immediately, on the day they're made.

Video

https://youtu.be/LOSHOFikgVA

Notes

  • The sourdough starter should be very active to provide a great rise from your dough. To test if the starter is active enough place a spoon full of starter into a bowl of water if it’s ready to use  it should float, if it doesn’t the starter isn’t ready and will need to be refed and you’ll need to wait until it’s active before using to make the dough.
  • It takes 2 days to complete the entire recipe but it is so worth the wait!
  • Ensure the dough and butter are the same consistency when starting the lamination process. Avoid having the dough too cold as it will tear when you roll it out, it needs to be room temperature. Avoid the butter being too cold as it will shatter when rolled out which will effect the layers when cooked, ensure it is pliable and at room temperature.
  • When rolling the dough into croissant shape make sure to roll up nice and tight.
  • It’s best to make these sourdough croissants in a room that isn’t too hot. If your room becomes warmer than 77F/25C you may find the butter starts to melt too quickly and won’t laminate correctly.
  • It’s important that the butter doesn’t get too warm when rolling the dough which is why it’s important to chill after each roll and fold.
  • This recipe makes 8 large croissants however if you’d prefer smaller croissants you can mark the dough every 2” in step 15 which will produce 16 smaller croissants. The procedure for making them remains the same.
  • Chilling in between each roll and fold allows the dough to rest and not overwork the gluten in the dough which would produce a tougher pastry and would make it harder to roll out.
  • Store in an airtight container in a cool dry place for 2 days.
  • You can freeze these croissants either baked or unbaked. If freezing before cooking follow the instruction until step 20. After the croissants have fully risen lightly cover the tray in plastic wrap and place in the freezer for at least 2 hours before transferring them to a zip lock bag to freeze for up to 2 months.
  • To cook from frozen place them on a baking tray and cook as described in the instructions above.
  • If freezing cooked croissants place them in a ziplock bag and freeze for up to 2 months. To reheat allow them to thaw completely before placing into a preheated oven at 338F/170C for 5 minutes to become crispy.

Nutrition

Serving: 1croissant | Calories: 375kcal | Carbohydrates: 27g | Protein: 5g | Fat: 28g | Saturated Fat: 17g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 7g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 93mg | Sodium: 370mg | Potassium: 66mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 5g