I was browsing through recipes one day and found a recipe unlike any other, Sourdough Croissant Bread. It sounds a little wild, but man is it so delicious, and a great way to level up your sourdough by just adding a simple step. Unlike traditional croissants, this recipe skips the shaping of individual rolls and instead layers the dough into a loaf that’s easier to handle—but just as flaky and satisfying. Whether you’re an experienced sourdough baker or looking for a weekend project, this recipe delivers bakery-worthy results right from your kitchen.
Ingredients You’ll Need
For the sourdough dough:
- 1 cup (240g) active sourdough starter (fed and bubbly)
- 4 cups (480g) all-purpose flour
- 1 ½ cups warm water
- 1 tsp fine sea salt
- 3 tbsp butter, cold.
Step 1: Make the Dough
Add the sourdough starter and 1 ½ cups of warm water into a ceramic or glass bowl. You want your water to be warmer than room temperature, but not so hot it hurts your finger. Bathwater temperature is a good rule. Using your dough whisk, mix the starter and water until the mixture is milky, frothy and free of any clumps of starter. Once combined, add in 4 cups of flour and salt with your dough whisk. Your dough will form into a slightly sticky ball. Clean off your dough which and cover for 30 minutes.
Step 2: Incorporate your butter
When you start your stretch and folds for your dough (pulling the dough up and folding it over onto itself), you will be shaving in 1 tablespoon of COLD butter into each set with a grater. It is important that the butter is cold when you are shaving it in, so make sure to just of taken it out of the fridge, You will shave your butter on top of your dough, and then do your set of stretch and folds, then repeat this 3 times total, waiting 30 minutes in between each set.
Step 3: Proof
After you complete all your stretch and folds, form a ball and let rest in a covered bowl for 8-12 hours. Check your bowl periodically and when the dough has doubled to tripled in size, it is ready! I judge it by when the dough is about to touch the bottom of my lid, it is ready. This can take 6 hours, this can take 12. It all depends on the heat of your kitchen.
Tip: If you want to speed up the process, you can place the bowl in your oven with your oven light on as well.
Step 4: Shape
Once your dough is risen, place your cold Dutch oven into a cold oven and turn it on 450 degrees for 30 minutes. Empty out your bowl on a floured countertop and gently stretch your dough to form a rectangle. Then, fold the sides of your dough into the center, making a trifold. Then starting at one of the long sides, begin to ball the dough up by rolling it into itself. Once a solid ball has been formed, place your dough back into your bowl and cover until your Dutch oven has finished pre-heating.
Step 5: Bake
Take your Dutch oven out of the oven and remove the lid carefully. Score your bread using a bread knife and place inside your hot Dutch oven. Replace the lid and return to the oven for 30 minutes. After 30 minutes, remove the lid and cook for an additional 15 minutes. Remove from oven and place on a cutting board or drying rack and allow to cool for a few hours before slicing. Server with homemade butter and enjoy!
Croissant Sourdough
Ingredients
- 1 cup (240g) active sourdough starter (fed and bubbly)
- 4 cups (480g) all-purpose flour
- 1 1/2 cups warm water
- 1 tsp fine sea salt
- 3 tbsp butter, cold.
Instructions
- Add the sourdough starter and 1 ½ cups of warm water into a ceramic or glass bowl. You want your water to be warmer than room temperature, but not so hot it hurts your finger. Bathwater temperature is a good rule. Using your dough whisk, mix the starter and water until the mixture is milky, frothy and free of any clumps of starter. Once combined, add in 4 cups of flour and salt with your dough whisk. Your dough will form into a slightly sticky ball. Clean off your dough which and cover for 30 minutes.
- When you start your stretch and folds for your dough (pulling the dough up and folding it over onto itself), you will be shaving in 1 tablespoon of COLD butter into each set. It is important that the butter is cold when you are shaving it in, so make sure to just of taken it out of the fridge, You will shave your butter on top of your dough, and then do your set of stretch and folds, then repeat this 3 times total, waiting 30 minutes in between each set.
- After you complete all your stretch and folds, form a ball and let rest in a covered bowl for 8-12 hours. Check your bowl periodically and when the dough has doubled-tripped in size, it is ready! I judge it by when the dough is about to touch the bottom of my lid, it is ready. This can take 6 hours, this can take 12. It all depends on the heat of your kitchen.
- Once your dough is risen, place your cold Dutch oven into a cold oven and turn it on 450 degrees for 30 minutes. Empty out your bowl on a floured countertop and gently stretch your dough to form a rectangle. Then, fold the sides of your dough into the center, making a trifold. Then staring at one of the long sides, begin to ball the dough up by rolling it into itself. Once a solid ball has been formed, place your dough back into your bowl and cover until your Dutch oven has finished pre-heating.
- Take your Dutch oven out of the oven and remove the lid carefully. Score your bread using a bread knife and place inside your hot Dutch oven. Replace the lid and return to the oven for 30 minutes. After 30 minutes, remove the lid and cook for an additional 15 minutes. Remove from oven and place on a cutting board or drying rack and allow to cool for a few hours before slicing. Server with homemade butter and enjoy!
Notes
Tip: If you want to speed up the process, you can place the bowl in your oven with your oven light on as well.
The picture of the dough with the butter is very misleading! Sure looks like far more butter than one tablespoon!
This is because you will use the block of butter to hold while you shave into your stretch and folds using your grater, but only shave about a tablespoon at a time. We hope this clarifies!