Sourdough Croissants
My sourdough croissants are uncomplicated, and you always get those beloved flaky layers! My love of these pastries inspired me to develop a shortened, simplified process that even beginner bakers can follow. When they come out of the oven, you'll wonder how the heck you made them with your own two hands because they look store-bought! I make this recipe over and over again, they're just so dang good!
Ingredients
Croissant Dough
- 1/2 cup fed sourdough starter
- 1 cup milk
- 2 tsp salt
- 2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
- 5 Tbsp cold salted stick butter
- 1 Tbsp raw honey
Butter Lamination Layer
- 4 Tbsp cold salted stick butter
Egg Wash
- 1 egg + 1 Tbsp water (whisked to combine in a small bowl)
Instructions
Feed Your Starter
- BEFORE YOU GET STARTED: Feed your entire sourdough starter jar 4-12 hours before starting this recipe. I recommend feeding your entire starter a 2:1 ratio of unbleached flour to filtered water to get the same results as I do when making this recipe. (Example: Feed entire starter 1 cup flour + 1/2 cup water and let it sit on the counter at room temperature until it's bubbly and has grown in the jar. Your starter needs to be active, bubbly, and a thicker consistency to use in this recipe.)
Make Dough
- Add flour and salt to a large bowl and stir to combine.
- Grate butter into the dry mixture or use a fork to cut butter into flour until pea-sized. Stir to evenly distribute butter pieces.
- Add in milk, honey, and fed sourdough starter. Stir to combine. Use your hands to finish combining flour into dough.
- Turn the dough out on the counter and knead for 2 minutes (or use an electric mixer with a dough hook).
- Place dough back in its bowl and cover it with a damp towel or lid, loosely. Let it bulk ferment on the counter at room temperature for 12 hours or until it doubles or triples in size.
Chill Dough
- When dough has doubled or tripled in size, place it in the fridge for 2 hours (up to 48 hours, if you want more time). Do not skip this step!
Laminate Dough
- When dough finishes chilling, dust your workspace lightly with flour. Then turn it out on the countertop and roll it out into a large rectangle that's 3/4 inch thick.
- Grate the cold butter (lamination layer ingredient) into a pile on top of the rectangle with a cheese grater (or cut it into tiny pieces with a knife).
- Spread the small pieces of butter into a small rectangle in the middle of the dough.
- Fold the dough in half to make a long envelope then in half again the other way to make a square. Let rest for 2 minutes in the freezer (not on the counter!).
- Roll the dough out into another larger rectangle and repeat the folding process exactly how we just did it. If the dough is sticking, dust with a little flour.We are creating the croissant layers. Let rest for 2 minutes in the freezer (not on the counter!).
- This time roll the dough out into a 1/2 inch large thick rectangle.
Shape Croissants
- Grab a pizza cutter or a knife and slice the dough into 6, 2.5 wide inch strips horizontally (the short ends of the rectangle of dough should be on top and bottom, long ends on the sides).
- Roll each strip up so you have a circular shape then place each on a parchment lined sheet pan, 2 inches apart, on it's side. Not like a cinnamon roll but standing up so the end of the dough piece is tucked underneath.
Proofing
- Cover the pan loosely with a towel or wrap, and let rise for 3-4 hours at room temperature on the counter top. They will be puffy when they're ready to bake. (If your house is cooler it may take a little longer).
Bake Croissants
- Preheat the oven to 425 degrees Fahrenheit.
- Whisk the egg wash together and brush the croissants so they're covered.
- Bake for 15 minutes then rotate the pan (180 degrees) in the oven.
- Bake on 425 for an additional 10 minutes. They should be brown and crispy!
- Take out of the oven and place each croissant onto a wire cooling rack. Enjoy!
Notes
About This Recipe's Process:
I developed this simplified, easier process of making sourdough croissants to make croissant baking easier for home bakers, like you and me! I wanted to create a way to make bakery-style croissants at home without an overwhelming set of instructions.
This isn't the traditional way to make croissants, but you still get those amazing flaky layers without all the hassle. I did tons of research, trial and error in my kitchen, and lots of revising to create a simple, beginner-friendly step-by-step process. Anyone can make them! Croissants don't have to be hard!
This recipe was developed from scratch in my kitchen by me, Molly LaFontaine, and tested many times to ensure success. Just like all of my recipes on Plum Branch Home. They're created with purpose, cherished in our own home, and developed with my experiences, trial and error, and skills. NEVER AI (artificial intelligence).