How nice would it be to enjoy a freshly home-baked Croissant and imagine you've just bought it in a lovely Parisian viennoiserie? Oh yes... This is a Sourdough Croissant recipe that will take you on a journey to France! Flaky and buttery Overnight Sourdough Croissants are made over two days and boast a perfect balance of all that a traditional Croissant has to offer: the crescent shape, the layers created by lamination and the crispy brown exterior!
Jump to:
- Recipe Highlights
- Sourdough Croissants: Labour of Love
- Sourdough Starter For Croissants
- Equipment Needed
- Ingredient Notes
- Step-By-Step Recipe
- Tips For Best Results & FAQs
- Looking For Your Next Sourdough Adventure?
- Storage and Reheating
- How to Freeze Croissants?
- Reader Review
- Other Sourdough Pastry Recipes
- Sourdough Croissants
- Christmas Sourdough ebook
We promise you two things, with a bit of practice, these Overnight Sourdough Croissants will taste even better than the ones you get in a coffee shop and, more importantly, you will feel so very proud of yourself that you may ask your friends and family to call you 'Chef' from then on!
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Recipe Highlights
EASE: Weekend baking project
FLAKINESS: Shatteringly crisp & buttery. Best eaten over the sink 🙂
WHAT'S SPECIAL: Naturally leavened, no commercial yeast
TOP TIP: Chill whenever the pastry softens
SEB'S RATING: Eats two before coffee
Sourdough Croissants: Labour of Love
There's no two ways about it, making Croissants takes a long time, and making them with sourdough starter instead of commercial yeast draws out the process a little bit longer still.
What you get in return, though, is totally worth it! You will be left with a good amount of flaky, buttery pastries that you can do a lot with:
- Eat them fresh on the same day on their own!
- Stuff them with sweet or savoury fillings.
- Make a Croissant Bread & Butter Pudding if your Overnight Sourdough Croissants have gone a bit stale after a couple of days. Or make our delicious Almond Sourdough Croissants!
- On Day 2 after the Croissants have been baked, reheat them in the oven for 3-4 minutes to make them crispy and fresh-tasting again
- You can freeze unbaked or baked croissants and enjoy them on demand (see tips below)!
You will be surprised that you don't really need baking skills to make the best Sourdough Croissants. All you need is time, patience, a little temperature control and A LOT OF BUTTER!
And if they don't turn out perfectly on the first attempt - they will still taste delicious. After a couple of times, you will be a pro, trust me!
And once you master these, you can venture into the world of Sourdough Pain au Chocolat (Chocolate Croissants), Sourdough Pain Aux Raisins, Ham & Cheese Croissants, Kouign Amann, Sourdough Cruffins and Sourdough Smoked Cheddar and Jalapeño Croissants.
So let's get into the technical bits!
Sourdough Starter For Croissants
Sourdough Croissants are made without any commercial yeast and only rely on natural yeasts in sourdough starter for the rise of the dough. It is, therefore, very important to have a great sourdough starter. What do I mean by great?
Well, first of all, it needs to be low in acid. That means that your starter needs to be frequently refreshed prior to using it to make croissants.
Détrempé (the dough) for croissants is enriched with butter and sugar and will require the extra strength of the yeast to rise the dough. Feed your starter for 2-3 days in a row before using it for Sourdough Croissants. Regular feeds will ensure both low acidity and strong yeast colonies.
Of course, you know your own starter well, so adjust as needed. More on maintaining sourdough starter here.
Another important thing to remember is to use your starter as soon as it reaches its peak (and never once it starts to deflate unless the recipe specifies 'sourdough discard').
Once you've fed your starter one last time before making croissants, leave it in a warm spot for 4-5 hours.
It should double (maybe even triple in volume) in that time and you're fine to use it then. If you leave it for longer, your starter may reach its peak and then start deflating - this means the yeast is 'hungry' again and the starter will be too acidic to use.
If your starter hasn't doubled in 4-5 hours at 20-24°C, you may need to keep feeding it for a couple more days before it's fit for purpose (and the purpose is to make great Sourdough Croissants, right?).
And if you haven't yet taken to leap away from commercial yeast and into the world of Sourdough, we encourage you to do so! It's fun! And it's very rewarding! Here's our guide on how to make your own sourdough starter from scratch!
Equipment Needed
- Stand Mixer fitted with a Dough Hook Attachment: but if you want to knead the dough by hand, it is possible (whilst it will get sticky after adding the butter, you should be able to work it without too much difficulty).
- Rolling Pin: we recommend using a stainless steel one as it tends to stick less.
- Baking Parchment
- Cling Film (Plastic Wrap): we use and love Kirkland Signature Cling Film. Or you may use a large clean plastic bag to cover the croissants for their final proof.
- Sharp Knife.
Ingredient Notes
Here's what you'll need to make these buttery sourdough croissants:
- Flour: we highly recommend using strong bread flour with a gluten content of at least 12%. All-purpose flour will produce sub-optimal results.
- Salt.
- Caster Sugar: also known as superfine sugar. It may be replaced with white granulated sugar.
- Milk: we use full-fat/ whole milk in this recipe.
- Active Sourdough Starter (100% hydration - equal parts of flour and water): see more details in the section above.
- Unsalted Butter: you will need butter for the dough and to create butter layers (300 g butter in total). We highly recommend using European-style butter that is higher in fat.
- Egg yolk + 1 tablespoon milk or cream, for egg wash.
Find the ingredient quantities and full step-by-step instructions in the recipe card at the bottom of the post.
Step-By-Step Recipe
The entire process of making this sourdough croissant recipe takes 2 days. On day 1, we feed the sourdough starter, make détrempé, bulk ferment and finally make the laminated dough. It is left to chill overnight to develop more of that sought-after sourdough flavour.
The next day, we shape the pastry into crescent rolls, leave them to rise again in a warm place and then egg wash and bake them!
Day 1: Détrempé, Bulk Fermentation & Lamination
First thing in the early morning, feed your starter and leave it in a warm spot to at least double in size. This should happen within 4 hours in 20-22°C temperature. If it takes longer than that, you may need to feed your starter again, to ensure it's active and not too acidic to make great croissants.
Make Détrempé (Croissant Dough)
Place the flour, salt, sugar, water, milk and active starter in a bowl of a stand mixer, fitted with a dough hook attachment (we absolutely love our Kenwood). Turn the stand mixer on and knead for 5 minutes at medium-low speed until the dough comes together into a rough (rather stiff) ball. Let the dough rest for 15 minutes.
After 15 minutes, turn the stand mixer on again on medium speed, and start adding 50g of room temperature butter a little bit at a time. Keep the mixer running for around 8-10 minutes until the butter is fully incorporated and you have a smooth dough. You may need to scrape the sides of the bowl once of twice if your butter sticks to them. It shouldn't be sticky.
Shape a ball by tucking the sides of the dough under, slash the dough with a sharp knife (a razor or a dough scorer) in a cross on top of the dough (see photos below, doing this will help you to roll it out into a square later) and place the dough in a lightly greased bowl.
Cover and leave it in a warm spot to bulk prove for approx. 4 hours. Ideally, you need a temperature of 21-23°C. If it is warmer, adjust the timing: your dough should rise x1.5 times. Place the dough in the fridge for another 3-4 hours to finish proving and double in size.
Butter Parcel
Take the cold butter out of the refrigerator in advance to soften slightly. Place it on a large sheet of baking parchment (we highly recommend Bacofoil Baking Parchment - it is strong and lasts forever), place another sheet of parchment on top.
Using a rolling pin, gently bash to flatten the butter. Then fold the parchment paper under into a neat 18x18cm (7×7 in) square and roll the butter inside the parchment parcel into all the edges, aiming for the same thickness across (for process photos see below).
Enclosing the butter into the baking parchment square will help you get an even butter square with sharp edges. Still wrapped in the baking parchment, place it in the fridge to let the butter cool down and firm up.
Take the chilled dough out of the fridge and place it onto a floured worktop. Knock the air out with the bottom of your palm and roll it into a square around 28x28cm (11x11in). Try to make it even.
Unwrap the butter (keep the piece of parchment paper). Place the butter in the middle of the dough on the diagonal (see the photos below).
Taking one side at a time, fold the corners of the dough into the middle of the butter block creating a square envelope. Once you fold all four sides into the middle, pinch the edges together.
You should now have a 20x20cm (8x8in) butter parcel. Wrap it in baking paper and freeze on a flat surface for 10 minutes.
Laminate
First Fold: Dust the clean work surface with flour. Take the butter package out of the freezer, unwrap and roll the parcel out into a rectangle that's around 50x20cm (20x8in).
Make sure your dough isn't sticking to the worktop as you roll: you want the butter encased and the bottom of the dough may tear if it sticks (having cold dough at all times helps with this). Dust with flour if needed. Using a sharp knife or a pizza cutter, cut off any untidy short edges that don't have any butter in them.
Fold the rolled-out dough like a letter: from the short edge, hold ⅓ of the sheet into the middle, then take the opposite short edge and fold it over the first one.
Wrap the dough in the baking parchment you kept the butter in, or plastic wrap, and place in the freezer for 15 minutes, then transfer to the fridge for 1 hour.
Second Fold: Take the dough out of the fridge and place it short edge in front of you. Roll the dough out to 50x20cm (20x8in) again. Fold the top third towards the centre and then the bottom third over (just like before). Wrap and place the pastry in the freezer for 15 minutes, then fridge for 1 hour.
Third Fold: Just like before, roll out the dough to 50x20cm (20x8in) rectangle. Fold like a letter, wrap and place in the fridge for a minimum of 6 hours (we leave it in the fridge overnight).
Day 2: Shaping, Final Proof, Baking
Shape Croissants
On a lightly floured surface, roll the pastry out into a large rectangle measuring 60x28cm (24x11in), gently getting all the air out of the pastry. You don't want pockets of air to burst abruptly though, exposing the butter.
Trim the long sides so your rectangle has straight lines on each corner of the dough. Cut 6 rectangles (approx. 10x28cm or 4x11in) using a sharp knife or a pizza cutter. I use a long ruler to make sure the rectangles are of even width on both sides and make a small mark with a knife before I cut.
Separate the rectangles. Use the ruler again to connect the opposite corners of the rectangle and cut across. You should now have two triangles per rectangle. Once you cut all your pastry, you should have 12 triangles.
Trim the bottoms to create a straight edge.
Make a little cut in the centre of the bottom of each triangle and stretch it out ever so slightly so the base of the triangle is wider. Roll the triangles tightly, from the bottom to the end of the triangle.
Bend the ends of croissants to make a crescent shape to make traditional croissants, if you wish (the French word croissant actually means crescent!).
Place croissants on two baking-parchment-lined trays spaced out significantly, leaving plenty of space for them to rise. Cover lightly with cling film (you may oil the cling film first) and leave them in a warm spot (21-23°C) to proof for 4-5 hours. They should really puff up and the layers of butter should be clearly visible between layers.
***If you live in a very dry climate or your kitchen is very cold: Boil a kettle of water and pour the water into an ovenproof dish. Place it in a turned-off oven to create steam and leave it shut for 5-10 minutes. The steam shouldn't make the oven too hot (keep it under 23°C - you don't want the butter to melt) but it should be warm and humid (this will prevent skin from forming on your croissants and hindering the proving process).
Once proofed, take the trays and the water dish out of the oven. For freezing, stop here, and see the tips in the text below.
Carefully remove the cling film. Place the croissants on the baking trays in the fridge to chill for 20 minutes.
Egg Wash & Bake
Preheat the oven to 190°C Fan.
In a small bowl, whisk the egg yolk and milk. Using a pastry brush, very gently wash the chilled croissants with the mixture.
Bake the croissants for around 20-25 minutes until they puff up, have visible flaky layers and are deep golden brown. Leave the croissants to cool for at least 15 minutes before digging in. They are best served within 2 hours of baking!
Tips For Best Results & FAQs
If it is your first time making croissants, here are a few questions we often get asked:
The main difference between active starter and discard is the strength of the yeast colonies in it. To have that honeycomb structure of the final product, you need an active sourdough starter, as it is the only leavening agent in this recipe.
You can, but... in our trials, we found that the croissants are flatter and the dough is generally harder to work with, so we highly recommend finding flour with high gluten content (12-14%).
The lack of flaky layers may be due to the butter being too soft when laminating. This means that the butter seeped into the dough when you were creating the butter layers. Another reason for flat and dense croissants may be under proofing. What is more, your sourdough starter may not have had strong enough yeast colonies to give a heavily enriched dough the oomph it required.
The two main reasons that create large puddles of butter in the oven (a little butter leaking is perfectly fine and expected) are underproofing detrempe and the butter layers not being evenly rolled out in between the dough. Be patient and proof the dough for a little longer, and make sure your butter and your dough are of similar temperature whilst laminating.
Looking For Your Next Sourdough Adventure?
If you want to master the art of flavouring your sourdough with everything from fruit to coffee, from purees to seeds, have a look at our Flavoured Sourdough eBook below:
Flavoured Sourdough: How, When and What Mix-Ins To Add To Your Sourdough?
Discover a variety of mix-ins and learn how they affect hydration and bulk fermentation, master the art of substituting water with coffee and tea, and explore a plethora of creative mix-in ideas. Plus, get 2 exclusive bonuses that will inspire you to create the most flavoursome and unique sourdough!
Storage and Reheating
Whilst these croissants (just like other pastries) are best on the day that they are baked, you can keep and enjoy them in the next days too. Generally speaking, homemade sourdough croissants will keep in an airtight container in a cool dark cupboard for up to 3 days (if you want to preserve them for longer, see the section below about freezing Sourdough Croissants).
Croissants will become less crunchy and flaky with each day, but you can pop them in a preheated oven for 3-5 minutes to warm them through and make the tops crispy again.
Alternatively, use older croissants to make small sandwiches, ham & cheese toasties or make these delicious Sourdough Almond Croissants instead!
How to Freeze Croissants?
We have been freezing croissants at two stages- before and after. Which way provides more delicious croissants? Seb and I disagree! But we agree that both reheated croissants and the croissants baked from frozen do not disappoint.
- Freeze Unbaked Croissants: Once you've done all the hard work and your croissants are shaped, proved and all puffy, place the whole tray with croissants on top in the freezer, taking care not to touch them on the sides or top of the freezer, as they will be rather fragile and will deflate if not handled with care. Let them freeze for 2 hours until completely solid, then transfer them into ziplock bags. When you're ready to bake them, lay them out on a baking sheet and place them in a preheated oven (190°C Fan) for approx. 25-30 minutes. Leave the croissants to cool down for 5-10 minutes before serving. This is my favourite way to freeze Sourdough Croissants.
- Freeze Baked Croissants. Once baked, ensure the croissants are cooled completely. Place them in a single layer in a large ziplock bag (or airtight container) and freeze. When you want to serve them, thaw them completely (it takes about an hour at room temperature), then place them in a preheated oven (170°C Fan) for 4-5 minutes.
Reader Review
"I made these over the weekend and they were/are fabulous. I baked only 6 and froze 6 for later."
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Other Sourdough Pastry Recipes
If you keep a sourdough starter and are looking for other pastry ideas, have a look at our favourite treats to make below:
- Sourdough Danish Pastry with Almond Filling
- Sourdough Pain Au Chocolat
- Sourdough Cheese Straws
- Sourodugh Kouign Amann
Find more ideas in our dedicated category for sourdough breakfast recipes. And if you have discard, try our Sourdough Caneles!
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Sourdough Croissants
Equipment
- Stand Mixer fitted with a Dough Hook Attachment
- Rolling Pin we recommend using a stainless steel one
Ingredients
For Détrempé:
- 450 g strong bread flour with at least 12.5% protein content
- ¾ teaspoon salt
- 40 g caster sugar
- 130 ml water
- 90 ml milk
- 150 g active sourdough starter 100% hydration
- 50 g unsalted butter room temperature
For Lamination:
- 250 g unsalted butter room temperature
For Egg Wash:
- 1 egg yolk + 1 tablespoon milk (or double cream)
Instructions
DAY 1:
- First thing in the morning, feed your starter and leave it a warm spot to at least double in size. This should happen within 4 hours in 20-22°C temperature. If it takes longer than that, you may need to feed your starter again, to ensure it's active and not too acidic to make great croissants.
Make Détrempé:
- Place the flour, salt, sugar, water, milk and active sourdough starter in a bowl of your stand mixer, fitted with a dough hook attachment. Turn the stand mixer on and knead for 5 minutes on medium speed until the dough comes together into a rough (rather stiff) ball. leave the dough to relax for 15 minutes.
- After 15 minutes, turn the stand mixer on again on medium speed, and start adding 50g of room temperature butter a little bit at a time. Keep the mixer running for around 8-10 minutes until the butter is fully incorporated and you have a smooth dough. It shouldn't be overly wet or sticky.
- Shape a ball, slash the dough with a sharp knife in a cross on top of the dough (see photos in the text above, doing this will help you to roll it out into a square later) and place the dough in a lightly greased bowl. Cover and leave in a warm spot to bulk ferment for approx. 4 hours. Ideally, you need a temperature of 21-23°C. If it is warmer, adjust the timing: your dough should rise 1.5 times. Place the dough in the fridge for another 3-4 hours to finish proving and double in size.
Laminate:
- Take the butter out of the fridge in advance to soften slightly. Place it on a large sheet of baking parchment, place another sheet of parchment on top. Using a rolling pin, gently bash to flatter the butter. Then fold the baking parchment under into a neat 18x18cm (7×7 in) square and roll the butter inside the parchment parcel into all the edged, aiming for the same thickness across (for detailed process photos, see text above). Enclosing the butter into the baking parchement square will help you get an even butter square with sharp edges. Still wrapped in the baking parchment, place the butter in the fridge to firm up.
- Take the dough out of the fridge and place it onto a floured worktop. Knock the air out with the bottom of your palm and roll it into a square around 28x28cm (11x11in). Try to make it even.
- Unwrap the butter (keep the baking parchment). Place the butter in the middle of the dough on the diagonal (see the photo above).
- Taking one side at a time, fold the edges of the dough into the middle creating a square envelope (see photos in the text above). Once you fold all four sides into the middle, pinch the edges together. You should now have a 20x20cm (8x8in) butter parcel. Wrap it in baking parchment and freeze on a flat surface for 10 minutes.
- First Fold: Take the parcel out of the freezer, unwrap and roll the parcel out into a rectangle that's around 50x20cm (20x8in). Make sure your dough isn't sticking to the worktop as you roll: you want the butter encased and the dough may tear if it sticks. Dust with flour if needed. Using a sharp knife or a pizza cutter, cut off any untidy short edges that don't have any butter in.
- Fold the rolled-out dough like a letter: from the short edge, hold ⅓ of the sheet into the middle, then take the opposite short edge and fold it over the first one. Wrap the dough in the baking parchment you kept the butter in, or cling film, and place in the freezer for 15 minutes, then transfer to the fridge for 1 hour.
- Second Fold: Take the dough out of the fridge and place it short edge in front of you. Roll the dough out to 50x20cm (20x8in) again. Fold the top third towards the centre and then bottom third over (just like before). Wrap and place the pastry in the freexer for 15 minutes, then fridge for 1 hour.
- Third Fold: Just like before, roll out the dough to 50x20cm (20x8in) rectangle. Fold like a letter, wrap and place in the fridge for a minimum of 6 hours (we leave it in the fridge overnight).
DAY 2:
Shape Croissants:
- On a lightly floured worktop, roll the pastry out into a 60x28cm (24x11in) rectangle, gently getting all the air out of the pastry. You don't want pockets of air to burst abruptly though, exposing the butter.
- Trim the sides. Cut 6 rectangles (approx. 10x28cm or 4x11in) using a sharp knife or a pizza cutter. I use a long ruler to make sure the rectangles are even width on both sides. Separate the rectangles. Use the ruler again to connect the opposite corners of the rectangle and cut across so you are left with two triangles. Once you've all your pastry, you should be left with 12 triangles. Trim the bottoms to create a straight edge.
- Make a little cut in the centre of the bottom of each triangle and stretch it out ever so slightly so the base of the triangle is wider. Roll the triangles tightly, from the bottom to the tip. Bend the ends of croissants to make a crescent shape, if you wish.
- Place your shaped croissants on two baking-parchment lined trays spaced out significantly, leaving plenty of space for them to rise. Cover lightly with cling film (you may oil the cling film first) and leave them in a warm spot (21-23°C) to proof for 4-5 hours. They should really puff up and the lamination should be clearly visible between layers.
- ***If you live in a very dry climate or your kitchen is very cold: Boil a kettle of water and pour the water into an ovenproof dish. Place it in a cold oven to create steam and leave it shut for 5-10 minutes. The steam shouldn't make the oven too hot (keep it under 23°C - you don't want the butter to melt) but it should be warm and humid (this will prevent skin from forming on your croissants and hindering the proving process).
- Once proofed, take the trays and the water dish out of the oven. For freezing, stop here, and see the tips in the text above.
- Carefully take the cling film off. Place the croissants on the baking trays in the fridge to chill for 20 minutes.
Egg Wash & Bake:
- Preheat the oven to 190°C Fan.
- In a small bowl, whisk the egg yolk and milk. Using a pastry brush, very gently wash the chilled croissants with the mixture.
- Bake the croissants for around 20-25 minutes. Leave the croissants to cool for at least 15 minutes before digging in. They are best served within 2 hours from baking!
Video
Notes
-
- Freeze Unbaked Croissants: Once you've done all the hard work and your croissants are shaped, proved and all puffy, place the whole tray with croissants on top in the freezer, taking care not to touch them on the sides or top of the freezer, as they will be rather fragile and will deflate if not handled with care. Let them freeze for 2 hours until completely solid, then transfer them into ziplock bags. When you're ready to bake them, lay them out on a baking tray and place them in a preheated oven (190°C Fan) for approx. 25-30 minutes. Leave the croissants to cool down for 5-10 minutes before serving. This is my favourite way to freeze Sourdough Croissants.
-
- Freeze Baked Croissants. Once baked, ensure the croissants are cooled completely. Place them in a single layer in a large ziplock bag (or airtight container) and freeze. When you want to serve them, thaw them completely (it takes about an hour at room temperature), then place them in a preheated oven (170°C Fan) for 4-5 minutes.
Nutrition
Christmas Sourdough ebook
Celebrate the holiday season with a unique twist this year with our 24 Christmas Sourdough recipes! Discover the magic of using active sourdough starter, sourdough discard, and leftover baked sourdough bread to create a memorable and flavoursome Christmas feast.
Amanda Wren-Grimwood says
I've not made croissants yet but I'll definitely be using this recipe. So many great hints and tips! Thanks.
Anonymous says
As someone who’s made croissants 10x times and sourdough croissants once. Currently using this recipe and on my second fold, and the dough was so wonderful to work with. Followed her tips exactly and cannot wait to see the finished product. Cannot recommend this recipe enough. She truly makes it’s easy to follow!
Ieva Greber says
Thank you so much for such a lovely comment! I'm so glad you are enjoying the recipe - hope they turn out fantastic! 🙂
Julia says
The best croissants We ever tried, really! I highly recommend making a double batch of this!
Ieva says
Thanks so much! 🙂
Kechi says
I always shy away from baking croissants; however, your step-by-step tutorial made this recipe easy to follow! I see myself baking this with the kids sooner than later! And by the way, your croissants look phenomenal!👏🏾
Ieva says
Thanks, Kechi! Wow, kids making croissants! They must have learnt a lot from you with all the amazing cooking and baking you do yourself! 🙂
Holley says
I love anything homemade! This croissant recipe is a keeper! Yum!
Ieva says
Yes! I find that out of everything homemade, pastries are really head and shoulders above the shop-bought ones! 🙂
Helen says
These look amazing and your recipe looks quite 'do-able'! Thanks for all the great tips and advice.
Ieva says
Definitely do-able! All that's needed is a bit of patience and a bit of temperature control!:D
Nicole Guarnieri says
So my dough is in fridge after last fold they went in fridge about 2am lol can they stay in fridge till later when i have time to shape !
Ieva Greber says
2 am? That's commitment! 🙂 Yes, I've kept my laminated dough in the fridge for 36-48 hours. As long as the temperature isn't over 4 C, it shouldn't puff up too much, but if it does, make sure to pop any big air pockets when you roll the dough before shaping 🙂 hope they turn out amazingly flaky!
Dannii says
I have never had sourdough croissants before. These look amazing.
Ieva says
Dannii, they are definitely worth a try! Whilst it is a longer process, sourdough pastry is definitely easier to work with. 🙂
Suja says
This looks and sounds fabulous! Love this recipe. It's a perfect dish for my family.
Ieva says
Yes!!! Everybody loves a good croissant, right? 🙂
Janessa says
These sourdough croissants look absolutely scrumptious!
Isabel says
Only one authentic review here? Will try anyway
Natalie says
These home-baked croissants are the best I ever made. Always better than bought ones, thanks!
Ieva says
What a wonderful compliment! Thanks so much for the lovely feedback, Natalie! So glad they turned out great!
Kate says
Oh wow, look at that lamination! I make sourdough bread often but haven't tried croissants - your instructions make it sound straightforward, so I'm going to give them a go!
Ieva says
Thanks, Kate! I'm sure you will find they are worth the effort! 😀
Michelle says
I didn't know you could make croissants out of sourdough! But I may never eat them another way!
Beth says
Oh my goodness look at the texture of those croissants! Definitely worth the effort!
Ieva says
We agree! 😍
Eva Herman says
Hello,
i made these of the weekend and they were/are fabulous. I baked only 6 and froze 6 for later. But my question is about the instructions on how to bake them from frozen. The time and temperature given are exactly the same as for baking them from fresh. But that can't be possible. Can you please let me know what the temp and time for baking from frozen should be? Or should I thaw them out before baking?
Thank you very much.
Ieva says
Hi, Eva! So glad you liked the recipe 💗. As a general rule, you can expect frozen croissants to take approximately 5-10 minutes longer to bake than fresh croissants. So you should plan on baking the frozen croissants for 25-30 minutes at the same temperature (190 C). Hope that helps!
P.S. If you try thawing them first, please do let me know if it works well (I've not tried this before, and would love some insights :))
Eva Herman says
Hi Ieva, Now, that you confirmed that the bake time should be longer than what the recipe says, I am hesitant to thaw one because I'd think it might get soggy. Also, i missed the first time when i read the recipe that the temp is 190C Fan. I baked in at the regular bake 400F for 25 minutes and they came out perfect. So, if I build up he nerve to let one thaw, i will let you know how it turned out. Thank you so much for your recipe and the detail description on what to do and how. Fail-proof really.
Cheers,
Eva
Eva Herman says
Fabulous recipe, fabulous croissants.
Thank you,
Eva
Charity says
I was fairly disappointed how small these turned out; I was originally looked for a croissant recipe that would produce sandwhich sized croissants, but these are pretty little. My butter pack shattered on the first roll out but was still contained within the dough, so I got nice layers and a delicious product, they were just a bit too small for the effort I put in. If anyone tries out this recipe, look up first how to make your butter pack "plastic" before encasing it in the dough, and look into how to roll it out once it's incased because it is not as simple as just "roll out the dough". I look forward to trying this recipe again in the future!
Nicole says
I was wondering if I could also shape the croissants and let them prove overnight and bake directly in the morning? They turned out perfect the first time I baked them, but I would love to bake them directly in the morning when I bake...
Ieva Greber says
Hi, Nicole. Glad they turned out great!
Yes, you can prove them overnight, but it's all about temperature control. I found that they were underproved when I left them overnight in the fridge, but overproved (and very flat when baked) when I left them on the kitchen counter in summer. If you shape them just before bedtime, find a cooler place in your house, and bake them first thing in the morning, they will be just fine! Oh, and it's even more important to cover them well so that they don't dry out and form a crust on the surface.
One last thing I'd say is that the fermentation in the dough will continue as they prove overnight, so from my experience, croissants will have a more prominent sourdough tang (we love it though!).
Good luck, really hope you have wonderful freshly baked croissants for breakfast! 🙂
Scarlet says
Amazing. Flaky and delicious croissant recipe. Thanks!
Lora says
The most flaky croissants and a great way to use up my starter! Perfect to dip right now in my cappuccino!
NigeB says
I loved your panettone recipe but this is even better. I wish I could put up photos to show how well these croissants turned out. Lovely dough, precise directions, no butter leakage in the oven, delightful 'tang' from the sourdough...just amazing. Thanks very much.
Ieva Greber says
Well that just made my day — panettone being dethroned is no small feat! 😄
I’m absolutely thrilled to hear how beautifully they turned out (and zero butter leakage is the dream!). Thank you so much for such a kind comment — that lovely sourdough tang really is the cherry on top. So glad you enjoyed them!
Liz says
These sound so flaky, buttery, and beautifully made with those classic croissant layers. Such a fun sourdough baking project when you want something that feels straight from a Paris bakery.
Ieva Greber says
Ah, thank you so much, Liz! So glad they turned out beautifully! 🙂
Sherri says
Just wow! I'll admit I was intimidated to make these--but they turned out so great. Thank you!
Ieva Greber says
Sherri, you are most welcome! So glad you tried the recipe - laminated sourdough pastries are no easy task, but, in my opinion, totally worth it 🙂
Kat says
I’m on stage 3 of the first mix of the dough. You mention that the dough should not be sticky before starting the first 4 hour proving. Do I add more flour to stop it being sticky as mine is very sticky?
Ieva Greber says
Hi Kat! I wouldn’t add lots of extra flour at this stage, as that can make the croissants heavier. If it’s just a little tacky, that’s fine, but if it’s very sticky, I’d keep kneading for a few more minutes first — it may simply need more time for the gluten to develop and for the butter to fully incorporate.
If it’s still really difficult to handle after that, add just a small sprinkle of flour, a teaspoon at a time, rather than a big scoop.
Most importantly, make sure to chill chill chill when laminating and before shaping (especially if it's hot in your kitchen)! Hope it all works out well.
Swathi says
I made these overnight sourdough croissants so perfect and flaky. Thanks for sharing with me. so good.