sourdough croissant bread

This Sourdough Croissant Bread is the perfect fusion of two bakery classics—crisp, buttery croissants and tangy, chewy sourdough. With golden, flaky layers and a slight tang from the sourdough starter, this is a rich and flavorful loaf you are sure to love.

Sourdough Croissant Bread

sourdough starter ripe, bubbly and active (about 1 teaspoon)

all-purpose or bread flour (about 1/2 cup)

water (about 1/4 cup)

levain, ripe, bubbly and active (about ½ cup, see recipe notes)

water (about 1 cup plus 6 Tablespoons)

salt (about

bread flour (about 3 1/2 cups)

unsalted butter (about 1/2 cup)

Mix together ripe/active sourdough starter with all-purpose or bread flour and water. Cover loosely and let sit 10-12 hours at 78-80°F until doubled, bubbly &amp; peaked.Note: If you have a ripe, bubbly, active sourdough starter that is fed equal parts flour and water – it can be substituted equally for the levain in this recipe.

Levain (1:10:10 ratio, 10-12 hours peak at 78-80ºF)

Mix Dough: To a large bowl, mix together ripe levain with water. Add salt and bread flour. Mix together using a dough whisk or spoon until a wet and sticky dough forms and the ingredients are fully combined. Cover and let rest for 30 minutes.Note: This dough is very sensitive to temperature. It&#39;s important to maintain a temperature where the dough will rise AND the butter stays chilled and flaky. I&#39;ve found a 70-72ºF temperature to work well. I wouldn&#39;t go above 75ºF for this recipe or the butter will get too soft. To do this, use cooler water when mixing your dough and take the temperature with a thermometer throughout the process.

Stretch and Folds: After the dough has rested, you will perform a series of “stretch and folds” over the next 1 ½ hours. The goal is to strengthen the dough through a gentle kneading process. You will also add cold butter into the dough during this process which will be evenly dispersed throughout the dough through the folds. To “stretch and fold,” wet your hand (so it doesn’t stick to the dough). Reach around the dough down to the bottom of the bowl, pull the dough up and over and place it on top of the dough. Turn the bowl a quarter turn and repeat the stretch and fold. Turn another quarter turn and repeat. Perform one more quarter turn, stretching and folding the dough. Cover and set aside. Take note of how the dough feels through this process. It will go from feeling a little shaggy to smooth and elastic. Cover the bowl and wait about 30 minutes in between stretch and folds.

Stretch and fold #1: After 30 minutes, perform your first set of stretch and folds. Cover the dough and let rest for 30 minutes.Stretch and fold #2: After 30 minutes, grate the cold butter. Put half of the grated butter on top of the dough. The other half of the butter should be placed in the refrigerator to chill until the next set of folds. Stretch and fold the dough again, incorporating the flakes of butter into the dough. Cover and let rest for 30 minutes.Stretch and fold #3: 30 minutes later, add the rest of the butter to the top of the dough. Stretch and fold again. The butter will continue dispersing throughout the dough. Cover and let rest for 30 minutes.Stretch and fold #4: After 30 minutes do your final set of stretch and folds. You should notice the dough feeling more cohesive and strong. If your dough still feels loose, add in another couple stretch and folds to help strengthen and tighten the gluten strands.

Rest: Cover the dough and let rise for 6-7 more hours. You will know the dough is ready to shape when the dough has risen about 70%, jiggles when you shake the bowl and has scattered bubbles visible on the sides and top.Note: This is different than my traditional sourdough loaf because we are working at lower temperatures to keep the butter colder.

Pre-shape: Tip the bowl upside down, allowing the dough to fall onto a clean counter surface. Be gentle to avoid degassing the dough as much as possible. Wet your hands and the bench knife if needed and push the bench knife under the dough on one side and your free hand on the other side to tuck the dough under itself. The goal is to introduce some tension into the dough. Repeat this process, going around in a circle until you have a ball of dough.

Bench Rest: Let the dough rest uncovered for about 30 minutes at room temperature. The dough will flatten a little as it sits. This allows the gluten in the dough to relax and prepares the dough to be shaped.

Shaping: Prepare a bowl or banneton. Place a kitchen towel or hair net in the bowl and liberally flour as needed. Sprinkle a little flour on top of the dough. Using a bench knife, lift the dough up off the counter and place it on top of the countertop – floured side down. This ensures that the flour is staying mainly on the outside of the dough. Going around in a circle, pull the dough sideways towards you and then fold up to the top of the round. Move 90 degrees and repeat the same process pulling the dough sideways and then folding up to the top. As you continue this process around the dough, increase the tension as you pull. Gather the bread into a circle and place into a lined bowl. Note: It is possible to shape the dough without any extra flour. The dough can stick to the kitchen towel but doesn&#39;t stick to the hair nets if cold proofed.

Cold Fermentation: Cover the dough with the tea towel/shower cap/plastic wrap and refrigerate overnight or up to 12-18 hours.If you want to bake the same day, you can let the dough rise for about 2-3 hours until puffed up and risen. Chill the loaf in the refrigerator for an hour or two - or stick in the freezer for 15-20 minutes to chill the butter in the dough before baking.

Preheat the oven: Put a Dutch oven (top and all) into the oven and preheat to 450°F for 20 minutes. You are working with high temperatures, so make sure you have some good hot pads. Once preheated for 20 minutes, pull the loaf out of the refrigerator. Remove the covering. Place a piece of parchment paper on top of the dough. Flip the dough over so it is now sitting on the parchment paper. Take off the bowl/banneton and the kitchen towel.

Scoring: Use a very sharp knife or bread lame to score the dough. Take the bread lame and score on one side of the dough, at a shallow angle about 30º and 1 inch deep. Score straight from the refrigerator on the cold dough for best results.

Baking: Carefully remove the Dutch oven from the 450°F oven. Take the lid off and place your bread into the Dutch oven (including parchment paper – this helps with the transfer). Put the lid on and put back in the oven. Lower the temperature to 425°F and bake for 25 minutes. After 25 minutes, take the lid off the Dutch oven and continue baking for 20 minutes until the bread is baked through and reaches 195-200ºF temperature. Remove the Dutch oven and let the bread cool on a baking rack. Enjoy!Note: Butter will leak out of the dough as it bakes at these high temperatures. It gives a buttery, crispy crust that is delicious - make sure you use parchment paper on the bottom of the pot so it doesn&#39;t make a mess everywhere.

Sourdough Croissant Bread (Dough temperature kept at 70-72ºF)

Personally think this is way tastier than the traditional sourdough loaf, this will be my go to sourdough recipe from now on! deliciousss!

So so good, for breakfast with salted butter... such a delight

Outstanding!!! My new favorite. So much lighter and full of buttery taste within the sourdough. Thank you for sharing.

Tried this for the first time today and followed the directions to the letter. Needed more water than what was called for but OMG….this will be a future bake for sure!! I’ll try chocolate at some point but the “plain” version is so good! So GOOD!!

Absolutely delicious - thank you so much for the recipe! 

Winter has just started in Australia, and the cooler days helped with this recipe :) I will be making it again.

Oh my goodness! This loaf is amazing!  I stepped right in to the chocolate chip version. Will be a treasured family recipe for sure!!

Being a fairly new sourdough baker, it was cumbersome recipe but WELL WORTH THE REWARD!!  

Thank you for sharing with us. 

PS: So appreciate your video. As a fairly new baker, I realize I am being way too gentle with my dough.  Hahaha. Your dough was much more silky than mine. Can’t imagine how good my NEXT LOAF WILL BE!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8w6_Si4c0iM

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A hybrid between a classic sourdough loaf and a croissant, this sourdough croissant bread is buttery, flaky, and rich in flavor. It follows the sourdough fermentation process while incorporating layers of butter for a laminated effect.

g active sourdough starter (100% hydration) (about ½ cup)

g bread flour (about 3 ¾ cups)

(about

unsalted butter (cold

In a large bowl, mix together flour, water, sourdough starter, and salt until fully combined.

Cover with a damp towel and let it rest for 30 minutes to allow the flour to hydrate.

Step 1: Prepare the Dough

Perform four sets of stretch and folds every 30 minutes.

Do the first stretch and fold without adding any butter, this is done to make the dough smoother and more elastic before the next step.

During the second stretch and fold, grate half of the cold butter directly over the dough and fold it in. Cover and allow it to rest for 30 minutes. Place the rest of the butter back in the freezer.

On the third stretch and fold, add the remaining butter and fold again. Continue folding until the butter is well incorporated. Cover and rest for another 30 minutes.

On the fourth stretch and fold, just do the same step as the previous stretch and fold but without adding any more butter.

Step 2: Stretch & Folds with Butter Incorporation

Cover and let the dough rise at room temperature (70-72°F) for 6-7 hours until it has risen about 2/3 of the way and has visible bubbles that you can see at the bottom of your glass bowl.

If the dough gets too warm, refrigerate it for 20-30 minutes to keep the butter from melting. (It&#39;s crucial to check your dough temperature everytime you work with it, and every few hours to make sure it isn&#39;t too hot)

Step 3: Bulk Fermentation

Lightly flour your work surface. Use just enough flour to prevent sticking, but not too much or it will affect how the dough seals.

 Gently turn out the dough. Place the dough upside down from the bowl onto the floured surface. Try not to deflate it too much; you want to keep the air bubbles intact.

Gently flatten the dough into a rough rectangle (do not press too hard to keep air pockets intact). Fold the top third down toward the center, like folding a letter.

Fold the bottom third up over the previous fold.

Rotate 90° and gently pull the edges in toward the center, tucking them under to create surface tension. We are shaping it into a ball in this recipe, so keep moving your hand in a C shape it make a tight boule. Using a bench scraper, pick it up and place it smooth side down onto the floured baneton. Let it rest for 10-20 minutes then seal the top before covering it with plastic wrap and refrigerating overnight (8-12 hours) for better flavor.

Step 4: Pre-Shaping & Cold Proofing

Preheat the oven to 450°F (230°C) with a Dutch oven inside for at least 30 minutes.

Remove the dough from the fridge, place it on parchment paper, and score the top with a sharp blade.

Transfer into the hot Dutch oven, cover, and bake for 30 minutes covered.

Remove the lid, reduce the heat to 390F (198°C) and bake for another 15-20 minutes until deep golden brown and the internal temperature reaches 200°F.

Step 5: Scoring & Baking

Transfer the bread to a cooling rack as soon as it comes out of the oven and let it cool for at least 1 hour before slicing to allow the crumb to set.

Enjoy the flaky, buttery sourdough croissant bread with jam, honey, Nutella, or on its own!

Step 6: Cooling & Serving

This is a brilliant recipe. It turned out beautifully. Stupid me didnt read unsalted butter so I have 2 quite salty loaves 😅 but bake wise it’s ridiculously good. Thank you for the recipe:)

OMG! This is probably the best sourdough I have ever made!!! I was nervous about the butter melting and kept my eye on it. It is the most flaky wonderful crust!!

AMAZING, out of this world buttery and flakey! My husband and friends made some incredible breakfast sandwiches out of this loaf!! Will be regularly made in our home!

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Sourdough Croissant Bread

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