Sourdough croissants recipe : Master the art of making flaky, buttery croissants at home with this step-by-step guide to perfecting every layer.

It’s easy to imagine you’re sitting in a dainty little French pastry shop when you enjoy one of these decadent buttery sourdough croissants. They are almost too good to be real once you’ve mastered the art of the flaky layers and the honeycomb texture.

These croissants are perfect to make fancy sandwiches with, or slice open and fill with sweet cream and fruit and then dust with powdered sugar and enjoy as a dessert. I love how versatile they are!

I have made countless attempts making these, and in this post I will teach you how to make flaky sourdough croissants at home. When I tell you that I worked my tail off perfecting this recipe and method, believe me. After many attempts with sub-par results, I finally perfected a recipe and process that I feel like anyone can master. This is one of those recipes where you almost wonder- is it worth the time and effort? But then when you do, it is SO worth it and you will feel so proud.

These are definitely a labor of love, but if you have patience, time and a few simple ingredients, you can successfully bless your family and friends with these artisan quality, French inspired pastries.

Why you will love this recipe:

Simple Ingredients: If you are a sourdough baker, chances are you have everything you need to make these. It takes simple pantry staples and sourdough starter to create these beautiful pastries.
Incredibly delicious: The flaky layers, the layers of butter, the tangy hint of sourdough flavor= there is nothing not to love about these.
Versatile: These croissants are perfect for various occasions. Level up your ham and cheese sandwich game, enjoy them for a fancy breakfast with eggs and avocado, or serve them with fruit and a sweet cream for a fancy dessert. My favorite are chocolate croissants, you just fold chocolate chips into the croissant as you roll them up. And after baking, dust with powdered sugar.
Sourdough: these are made using active sourdough starter as the leavening agent verses commercial yeast, making them a healthier, more easily digestible option.

What you need to make homemade sourdough croissants:

Croissant dough:

550 g unbleached all-purpose flour
180 g active sourdough starter, 100% hydration
50 g sugar
15 g salt
3 tbsp butter, melted
150 g whole milk, room temperature
150 g filtered water, room temperature

Butter block:

3 sticks butter
flour

Egg wash:

2 egg yolks
2 tsp milk

How to mix sourdough croissants and prepare butter block:

Measure all dough ingredients using a kitchen scale, and mix together by hand until a smooth dough forms. If it appears to want to stay shaggy, let it rest for 15 minutes and perform a set stretch and folds, it should be smooth and firm then. Cover it and let it rise in a warm spot until doubled- about 6-8 hours, then move it to the fridge for an overnight ferment.
Make your butter block by taking a piece of parchment paper and dusting the middle with flour, and lay 3 sticks of room temperature butter on the flour. Using a knife or spoon, spread it out so it’s about 8 inches both ways, doesn’t need to be perfect. Dust the top of the butter with flour to. Using a ruler to measure, fold the parchment paper nto an 8×8 square, sealing in all the butter. Now when the butter is inside the parchment, you can use your hands to spread the butter out more evenly and into the corners. Place in fridge.

step by step on how to make sourdough croissants

Laminating:

The next morning, remove dough and cold butter package from fridge. Let rest and warm up a tiny bit for 5-10 minutes.
Lightly flour a clean work surface and turn your dough onto it. Using a rolling pin, roll the dough into a 12×12 square.
Lay butter block onto the square, in a diamond position.
Fold all four corners of the dough over into the middle of the butter block, and pinch the edges together to seal.

Folds:

For the first fold, lightly flour your work surface again and the top of the dough. Use a rolling pin to roll out the cold dough into a long rectangle, 24×10 inches.
As you roll, apply even pressure, so the butter spreads uniformly, and dust the top and bottom of the dough with more flour if there’s any sticking. Try to keep the edges and corners straight as you roll out the dough and trim them if necessary.
Next you fold the dough. Take one end and fold it over one third of the way, then take the other end and fold it over on top of the 2 layers, like you would fold a letter.
Wrap with plastic wrap and place in fridge and chill for an hour.
Remove chilled dough from fridge and let it rest at room temp for 5 minutes, then repeat steps 7-11.
If dough resists being shaped into a full rectangle at this point, and rolls out with rounded ends, cut 1 end straight and cut that piece in half and lay it on the other end to round it out (see pic). Optional, but I don’t like wasting any.
Place back into fridge for an hour and then remove and let it rest for 5 minutes, then repeat steps 7-11 a final time, and this time you can leave them in the fridge for a couple hours or overnight until you are ready to shape. You can also shape them after an hour in the fridge. I’ve done both ways it just depends where we are in the day.

Shaping:

Next, prepare two baking sheets by lining with parchment paper or reusable silicone mats.
Remove the laminated dough from the refrigerator and place it on a floured surface to rest for five minutes.
Roll the dough out into a large rectangle, 24×12. The dough will be challenging to roll out at this point and will spring back quickly. If the dough warms up, fold it over once and lay it on a sheet pan and chill for 10 minutes.
Using a pizza cutter and a ruler, make five equally spaced cuts on the long sides of the rectangle.
You now have 6 rectangles. Using a ruler to line up the cuts, and a pizza cutter, cut lines and form isosceles triangles.
Using a knife or pizza cutter, cut small slits on the wide end of each triangle.
To shape, gently stretch and tug the corners of the wide end out and roll up the croissant snugly.
Transfer the shaped croissants onto your prepared baking sheets with the small tips secured under the croissant, the tend to come out as they rise.
Leave the rolled croissants to proof for around 5-7 hours at a temperature between 68-78°F, no warmer. Cover them with a plastic bag or something that will help them not get a crust as they rise. If needed, mist the croissants lightly with water if they seem to be getting dry. They should become puffy and jiggle when the tray is gently shaken, and the layers in the croissant should be visible.
The croissants can be baked once puffed out or refrigerated if you want to bake them in the morning. The extended fridge time will increase the sour flavor.

Baking:

Preheat the oven to 205°C/400°F.
In a small bowl, mix the egg yolk and water. Brush the croissants gently with the egg wash using a pastry brush.
Bake the croissants in the preheated oven, one pan at a time, for around 20 minutes until they are a deep golden brown.

Tips for Making Sourdough Croissants:

Use European-style, or High-fat Butter.

European-style butter or high-fat butter such as Kerrygold has a higher percentages of butterfat than standard store-bought butters. The butter is more malleable, which will make lamination easier. Ultimately, this will lead to a more flaky croissant.

Chill out

Chilling is essential to rest the gluten, prevent the butter from melting, and protect the intricate layers of croissant dough while rolling out.

Proof Long Enough

It’s easy to rush this part because you can’t wait for the results and they “seem” ready, but BE PATIENT. Fully proofed croissants appear extremely poofy with visible layers separating. The croissants will wobble if you shake the pan and more than double in size. If croissants are under proofed, they will leak butter, and the interior of the croissants will be dense and tight. Proof croissants in a warm environment between 68-78ºF. This way, the butter will not leak out during proofing.

Trim Edges of the Dough

Croissants are sensitive, in that tiny shaping mistakes are very visible once baked. If the edges and sides of the dough are not kept square before lamination folds, the delicate layers of butter and dough will be misplaced. These mistakes multiply during each fold. I use a ruler to measure my dough throughout the process. I am a big “eye it” type of baker, but this is one area where I don’t recommend eyeing it.

Be mindful of proofing area temperature

Proof croissants in a warm environment between 68-78ºF. This way, the butter will not leak out during proofing. You can mist the croissants gently with water to stop them from drying out or create a humid and warm spot by placing them in a cold oven next to a cup of hot water. Ensure the butter in the croissants doesn’t melt, or it will ruin the layers. Don’t place the cup of hot water underneath the tray of croissants, or it’ll make the bottom of the tray too warm.

Butter needs to be cold, but pliable

It’s crucial during lamination that the butter not melt. Refrigerate the dough in between each fold for at least an hour. However, you don’t want the butter to be too cold, or it can break into small pieces. 55-60ºF butter is ideal if you want to be exact. Let the dough sit for five minutes at room temperature before rolling.

Baker’s schedule (example):

Friday 7 am: mix croissant dough and let rise

Friday 2-4 pm (whenever doubled): put dough in fridge, covered. Make butter block and refrigerate.

Saturday 7 am: Roll out dough as directed and seal in butter block.

Saturday 8 am: first letter fold, wrap with plastic wrap and return to fridge.

Sat 9 am: 2nd letter fold, wrap and return to fridge.

Sat 10 am: 3rd letter fold, wrap and return to fridge.

Sat 12 am: Shape croissants

Sat 7 pm: Bake croissants

Other delicious sourdough recipes:

Sourdough Crepes

Garlic and Rosemary Sourdough Bread

How to Make Flaky Sourdough Croissants at Home

Print Recipe Pin Recipe

Prep Time 1

Cook Time 20

Total Time 1 12

Servings 12