Mastering Sourdough Croissants at Home

Sourdough Croissants

I am a little obsessed with sourdough croissants. Once you have made them you will never want to go back. It’s simply not comparable. And you still get the light texture and the big spiderweb holes, and the flavor. It’s very crispy with a lot of layers, flakey, chewy goodness. it is just a work of art.

Time, patience, and good technique really are the key to a perfect croissant. But it’s so worth it. The first bite bursts with a buttery hit followed quickly by the smoothness of the puff pastry while the outside is just a bit crispy, making for an overall amazing experience.

Do not expect to get perfect croissants the very first time, most people need to make them 3 to 10 times to get familiar and comfortable with the process. There is no substitute for practice and experience. But best of all and most importantly, enjoy the process!

Butter block

  • 380 g Butter (Unsalted)
  • 55 g Breal flour

Dough

  • 680 g Bread flour
  • 105 g Sugar
  • 390 g Whole milk
  • 240 g Stiff starter (between 80 and 90 % hydration)
  • 12 g salt
  • 1/2 teaspoon commercial instant yeast

 For best results use quality butter with a high-fat content of 85 to 90 percent, and no additives or extra water. European style or imported butter can often be found in specialty groceries. Normally I keep my starter in the fridge, so when I need it, I just take it out of the fridge, and let sit at room temperature for at least one hour. Then I feed it at least twice 1 – 1 – 1, then 1 – 2 – 2 (80% hydration). I wait until it triples, it may take between 4 hours and 10 hours.

I always weigh all the ingredients I need the day before. Mix the flour and the soft butter, until the flour is well incorporated in the butter, then place it between 2 sheets of parchment paper or plastic. Using a rolling pin, or simply your hands, flatten the butter block into a 7 1/2-inch square block of even thickness. Refrigerate for at least 15 minutes.

In the same bowl, mix all the dry ingredients, add milk, using a dough hook, mix the dough for at least 3 minutes, then add the stiff starter continue kneading until the dough becomes smooth and elastic. Shape the dough into a ball. Wrap tightly in plastic wrap. Refrigerate the dough overnight for more flavor.

Place Butter Block on Dough.Roll out the dough into a rectangle measuring 26cm (10.2 inches) by 26cm (10.2 inches) immediately after taking it out of the fridge. The rectangle should ideally be as perfect as possible and have even thickness. Take out the butter block from the fridge. Place the butter on the dough. Fold one flap of the dough over the butter block.

First Fold:

The croissant dough must be rolled out and folded a total of three to four times to create the characteristic layers. Turn the dough out onto a floured surface or place it between two plastic sheets so it doesn’t stick to the rolling pin. If the dough is wet or sticky, sprinkle it with flour. Press the dough with your hands or use a rolling pin to form a large rectangle about 12-inch x 18 inches/30- centimeter x 45 centimeters. Use a dough scraper to help shape the edges.

Second Fold: This recipe is quite large, so you will end up with four rectangles of 16×12 inches each. If the butter is still firm, continue to the next step for the second fold. If the butter has softened and is starting to run, cover the dough in plastic and chill it in the freezer for 15 minutes (or in the fridge for one hour) before rolling out the second time.

Shaping Croissants: After finishing the third fold, you may go up to four folds but no more than four. Place one croissant dough (the rectangle) on your kitchen table, using a large knife or a pizza wheel cutter, make diagonal cuts starting from the top corner cutting down to the bottom, along the entire length of the dough. Then place the triangles on a baking sheet, cover them, and place them in the fridge for a few minutes.

Take the croissants from the fridge, place the triangles one by one on the kitchen table, stretch them, then roll the dough up. Place the tip side down, onto a lined baking sheet. Repeat with the rest of the triangles, placing them two inches apart. Cover the croissants, and let them ferment for at least two hours up to fours. When the kitchen is cold, sometimes I let them ferment for six hours. We are using the starter instead of the commercial yeat, That is why it takes that long.

The volume of the croissant will at least double. Sometimes, after shaping them, I store them in the fridge until the next. Then I get them out of the fridge the next morning to bake them in the afternoon. At the end of the rise time, preheat the oven to 425°F / 220°C. Brush each croissant with an egg beaten with 1 tablespoon milk.

Bake for 15 minutes, then reduce the oven’s temperature to 350°F / 175°C and bake for 10 to 15 minutes more, until deep golden brown. Remove from the oven and let cool on the cooling rack for at least 20 minutes before serving.

It is always better to bake a lot of croissants, bake them then freeze them. Baked croissants freeze very well for up to 3 months. I don’t recommend freezing raw croissants, because of the yeast, but you can for a week or less.

Note:

Traditionally, a sourdough croissant is leavened solely with the starter. But adding 1/4 teaspoon commercial instant yeast per 200 grams in your dough will produce a dough that doubles in size within an hour or two once the croissant is shaped.