Sourdough croissants are a buttery, flaky, tangy pastry that uses an active sourdough starter instead of dry yeast. Serve them at brunch with butter and jam, or slice them in half for sandwiches.

Sourdough Croissants Recipe: 3 Tips for Flaky Croissant Dough

A croissant is a French pastry that requires the lamination method to create alternating dough and butter layers. The lamination process results in a flaky, buttery, crescent-shaped pastry. Croissant dough, puff pastry, and Danish dough are all laminated doughs, but the ingredients in the recipes vary. 

One popular version is a chocolate croissant, or pain au chocolat—rectangle-shaped croissants containing chocolate batons for a sweet element. Other croissants might include savory ingredients, such as ham and cheese. Try making Chef [Dominique Ansel’s croissant recipe](https://www.masterclass.com/articles/make-the-perfect-croissant-with-chef-dominique-ansel) for a traditional homemade version.
The active sourdough starter in a sourdough croissant recipe results in a slightly sour flavor. It also requires more technique than traditional croissants, which use commercial yeast. Follow these tips for making homemade croissants that call for [sourdough starter](https://www.masterclass.com/articles/apollonia-poilane-sourdough-starter-recipe):

- __Feed the sourdough starter the night before__. Making sourdough croissants is a long process, with a lot of the necessary chemical reactions happening overnight while the dough rests. Feed the sourdough starter the night before starting the recipe, so it has all night to activate and is ready to use the next day. 
- __Stick to the recipe’s fermentation timeline__. Commercial yeast croissants afford more leeway regarding the resting time between folds. Sourdough, however, takes a long time to achieve the same rise and reaction as dry yeast yields, so if a croissant recipe calls for a specific resting time or chilling the dough overnight between folds, follow the instructions carefully.
- __Use a high-hydration levain__. Croissant dough is a lightly enriched dough but still stiff. A high-hydration [levain](https://www.masterclass.com/articles/how-to-make-levain-starter-with-chef-dominique-ansel) (the starting mixture of active starter, water, and flour) will give the dough the right consistency without the risk of it becoming too dry or too wet.
Sourdough croissants are a buttery, flaky, tangy pastry that uses an active sourdough starter instead of dry yeast. Serve them at brunch with butter and jam, or slice them in half for sandwiches.

A croissant is a French pastry that requires the lamination method to create alternating dough and butter layers. The lamination process results in a flaky, buttery, crescent-shaped pastry. Croissant dough, puff pastry, and Danish dough are all laminated doughs, but the ingredients in the recipes vary. One popular version is a chocolate croissant, or pain au chocolat—rectangle-shaped croissants containing chocolate batons for a sweet element. Other croissants might include savory ingredients, such as ham and cheese. Try making Chef <a href='https://www.masterclass.com/articles/make-the-perfect-croissant-with-chef-dominique-ansel' target='_self' class='mc-text--link' data-mc-segment-trigger='true' data-mc-segment-event-type='Article Page Click' data-event-obj='{"textTag":"p","href":"https://www.masterclass.com/articles/make-the-perfect-croissant-with-chef-dominique-ansel","linkCopy":"Dominique Ansel’s croissant recipe","category":null}'>Dominique Ansel’s croissant recipe</a> for a traditional homemade version.

What Are Croissants?

The active sourdough starter in a sourdough croissant recipe results in a slightly sour flavor. It also requires more technique than traditional croissants, which use commercial yeast. Follow these tips for making homemade croissants that call for <a href='https://www.masterclass.com/articles/apollonia-poilane-sourdough-starter-recipe' target='_self' class='mc-text--link' data-mc-segment-trigger='true' data-mc-segment-event-type='Article Page Click' data-event-obj='{"textTag":"p","href":"https://www.masterclass.com/articles/apollonia-poilane-sourdough-starter-recipe","linkCopy":"sourdough starter","category":null}'>sourdough starter</a>:<ul class="mc-m-4"><li class="mc-my-4"> 1. Feed the sourdough starter the night before. Making sourdough croissants is a long process, with a lot of the necessary chemical reactions happening overnight while the dough rests. Feed the sourdough starter the night before starting the recipe, so it has all night to activate and is ready to use the next day. </li><li class="mc-my-4"> 2. Stick to the recipe’s fermentation timeline. Commercial yeast croissants afford more leeway regarding the resting time between folds. Sourdough, however, takes a long time to achieve the same rise and reaction as dry yeast yields, so if a croissant recipe calls for a specific resting time or chilling the dough overnight between folds, follow the instructions carefully. </li><li class="mc-my-4"> 3. Use a high-hydration levain. Croissant dough is a lightly enriched dough but still stiff. A high-hydration <a href='https://www.masterclass.com/articles/how-to-make-levain-starter-with-chef-dominique-ansel' target='_self' class='mc-text--link' data-mc-segment-trigger='true' data-mc-segment-event-type='Article Page Click' data-event-obj='{"textTag":"p","href":"https://www.masterclass.com/articles/how-to-make-levain-starter-with-chef-dominique-ansel","linkCopy":"levain","category":null}'>levain</a> (the starting mixture of active starter, water, and flour) will give the dough the right consistency without the risk of it becoming too dry or too wet. </li></ul>

Tips for Making Sourdough Croissants

Sourdough Croissants Recipe

Sourdough croissants are a buttery, flaky, tangy pastry that uses an active sourdough starter instead of dry yeast. Serve them at brunch with butter and jam, or slice them in half for sandwiches.

Sourdough croissants are a buttery, flaky, tangy pastry that uses an active sourdough starter instead of dry yeast. Serve them at brunch with butter and jam, or slice them in half for sandwiches.
