🥐🍞 Sourdough Croissant Bread
This is a buttery, flaky sourdough bread inspired by croissants — soft layers inside, slightly crisp outside. Unlike traditional croissants, it’s baked as a loaf, making it easier to slice for breakfast or sandwiches.
🛒 Ingredients (Makes 1 loaf)
For the Dough:
- 1 cup active sourdough starter (fed and bubbly)
- 1 cup milk, warm
- 3 cups all-purpose flour
- 2 tbsp sugar
- 1 tsp salt
- 1 large egg
- 2 tbsp unsalted butter, softened
For the Butter Layers:
- ½ cup unsalted butter, cold but spreadable
👩🍳 Instructions
1️⃣ Prepare Dough
- In a bowl, mix sourdough starter, warm milk, egg, sugar, and salt.
- Gradually add flour and softened butter until a sticky dough forms.
- Cover and let rest 30–60 minutes.
2️⃣ Roll and Fold Butter
- On a lightly floured surface, roll dough into a rectangle.
- Spread cold butter over ⅔ of the dough.
- Fold the unbuttered third over the middle, then fold the other end over (like a letter).
- Chill 30 minutes, then repeat rolling and folding 2–3 more times to create layers.
3️⃣ Final Rise
- Shape dough into a loaf and place in a greased loaf pan.
- Cover and let rise 2–3 hours until puffy.
4️⃣ Bake
- Preheat oven to 375°F (190°C).
- Brush loaf with egg wash (optional for shine).
- Bake 30–35 minutes until golden brown and hollow-sounding when tapped.
5️⃣ Cool & Serve
- Let cool slightly before slicing.
- Perfect with butter, jam, or for sandwiches.
💡 Tips
✔ Keep the butter cold but pliable for clear layers.
✔ Chill dough between folds to prevent butter from melting into the dough.
✔ For extra flakiness, you can do an additional fold, but 3 is enough.
✔ Store in an airtight container or freeze slices for later.
If you want, I can also give a simpler “no-fold” sourdough croissant bread recipe that gives soft, buttery layers without the multi-step lamination process.
