🥐 Sourdough Croissants (Flaky, Buttery & Bakery-Style)
These sourdough croissants are light, crisp, and beautifully layered with buttery flakes in every bite. They take time, but the result is pure bakery-level perfection—golden, airy, and rich with a subtle sourdough depth.
If you love classic French croissants but want more flavor and complexity, this sourdough version is absolutely worth the wait.
⭐ Recipe Overview
⏱ Prep & Fermentation: ~2 days
🔥 Baking Time: 18–22 minutes
📊 Difficulty: Medium (patience required!)
🥐 Texture: flaky, airy, buttery layers
🧾 Ingredients
🥣 Dough
120 g active sourdough starter (100% hydration)
240 ml cold milk
40 g granulated sugar
10 g fine sea salt
500 g all-purpose or bread flour
40 g unsalted butter (softened)
🧈 Butter Layer (Lamination)
250 g high-quality unsalted butter (cold)
🥚 Egg Wash
1 egg
1 tbsp milk
👨🍳 Day 1 – Make the Dough
- 🥣 Mix Ingredients
In a large bowl, combine:
sourdough starter
cold milk
sugar
Add flour + salt and mix until a rough dough forms.
- 🧈 Add Butter
Add softened butter and knead gently for 3–4 minutes until smooth.
⚠️ Do not over-knead (we don’t want tight gluten).
- ⏳ First Rest
Cover dough
Rest for 30 minutes - 🔄 Stretch & Fold
Do 1 set of stretch and folds to strengthen dough. - 🌡️ Bulk Fermentation
Let dough rest for 4–5 hours at room temperature until slightly puffy (not doubled). - ❄️ Chill Overnight
Shape dough into a rectangle, wrap tightly, and refrigerate overnight.
👉 This makes lamination easier and cleaner.
🧈 Day 2 – Lamination (Butter Layers)
- 🧈 Prepare Butter Block
Place butter between parchment paper and roll into a 7×7 inch square.
Chill until firm but still bendable.
- 📦 Lock in Butter
Roll dough into a 10×10 inch square.
Place butter in center like a diamond and fold dough over it completely.
Seal edges well.
- 🔁 Lamination Folds (3 Turns)
Roll dough into a rectangle and fold like a letter.
Then:
Chill 30 minutes
Repeat 3 total folds
👉 This builds flaky layers.
🔪 Shaping Croissants
- Roll Dough
Roll dough to ¼ inch thickness. - Cut Triangles
Cut long triangles for croissants. - Shape
Gently stretch each triangle and roll tightly from base to tip.
Place on parchment-lined tray.
⏳ Final Proof (VERY IMPORTANT)
Cover lightly
Proof at 22–24°C (72–75°F)
Time: 4–6 hours
They should look:
Puffy
Jiggly
Clearly layered
⚠️ Do NOT rush this step—this decides flakiness.
🥚 Egg Wash & Bake
Brush gently with egg + milk mixture.
Bake at:
🔥 200°C / 390°F
⏱ 18–22 minutes
Bake until:
deep golden brown
crisp outside
airy inside
💡 Pro Tips for Perfect Croissants
Always keep butter cold during lamination
If butter softens → chill immediately
Use an active but not overly sour starter
Don’t rush proofing (key for layers)
Clean folds = better flakes
🧊 Storage
Best eaten fresh (same day is ideal)
Freeze baked croissants up to 2 months
Reheat at 170°C (340°F) for 5–7 minutes
🍫 Variations
🍫 Chocolate: add chocolate batons before rolling
🥜 Almond: fill with almond cream after baking
🧀 Savory: add cheese before shaping
🍯 Sweet: brush with honey butter after baking
🏁 Final Thoughts
These sourdough croissants are the definition of patience paying off. Each bite is buttery, flaky, and full of delicate layers with a subtle tang from natural fermentation.
They take time—but once you taste homemade sourdough croissants, bakery ones will never feel the same again. 🥐✨
