Simplified Sourdough Croissants

These Sourdough Croissants are perfect for when you want to enjoy the flaky, buttery goodness of croissants without the overly complicated process. Yes, we’re still laminating the dough, but this simplified method skips the stress of perfection. Don’t worry about measuring exactly every time—though I do recommend it on your first try.

The result? A delicious, realistic mid-week treat that you can easily whip up – these croissants don’t need to be reserved for special occasions at all!
Ingredients
- All-purpose flour: Provides structure to the dough. The reason I’m using all-purpose and not bread flour is that it yields softer croissant, even if the structure is not 100% perfect.
- Salt: Enhances flavor and strengthens the dough, also plays a role in fermentation.
- Sugar: Adds a touch of sweetness to the croissants and helps with browning.
- Water: Brings the dough together and hydrates the flour.
- Active sourdough starter: Adds a subtle tang and leavens the croissants – we’re using no yeast here!
- Unsalted butter: Adds richness and moisture to the dough. Try to find quality butter – the greater the percentage of fat in it, the better!
- Unsalted butter: The key to those flaky layers.
- Flour: Helps the butter hold butter’s shape during lamination.
- Egg + water: Gives the croissants their golden, glossy finish.
See recipe card for quantities.
How to Make Sourdough Croissants
STEP 1: Prepare the dough. Combine all the dough ingredients in a stand mixer and mix for 10-15 minutes until it forms a smooth, slightly sticky ball of dough. Place the dough in a greased bowl, cover it, and let it ferment for 3-4 hours at room temperature. It should become puffier. Then, refrigerate the dough overnight.
STEP 2: Prepare the Butter Packet. About 4 hours before continuing, mix the butter and flour together and shape it into a 15x20cm (6×8 inch) rectangle. Chill it in the fridge for 10-30 minutes. The butter should be cold but pliable.
STEP 3: Laminate the Dough. Roll out the chilled dough into a 40x20cm (16×8 inch) rectangle. Place the butter packet in the middle and fold the dough over from both sides to enclose the butter. Roll the dough into a 25x50cm (10×20 inch) rectangle. Fold the dough into thirds, like a letter, and refrigerate for 30 minutes.
STEP 4: Second and Third Folds. Turn the dough 90 degrees, roll it out to 25x50cm (10×20 inches), and fold it again. This time, you can skip the chilling step and go straight into the third fold. After the third fold, refrigerate the dough for at least 2 hours.
STEP 5: Shape the Croissants. Roll the dough out into a 28x60cm (11×24 inch) rectangle. Mark 5cm (2-inch) intervals along both sides, then use a pizza cutter or knife to cut triangles from the top to the bottom. Stretch the base of each triangle slightly, then roll up from the base to the tip. Bend the ends to form a crescent, if you like.
STEP 6: Proof the Croissants. Place the shaped croissants on a parchment-lined baking tray and let them proof for 4-5 hours at room temperature until puffed and jiggly.
STEP 7: Bake the Croissants. Preheat the oven to 205°C (400°F). Brush the croissants with the egg wash and bake for about 20 – 25 minutes until they are deeply golden brown.
Hint: If you’re not comfortable with exact measurements, don’t stress too much. I recommend measuring the first time to get a feel for the process, but once you’ve got the hang of it, you can eyeball a lot of the steps.
Baking Schedule
Baking Schedule Option 1: Two-Day Process
Day 1 (Evening):
- 6:00 PM: Mix the dough and let it ferment at room temperature for 3-4 hours.
- 9:00 PM: Place the dough in the fridge to rest overnight.
Day 2 (Morning):
- 8:00 AM: Prepare the butter packet and chill for 10-30 minutes.
- 9:00 AM: Roll out the dough and complete the first fold.
- 9:30 AM: Refrigerate the dough for 30 minutes.
Day 2 (Late Morning):
- 10:00 AM: Complete the second fold.
- 10:30 AM: Immediately complete the third fold and refrigerate the dough for 2 hours.
Day 2 (Afternoon):
- 12:30 PM: Shape the croissants and leave them to proof for 4-5 hours.
Day 2 (Evening):
- 5:30 PM: Preheat the oven and bake the croissants for 20 minutes.
Baking Schedule Option 2: Three-Day Process (more flexible, a tiny bit more sour croissants)
Day 1 (Evening):
- 7:00 PM: Mix the dough and let it ferment for 3-4 hours.
- 10:00 PM: Refrigerate the dough overnight.
Day 2 (Morning):
- 8:00 AM: Prepare the butter packet and chill for 10-30 minutes.
- 9:00 AM: Complete the first fold, refrigerate the dough for 30 minutes.
Day 2 (Afternoon):
- 12:00 PM: Complete the second fold, refrigerate for 30 minutes.
- 3:00 PM: Complete the third fold, refrigerate overnight.
Day 3 (Morning):
- 8:00 AM: Shape the croissants and leave them to proof for 4-5 hours.
Day 3 (Afternoon):
12:30 PM: Preheat the oven and bake the croissants for 20 minutes.
Substitutions & Variations
- Half whole wheat option: Try swapping half of the all-purpose flour with whole wheat flour for a more wholesome croissant. Increase the amount of liquid for about 10 grams and expect the croissants to be bit less puffy, but they’ll still be delicious!
- Filled croissants: Before rolling the dough triangles, add a small amount of jam, chocolate, or almond paste for a sweet surprise inside.
💭Crucial Success Tips
Don’t worry if the butter leaks out a little or the layers aren’t perfect—it happens! And it’s usually due to underproofing the dough, so try to leave it to rise a bit more the next time if that happens. Also, focus on keeping the dough and butter cool throughout the process. If the butter starts to melt, chill the dough before proceeding to the next step.
FAQ
Yes! After shaping and proofing, you can freeze the croissants. Simply bake them straight from frozen, adding a few extra minutes to the baking time.
A: Butter leakage usually means the dough wasn’t proofed long enough. Make sure the croissants have puffed up and are jiggly before baking.
You can, but letting the dough rest in the fridge overnight enhances the flavor and gives you a better texture. If you’re short on time, you can still get great results by letting the dough chill for a few hours instead.
Simplified Sourdough Croissants
Ingredients
Dough
- 470 grams all-purpose flour
- 1 tsp salt
- 40 grams sugar
- 230 grams water
- 150 grams sourdough starter active
- 50 grams butter unsalted
Butter Packet
- 250 grams butter unsalted
- 1 + 1/2 tbsp flour
Egg Wash
- 1 egg
- 1 tbsp water
Instructions
- Prepare the dough. Combine all the dough ingredients in a stand mixer and mix for 10-15 minutes until it forms a smooth, slightly sticky ball of dough. Place the dough in a greased bowl, cover it, and let it ferment for 3-4 hours at room temperature. It should become puffier. Then, refrigerate the dough overnight.
- Prepare the Butter Packet. About 4 hours before continuing, mix the butter and flour together and shape it into a 15x20cm (6×8 inch) rectangle. Chill it in the fridge for 10-30 minutes. The butter should be cold but pliable.
- Laminate the Dough. Roll out the chilled dough into a 40x20cm (16×8 inch) rectangle. Place the butter packet in the middle and fold the dough over from both sides to enclose the butter. Roll the dough into a 25x50cm (10×20 inch) rectangle. Fold the dough into thirds, like a letter, and refrigerate for 30 minutes.
- Second and Third Folds. Turn the dough 90 degrees, roll it out to 25x50cm (10×20 inches), and fold it again. This time, you can skip the chilling step and go straight into the third fold. After the third fold, refrigerate the dough for at least 2 hours.
- Shape the Croissants. Roll the dough out into a 28x60cm (11×24 inch) rectangle. Mark 5cm (2-inch) intervals along both sides, then use a pizza cutter or knife to cut triangles from the top to the bottom. Stretch the base of each triangle slightly, then roll up from the base to the tip. Bend the ends to form a crescent, if you like.
- Proof the Croissants. Place the shaped croissants on a parchment-lined baking tray and let them proof for 4-5 hours at room temperature until puffed and jiggly.
- Bake the Croissants. Preheat the oven to 205°C (400°F). Brush the croissants with the egg wash and bake for about 20 – 25 minutes until they are deeply golden brown.
Notes
- If you’re not comfortable with exact measurements, don’t stress too much. I recommend measuring the first time to get a feel for the process, but once you’ve got the hang of it, you can eyeball a lot of the steps.
- Don’t worry if the butter leaks out a little or the layers aren’t perfect—it happens! And it’s usually due to underproofing the dough, so try to leave it to rise a bit more the next time if that happens.
- Focus on keeping the dough and butter cool throughout the process. If the butter starts to melt, chill the dough before proceeding to the next step.
Nutrition
How To Store Sourdough Croissants
Sourdough croissants are best enjoyed fresh on the day of baking, but they can be stored at room temperature in an airtight container for up to 2 days.
You can also freeze them once they are shaped and proofed, then bake them directly from frozen whenever the craving hits!
Too much butter for lamination. You should really only use around 120-130g. It was impossible to get into the dough smoothly. With that tweak I think the recipe would have been better.
Hi Melissa,
I’ll surely test the recipe with less! I had no problems laminating 250 grams, but recipes are always work in progress, so I’ll need to try less and see how it goes! 🙂