Sourdough Croissants Recipe
A croissant sourdough recipe with a 24-48 hour cold proof, three letter folds, and just 1 g of yeast for reliability — crisp, honeycombed croissants.
By Maya Ellison · Updated August 18, 2026 · 3 min read
This croissant sourdough recipe is the closest a home baker gets to a Parisian pâtisserie croissant without moving to France: a 74% hydration dough, laminated with 280 g of European butter in three letter folds, and cold-proofed for 24 to 48 hours so flavor and texture develop together. One honest confession up front — it uses 1 g of instant yeast alongside your starter. Pure sourdough croissants exist, and they're wonderful, but they're brutally hard: a naturally leavened dough that's been chilled and laminated for days can run out of momentum by the time it hits the oven. A single gram of yeast changes nothing about the flavor and everything about reliability. If you've never laminated dough before, read the dough temperature guide first — croissants live or die on details like 75°F dough and cold, pliable butter.
Why this recipe works
A croissant is a numbers game: 74% hydration dough, butter at 56% of flour weight, and three letter folds that create 27 layers of dough and butter. Sourdough earns its place in that structure twice over. First, the acids in the starter gently soften the gluten over the long cold proof, which makes the crumb tender rather than tough. Second, fermentation adds a subtle nuttiness that balances the butter's richness — a flavor no commercial yeast can replicate. This croissant recipe with sourdough keeps all the drama of classic lamination and adds a depth that makes the first bite genuinely surprising.
The lamination sequence
Roll, fold, chill, repeat — that's the whole skill, and the order is the point. Roll the chilled dough in one direction only, fold it into thirds like a letter, rotate 90°, and chill before the next roll. The chill between folds is not optional: it resets the butter's temperature so it rolls in clean sheets instead of smearing into the dough. It's also why this recipe spans three days — most of the work is waiting, and the waiting is where the flavor lives. Every croissant you've ever loved was made this way, one patient fold at a time.
Is this recipe for you?
Be honest before you start. This is a three-day project with real technique, and frustration here has ended many a baking romance. If this is your first sourdough bake — or your first laminated dough — work through the basic sourdough bread recipe and a few high-hydration loaves first. If you've got some loaves under your belt and a weekend to spare, go for it. Read the steps through once, obey the chills, and it will work.
Swaps and variations
European butter is non-negotiable; the brand matters less than the fat content. Flat, ragged, or leaking croissants are almost always temperature failures, so lean on the sourdough troubleshooting guide before you blame your flour. For chocolate croissants, lay two batons of good dark chocolate on each triangle before rolling. For ham-and-cheese, brush the dough with mustard first and use milk instead of egg for the final wash so the filling doesn't over-brown. Yes, you can use all-purpose flour — but bread flour is the difference between proud croissants and apologetic ones.
Storage
Eat them within 12 hours if you can. After that, refresh in a 350°F oven for 5 minutes — it brings back the crust even as the interior softens. Unbaked croissants freeze beautifully: shape them, freeze on the tray, then transfer to a bag for up to a month and bake straight from the freezer. However you store them, never microwave a croissant. And if this is your first laminated bake, treat a flawed batch as tuition — the starter will happily make you another one.
Ingredients
Weights in grams are the source of truth; cup measures are approximate.
- 500 g bread flour (12.5-13% protein)
- 355 g cold water
- 100 g active sourdough starter (100% hydration)
- 1 g instant yeast
- 12 g fine salt
- 50 g granulated sugar
- 20 g unsalted butter, softened, for the dough
- 280 g European-style butter (84% fat), cold
- 1 large egg, beaten, for the egg wash
Method
Mix the flour, water, and sugar into a shaggy dough, then cover and rest for 30 minutes — a short autolyse that builds gluten structure before the starter goes in.
Add the starter, yeast, salt, and softened butter. Knead 8-10 minutes by hand or 6 minutes on medium in a stand mixer until the dough is smooth, elastic, and slightly tacky. Target a finished dough temperature of 75-78°F.
Cover and bulk ferment for 2-3 hours at room temperature, with one set of stretch-and-folds at the 1-hour mark, until the dough has grown about 50% and shows early bubbles.
Shape the dough into a 20 x 25 cm rectangle, wrap tightly, and refrigerate for at least 4 hours, preferably overnight — the dough must be thoroughly cold and firm before laminating.
Beat the cold European butter between two sheets of parchment into an 18 x 18 cm block, then return it to the fridge while you roll the dough.
On a lightly floured surface, roll the dough into a rectangle just under twice the size of the butter block, about 38 x 22 cm, keeping the corners as square as you can.
Center the butter block in the dough, fold the two sides over it, and pinch the seams shut so the butter is fully enclosed.
Roll the enclosed dough into a long rectangle about 20 x 60 cm, rolling in one direction only so the layers stay even.
Fold it into thirds like a letter — that's lamination fold one. Wrap and chill for 30-45 minutes.
Roll and letter-fold again (lamination two), chill 30-45 minutes, then repeat a third and final time (lamination three). Chill for at least 1 hour before shaping.
Roll the laminated dough to about 4 mm thick, trim the ragged edges, and cut into 8 triangles roughly 10 cm wide at the base and 28 cm tall.
Stretch each triangle gently, then roll it up from the base toward the tip, tucking the point underneath. Place the croissants 2 inches apart on parchment-lined trays.
Brush with egg wash, then cold-proof for 24-48 hours in the fridge. In a hurry? 3-4 hours in a warm spot works, at the cost of some flavor.
Brush with a second egg wash and bake at 400°F for 18-22 minutes, until deeply amber and crisp. Cool on a rack for 30 minutes before cutting.
Frequently asked questions
Why does the cold proof need to be so long?
Two reasons. First, flavor: a 24-48 hour cold ferment develops the mild, nutty sourness that separates a sourdough croissant from a plain butter one. Second, spring: a rested, relaxed dough rolls out cleaner and holds its lamination better, so the oven rise is taller and flakier.
Why European-style butter?
European butter is churned to at least 82% fat and often 84%, which means less water and a more pliable butter that rolls into thin sheets without cracking. Regular butter with less fat works, but expect more leakage into the dough and slightly less flake.
Why did my croissants leak butter?
Almost always because the dough and the butter were at different temperatures. If the butter is warmer than the dough, it smears into the layers instead of staying in clean sheets, and it escapes during baking. Chill between every fold and never roll a dough that feels warm.
Can I use all-purpose flour?
You can, but expect a softer, less structured croissant that's harder to laminate cleanly. Bread flour's extra protein gives the dough the strength to hold 27 layers of butter without tearing. If all-purpose is all you have, add 30 extra minutes to each chill.
How long do sourdough croissants keep?
They're best within 12 hours of baking. Keep them at room temperature in a paper bag for up to 2 days and reheat in a 350°F oven for 5-6 minutes to re-crisp the exterior. Unbaked croissants freeze well for up to a month — bake straight from frozen and add 5 minutes.