Easy Sourdough Croissants (Print version)

Flaky, buttery croissants with tangy sourdough flavor, made with an overnight rise for crisp, golden layers.

# What You Need:

→ Dough

01 - 2 cups plus 2 tablespoons bread flour
02 - 1/4 cup granulated sugar
03 - 2 teaspoons fine sea salt
04 - 1 cup cold whole milk
05 - 1/2 cup active sourdough starter at 100% hydration
06 - 2 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened

→ Butter Block

07 - 1 cup plus 2 tablespoons cold unsalted butter

→ Egg Wash

08 - 1 large egg
09 - 1 tablespoon milk

# How to Make:

01 - Combine bread flour, granulated sugar, and fine sea salt in a large mixing bowl. Add cold milk, sourdough starter, and softened butter. Mix until just combined, then knead for approximately 8 minutes until the dough becomes smooth and elastic.
02 - Shape the dough into a rectangle, wrap tightly in plastic wrap, and refrigerate for a minimum of 2 hours.
03 - Place the cold unsalted butter between two sheets of parchment paper. Pound and roll the butter into a 8 by 6 inch rectangle. Refrigerate until the butter becomes firm but still pliable.
04 - Roll out the chilled dough on a lightly floured surface to a 16 by 8 inch rectangle. Position the butter block on one half of the dough, fold the other half over, and seal the edges by pressing with your fingers.
05 - Rotate the dough 90 degrees and roll into a 24 by 8 inch rectangle. Fold into thirds in a letter-fold pattern, wrap in plastic wrap, and refrigerate for 1 hour.
06 - Perform the rolling and folding process two additional times, refrigerating for 1 hour between each turn to maintain proper lamination.
07 - After completing the final fold, wrap the dough and refrigerate overnight for 8 to 12 hours to develop deep sourdough flavor and achieve optimal gluten structure.
08 - Roll the chilled dough into a 24 by 12 inch rectangle approximately 1/5 inch thick. Cut the dough into 12 equal long triangles using a sharp knife or pastry cutter.
09 - Starting from the wide end of each triangle, roll tightly toward the point into a crescent shape, tucking the tip underneath. Arrange the shaped croissants on parchment-lined baking sheets.
10 - Cover the baking sheets loosely with a kitchen towel and allow the croissants to proof at room temperature until doubled in volume, approximately 2 to 3 hours.
11 - Position the oven rack in the middle position and preheat to 400 degrees Fahrenheit.
12 - Whisk together the egg and milk in a small bowl. Using a pastry brush, lightly coat each proofed croissant with the egg wash mixture.
13 - Bake for 18 to 22 minutes until the croissants achieve a deep golden-brown color and crispy texture. Cool briefly before serving.

# Expert tips:

01 -
  • The sourdough starter adds a subtle tang that makes these taste infinitely more interesting than standard croissants, without requiring you to pronounce French out loud.
  • Most of the work happens passively while you sleep or work, so you're not actually standing at your counter for hours despite the long total time.
  • Each bite has that satisfying shatter of caramelized butter, the kind that makes morning coffee taste like you're sitting in a café instead of your kitchen.
02 -
  • The butter will separate from the dough if your kitchen is too warm during lamination or if you skip the chill times between folds—this is the most common reason croissants come out greasy rather than flaky, and it's always a temperature issue, not a technique failure.
  • Your sourdough starter needs to be at peak activity when you use it, which means bubbly and risen, not flat at the bottom of the jar; an inactive starter will make the dough sluggish and the final croissants dense.
  • Pounding the butter block flat is crucial because trying to use a hard butter block straight from the fridge will tear your dough, but letting it sit at room temperature too long will make it melt into an oily mess.
03 -
  • Freeze shaped, unproofed croissants on a baking sheet for an hour, then transfer them to a freezer bag for up to 3 months—you can bake them straight from frozen, adding just 5 extra minutes to the bake time and getting fresh croissants whenever you want.
  • A teaspoon of vanilla extract in the dough adds subtle sweetness that makes people ask what your secret ingredient is, and honestly, it makes the sourdough tang feel more balanced.
  • The overnight rest isn't just for convenience; it's where the real flavor magic happens because the sourdough ferments slowly and the gluten network has time to fully relax, making the final croissants both more flaky and more digestible.
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