Sourdough Croissants: The 3-Day Process That’s Totally Worth It

Today I am going to tell you guys how to make sourdough croissants.

This dough freezes beautifully for up to two months, which means you can do the hard work once and then enjoy fresh pastries whenever you want.

Imagine this: every time you’re craving a croissant, the night before you just take it out of the freezer, put it on a tray, and the next beautiful morning you have a croissant ready to bake. And I guarantee, the smell of fresh buttery croissants is going to wake up all of your family—even the laziest one.

So, let’s get into this, shall we?

Why You’ll Love This

• Fresh on demand: Do the hard work once, and you get fresh, hot pastries for weeks.
• The flavor: The stiff “sweet levain” gives you that complex depth without being aggressively sour.
• The texture: We’re aiming for that “wiggly and jiggly” proofed dough that bakes into a honeycomb interior—not a dense brioche.

What You’ll Need

Equipment

• Digital scale
• Rolling pin
• Ruler (essential for lamination)
• Parchment / baking paper
• Pizza cutter or sharp knife
• Pastry brush
• Cling wrap

The Stiff Sweet Levain (Day 1)

• 1 tbsp active sourdough starter (approx. 20 g)
• 25 g water
• 10 g sugar
• 45 g bread flour

(You’ll end up with about 80 g of stiff levain.)

The Dough (Day 2)

• 220 g bread flour (strong flour)
• 60 g whole milk
• 60 g water
• 30 g sugar
• 5 g salt
• All of the stiff levain prepared on Day 1 (about 80 g)
• 25 g unsalted butter, softened (for mixing into the dough)

The Butter Block (Day 3)

• 125 g high-fat unsalted butter (enough to form a 15 cm x 15 cm square; cold but pliable)

Finishing

• 1 egg, beaten with a splash of milk or water (for egg wash)

Day 1: Prepping the Stiff Starter (Sweet Levain)

On the first day, we need to prepare something called a stiff starter or sweet levain. It’s a sweet, less sour, and low-hydration starter perfect for pastry and sweet doughs.

1. Mix: In a small bowl, mix the active starter, water, sugar, and bread flour until you get a tight, stiff ball of dough.
2. Store: Put it into a jar. Make sure it’s tight enough so you can clearly see how it rises.
3. Wait: Let it rise for about 10 hours at room temperature until it peaks and looks airy inside if you cut it. It should have a beautiful structure.

Day 2: Mixing the Dough

It’s technically the second day and time to mix the dough.

1. Combine: In a bowl, combine the milk, water, sugar, salt, flour, and all of that beautiful stiff levain. Use your hands; it’s easier and more fun than a spatula. Mix everything together until no dry spots remain. If it feels desert‑dry, you can add a tiny splash more water.
2. Add the butter: Now, time to introduce the 25 g of softened butter to the dough. Squeeze it in (it will be messy, that’s okay). Knead on the counter for 8–10 minutes until the dough is smooth and elastic.
3. Bulk ferment: Place the dough in a lightly greased bowl. Let it rest for 30 minutes, then round it up (give it a tension pull to make a smooth ball). Continue fermenting at room temperature (around 27°C) until it has risen noticeably and feels lighter, about 4 hours total from the time you finished mixing.
4. Chill: Shape the dough into a rough rectangle, wrap it well in cling wrap, and send it to the fridge to chill overnight.

Day 3: Lamination & Shaping

1. Prepare the Butter Block

Grab your baking paper and a ruler.

1. Place the 125 g of cold butter between two sheets of parchment.
2. Use a rolling pin to press and shape it into a 15 cm x 15 cm square.
3. The butter should be pliable—not too soft, not rock hard. You want the butter and dough to be a similar firmness so they roll together without cracking or melting.

2. Lock In

1. Take the chilled dough from the fridge and lightly flour your work surface.
2. Roll the dough out to about 15 cm x 30 cm (twice the size of the butter square).
3. Place the butter block in the center. Fold the dough over from both sides to encase the butter completely and seal the edges well so no butter escapes.

3. First Turn (Book Fold)

1. With the sealed butter inside, gently roll the dough to about 18 cm x 45 cm. Try to keep the rectangle neat and even.
2. Fold one side in to about ⅓ of the way, then fold the other side in to meet it at ⅔.
3. Fold the whole thing in half like a book.
4. Wrap the dough and chill for 30–45 minutes.

4. Second Turn (Single Fold)

1. Take the dough out and roll it again to roughly 45 cm x 18 cm.
2. Fold one third over the center, then fold the remaining third on top (like folding a letter).
3. Wrap and chill for at least 1 hour so the gluten can relax and the butter stays solid in layers.

5. Shape

1. Roll the final dough out to about 26 cm x 32 cm with a thickness of around 4 mm (no less).
2. Along the long side, mark bases of about 8 cm and cut long triangles with a sharp knife or pizza cutter.
3. Gently stretch each triangle a bit without tearing.
4. Starting at the base, roll each triangle up into a croissant, keeping the tip underneath so it doesn’t unroll.

Freezing & Baking

The Freezer Trick

Since many people want these for breakfast, this is where the magic happens:

• Place the shaped croissants on a tray and let them firm up in the freezer briefly so they don’t squish.
• Then transfer them to a storage bag or container and freeze for up to 2 months.

The Proof

When you want to bake them:

• The night before, take the croissants out of the freezer and place them on a lined baking tray.
• Cover them gently so they don’t dry out.
• Proof at warm room temp (around 24–28°C) for roughly 8–10 hours.

They are ready when:

• They are wiggly and jiggly when you gently shake the tray.
• You can see the layers separating.
• If you lightly poke one, it should bounce back slowly.
• They should be about 2–3 times their original size.

The Bake

1. Preheat your oven to 180°C (355°F) with the fan on. If you don’t have a fan, bake at about 190–195°C.
2. Brush the croissants generously with egg wash.
3. Bake for roughly 18 minutes until deep golden brown and fully baked through in the middle.
4. Let them cool slightly so you don’t burn your mouth—but eat them warm if you can. That’s the dream.

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3-Day Sourdough Croissants (Freezer Friendly)

Recipe by Sana ReiCourse: Breakfast, BrunchCuisine: French, Artisan BakingDifficulty: Advance

Servings

8

croissants (depending on size)

Prep time (active)

1

hour 

Cooking time

18

minutes

Calories

380

kcal

Chill/Ferment Time

2

days (passive)

Total time (In days )

3

minutes

Flaky, buttery, honeycomb-layered sourdough croissants. A 3-day labor of love that results in a dough you can freeze for up to two months, giving you fresh pastries on demand.

Ingredients

• Equipment Needed

• Rolling pin

• Ruler

• Parchment paper

• Sharp knife/pizza cutter

• Ingredients

• 1 quantity Stiff Sweet Levain (20 g active starter + 25 g water + 10 g sugar + 45 g bread flour; about 80 g total)

• 220 g bread flour (strong flour)

• 60 g whole milk

• 60 g water

• 30 g sugar

• 5 g salt

• 25 g unsalted butter (room temp, for dough)

• 125 g unsalted butter (cold but pliable, for lamination block)

• 1 egg (for egg wash)

Directions

• Day 1 (Levain): Mix active starter, water, sugar, and flour to create a stiff sweet levain. It should feel tight and low-hydration. Place in a jar and let rise for about 10 hours until peaked and airy.
• Day 2 (Mix): In a bowl, combine 30 g sugar, 5 g salt, 60 g milk, 60 g water, all the stiff levain, and 220 g bread flour. Mix by hand until combined; if it feels very dry, add a tiny splash more water.
• Knead: Add 25 g softened butter to the dough. Squeeze it in (it will be messy). Knead on the counter for 8–10 minutes until smooth and elastic.
• Bulk Ferment: Let rest in a bowl for 30 minutes, then round the dough up (tension pull). Continue fermenting at room temperature (about 27°C) until roughly doubled and lighter, about 4 hours total from mixing.
• Chill: Shape the dough into a rough rectangle, wrap in cling film, and refrigerate overnight.
• Day 3 (Butter Block): Shape 125 g of cold butter into a 15 cm x 15 cm square between sheets of parchment paper. It should be pliable—about the same softness as the chilled dough.
• Lock In: Roll dough to about 15 cm x 30 cm. Place the butter square in the center, fold dough over to encase it, and seal the edges well.
• First Turn (Book Fold): Roll to about 18 cm x 45 cm. Fold one end to ⅓ of the way, the other end to meet it at ⅔, then fold in half like a book. Wrap and chill for 30–45 minutes.
• Second Turn (Single Fold): Roll to about 45 cm x 18 cm. Fold one third over the center, and the remaining third on top (like a letter). Wrap and chill for at least 1 hour.
• Shape: Roll the final dough to about 26 cm x 32 cm, about 4 mm thick. Mark 8 cm bases and cut into long triangles. Gently stretch and roll into croissants, keeping the tip underneath.
• Freeze (Optional): Place shaped croissants on a tray to firm up, then transfer to a bag or box and freeze for up to 2 months.
• Proof: For fresh croissants, place on a tray, cover, and proof at 24–28°C for 8+ hours until they are jiggly, 2–3x in size, and layers are visible. From frozen, place on a tray the night before, cover, and let thaw and proof at warm room temperature for 8–10 hours.
• Bake: Preheat oven to 180°C (355°F) with fan (or 190–195°C without fan). Brush croissants with egg wash. Bake for about 18 minutes until deep golden brown and fully baked in the center.

Notes

• Temperature check: If the dough fights you or shrinks while rolling, let it rest in the fridge for 30 minutes to relax the gluten.
• Melting hazard: If the dough gets warm and you see butter smearing or melting, stop rolling and chill for 30–40 minutes before continuing.
• Proofing sign: The croissants must wobble when you gently shake the tray and bounce back slowly when poked.
• Freezing: Shaped croissants freeze beautifully when well-wrapped. Always thaw and proof fully before baking for the best honeycomb interior.