Homemade Sourdough Croissants

5 from 14 votes

Homemade Sourdough Croissants

Crispy on the outside and light, buttery, and flaky inside, these Homemade Sourdough Croissants are my absolute favorite to bake. With just a handful of ingredients and a little patience, the results are so worth it. They’re perfect for weekend brunch, cozy mornings at home, or whenever I am craving something freshly baked and comforting.

Prep Time1 45

Cook Time30

Resting / Chilling Time1

Total Time1 2 15

Course: Baking, Bread, Breakfast, Brunch

Cuisine: American, French

Diet: Vegetarian

Servings:

Calories: 375kcal

Author: Anjali Shah

Equipment

Ingredients

Dough Ingredients

½ cup active sourdough starter
1 ⅔ cup all-purpose flour
½ tsp salt
2 ½ tbsp sugar
½ cup milk
2 ½ tbsp butter room temperature

Butter Block For Lamination

8 oz butter softened

Glaze

1 egg whisked

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

My #1 Secret Tip for making my no-yeast sourdough croissants is to ensure your sourdough starter is very active before you begin. I always test mine by dropping a spoonful into a bowl of water - if it floats, it’s good to go. If it sinks, I feed it and give it more time. This step makes all the difference in how light and fluffy your croissants turn out!
Similar Consistency For Lamination: I always make sure the dough and butter have a similar, pliable consistency before I start laminating. I avoid using dough that's too cold because it can tear when rolled out; it should be at room temperature. I also make sure the butter is soft and not cold, so it doesn't shatter and ruin the layers during baking.

Roll The Dough Tightly: When I roll the dough into croissant shapes, I make sure to roll it up nice and tight so it holds together well while baking.

Keep Your Room Cool: It’s best to make these croissants in a room that isn’t too hot. If your room becomes warmer than 77 degrees Fahrenheit (25 degrees Celsius) you may find the butter starts to melt too quickly and won’t laminate correctly.

Chill After Easy Roll And Fold: I always chill the dough after each roll and fold because it gives the butter time to firm up and keeps it from melting too soon. It also gives the dough a chance to rest, which helps prevent overworked gluten and keeps the pastry light and easy to roll.

Make Smaller Croissants: This recipe makes 8 large croissants, however, if you’d prefer smaller croissants you can mark the dough every 2” which will produce 16 smaller croissants. The procedure for making them remains the same.

Use High-Fat Butter: Using a European butter or high fat butter will add more flavor and make the lamination process easier.

Nutrition