Sourdough Croissant Loaf

A labor of love but this buttery flakey sourdough loaf is worth every minute!

I saw the trend on social media and knew I had to try it!

I don’t think i’ll be able to make sourdough without folding butter into it now 🤣, it is just too good.

The layers inside are beautifully flakey and buttery, making this loaf perfect for anything breakfast-lunch-or dinner!

This recipe may be a little more difficult if you are a complete beginner, i’d recommend starting and mastering basic loaves first before a more complex one!

I use sourdough starter at 100% hydration for this recipe, meaning I began with starter and added equal amounts flour and water to starter to get it up to ripeness for the recipe. (1:1:1)

I hope you enjoy this as much as I did!

You will Need:

• Large glass bowl

• Kitchen towels

• cheese grater

• Bread banneton or makeshift

• bread lame or sharp knife

• dutch oven pot

• plastic wrap

• parchment paper

Ingredients:

100g active and bubbling sourdough starter

350g water

500g bread flour

10 grams salt

1 stick (113 grams) Salted Butter (put it in the freezer before you start)

Directions:

Setting up the dough

1. In a LARGE glass bowl, mix together the water and starter. Add in the flour and salt and mix with a bread whisk or your hands and a spoon until it forms a shaggy dough. Cover the dough with a damp towel or plastic wrap and let the dough rest for 30min-1 hour before doing anything else, this helps the flour become fully hydrated!

2. We will perform four sets of stretch and folds every 30 minutes. Do the first stretch and fold without adding any butter as normal.

3. After 30 minutes, grate half of your frozen butter directly over the dough and perform your folds. Cover and allow it to rest for 30 minutes. Place the rest of the butter back in the freezer.

4. Before the third fold, grate the rest of your frozen butter evenly over the dough again and then perform the folds. Let the dough rest for 30 minutes again.

5. Perform your last stretch and fold with either the 4-corner or coil folds, no more butter will be added for the last fold.

   

Bulk Fermentation

5. Cover your dough with plastic wrap and let it rise for 6-8 hours until it has *almost* doubled in size and there are visible bubbles on the top and that you can see through the bottom of the bowl.

   MAKE SURE your house is at a comfortable temperature for the dough (not higher than 72/73 degrees or so-you do not want the butter to melt!

   You may choose to check your dough with a thermometer every so often, if it does get too warm, place the bowl in the fridge for 15-20 minutes to cool it off and take it back out.

Cold Ferment

6. After your dough has risen, lightly flour your work surface. Use just enough flour to prevent sticking, but not too much. Gently turn out the dough. Try not to deflate it, 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. Fold the bottom third up over the previous fold and turn the dough. I roll it long ways into a burrito with tension (but not tearing the dough!) and then push and roll back towards me creating tension and forming the dough into a smooth ball.

7. Flour a banneton bowl or bowl with a floured kitchen towel and place the dough smooth-side down into it. Pull the sides of the dough up and pinch them together as you normally would to create tension. Cover the dough and let it rest for 203 minutes.

8. Refrigerate the dough overnight (at least 12 hours).

   

   (my dough after refrigerating overnight!)

   Baking

9. Preheat your oven with your dutch oven and lid inside to 450 degrees F.

10. Prepare a large sheet of parchment paper by crumpling it up and then flattening out. Turn your dough out onto the parchment paper and score your bread. I just do one long line down the side.

11. Once your oven has preheated for at least 15-20 mins, place your parchment paper and dough into the dutch oven pot carefully. Cover the pot and let it bake for 30 minutes covered.

12. After 30 minutes, reduce the heat in your oven to 400 and remove the lid. bake for another 15-20 minutes or until the bread is brown and crispy, or you can test the temperature to make sure it has reached 200+ degrees F internally. Remove from the oven and the pot and let the bread cool on a cooling rack for 30min-1 hour fully before cutting into it. Enjoy within 3 days of baking for best flavor and texture!