Croissant Sourdough Bread

Recipe by Martin Philip

To make a loaf of sourdough bread that has the taste and texture of a croissant, you need to add butter — and plenty of it. In our take on Amy Bakes Bread’s viral bread of the same name, grated frozen butter is laminated into an egg yolk-enriched dough to create silky-soft, pull-apart layers and a light, open crumb. Making the loaf over the course of three days gives the dough plenty of time to develop a pronounced but balanced tang. It will stay soft and sliceable for days, but once you try a slice, you just might polish off the whole thing.

Prep
30 mins
Bake
35 to 40 mins
Total
3 days
Yield
one large bâtard
Croissant Sourdough Bread cut in half and stacked high - select to zoom
Croissant Sourdough Bread cut in half and stacked high - select to zoom
Croissant Sourdough Bread sliced and on a cutting board - select to zoom
Interior of Croissant Sourdough Bread  - select to zoom
Croissant Sourdough Bread sliced and on a cutting board - select to zoom
Interior of Croissant Sourdough Bread - select to zoom

Instructions

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  1. Note: This is a three-day process. On day one, you’ll mix the preferment; on day two, you’ll mix the dough, perform a series of folds over the course of about 2 hours, and let the dough rise for another 4 hours before shaping it; on day three, you’ll bake the final loaf. (See “tips,” below for a sample timeline.) 

  2. Day 1: Make the preferment. Weigh your flour; or measure it by gently spooning it into a cup, then sweeping off any excess. In a medium bowl or container, combine the flour, water, and ripe sourdough starter. Stir to combine, then let rise at room temperature until at least doubled, 8 to 12 hours.  

  3. Day 2: Mix the dough. In a large bowl, whisk together the preferment, water, and egg yolk until well combined. Add the remaining dough ingredients and stir, starting with a dough whisk or the handle end of a wooden spoon and transitioning to a bowl scraper and your hands, until fully combined and homogenous. Place in a lightly greased container (a 2-quart dough rising bucket works well), cover, and place in a warm spot (72°F to 78°F) to rise for 20 minutes (see this post, Where to put dough to rise, for tips).   

  4. Use a wet hand to vigorously fold the dough over itself in the container until it becomes smooth and shiny, 1 to 2 minutes. Cover and let rest for 20 minutes. 

  5. Perform a bowl fold: Use a wet hand to grab a section of dough from one side of the container, then lift it up and press it into the center. Repeat this motion, grabbing a new section of dough each time, until you've made a full circle around the bowl, about 8 to 12 times. Once you’ve circled the bowl, flip the dough over in the bowl so that the smooth side is up. Cover and let rest for 20 minutes. 

  6. Laminate the dough: Transfer the dough to a moistened surface and gently stretch and press into a 14" square of mostly even thickness; use a bowl scraper to ensure no parts of the dough stick to the surface.  

  7. Using the large holes of a box grater, grate about two-thirds of the frozen butter over the entire surface of the dough, distributing it as evenly as possible. Fold the dough in thirds like a business letter to form a rectangle that’s about 5" x 14" in size. Grate the remaining butter evenly over the top, then roll the dough towards you, tightening it as you proceed, to form a roughly 5" log. Place the dough back into the lightly greased container and let it rest for 30 minutes. 

  8. Perform a coil fold: With wet hands, reach under the dough and stretch the middle upward until the dough releases from the container. Roll it forward off your hands, allowing it to fold over (or “coil”) on itself. Rotate the container 90° (a quarter turn) and repeat once more. Cover the container and let the dough rest for 30 minutes. 

  9. Perform a second coil fold, then cover the container and let the dough rise until puffy and marshmallowy but not necessarily doubled in size, 2 to 4 hours.  

  10. Lightly dust a lined proofing basket with flour. Transfer the risen dough to a lightly floured surface and shape it into a bâtard (there's no need to preshape the dough). Transfer the loaf to the prepared basket, seam-side up. Cover and let it rest at room temperature for 1 hour, then refrigerate for 12 to 24 hours. 

  11. Day 3: Bake the bread. One hour before you plan to bake, preheat the oven to 475°F with a covered baker on the center rack, or a baking stone or steel on the center rack and an empty cast iron skillet on the lower rack.  

  12. Turn the loaf out of its basket onto a sheet of parchment. Fold up the sides of the parchment slightly to help contain any leaking butter (a small amount of leaking is normal during the baking process).  

  13. Use a baker's lame or razor blade to score the top of the loaf, then transfer it (still on the parchment) into the covered baker, or use a baker’s peel or inverted baking sheet to transfer it to the stone or steel. If using a stone or steel, pour about 1 cup of warm water into the cast iron skillet, then quickly close the oven door to trap the steam. 

  14. Immediately reduce the oven temperature to 450°F and bake for 35 to 40 minutes, removing the lid of the baker after 20 minutes, if using. Check the bottom of the loaf during the second half of the bake time; if it's becoming too brown, slide a second piece of parchment underneath. The top crust should be deeply colored when done baking.

  15. Allow the Croissant Sourdough Bread to cool (mostly) before enjoying, and slice with a sharp serrated knife to avoid compressing it. For the neatest presentation, wait until day 2 to slice. 

  16. Storage information: Store leftovers, well wrapped, at room temperature for several days. 

Tips from our Bakers

  • An active starter is essential for the success of this recipe. We recommend feeding your starter twice a day until it triples in volume in about 4 hours when fed with a 1:1:1 ratio (i.e., equal parts water, flour, and starter by weight).  

  • After laminating the dough (step 6), don’t place the dough in an environment that’s above 80°F, as the butter will leak out.  

  • Sample schedule: 

    Mix levain: 8:00 p.m. 

    Mix dough: 8:00 a.m. 

    Knead in container: 8:20 a.m. 

    Bowl fold: 8:40 a.m. 

    Laminate: 9:00 a.m. 

    Coil fold 1: 9:30 a.m. 

    Coil fold 2: 10:00 a.m. 

    Shape: 12:00 p.m. 

    Refrigerate: 1:00 p.m. 

    Bake: 8:00 a.m.