It sounds like you’re interested in making a sourdough croissant loaf—a rich, buttery, laminated bread with sourdough tang, shaped and baked like a loaf. This is a hybrid of croissants and sourdough bread, and it’s absolutely delicious.
Here’s a step-by-step outline for making it:
🍞 Sourdough Croissant Loaf Recipe
Ingredients
Levain:
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20g mature sourdough starter
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40g water
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40g all-purpose flour
Dough:
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400g bread flour
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40g sugar
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10g salt
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180g water (adjust slightly as needed)
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100g whole milk
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100g levain (from above)
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30g unsalted butter, softened
Butter Block:
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250g unsalted butter, cold
🕐 Timeline (3 days)
Day 1: Make Levain + Dough
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Morning: Mix the levain and let it ferment at room temp (6–8 hours).
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Afternoon:
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Mix dough ingredients except butter and knead until smooth.
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Add softened butter and knead until fully incorporated.
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Bulk ferment at room temp for ~4 hours with one stretch and fold halfway.
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Chill overnight in the fridge, well-covered.
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Day 2: Lamination
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Make butter block:
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Pound the butter between parchment to form a ~20×20 cm square.
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Chill until firm but pliable.
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Laminate:
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Roll dough into a ~40×40 cm square.
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Place butter block in the center, fold dough over like an envelope.
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Perform 3 single folds (or 2 double folds) with rest periods in fridge (~30 min between).
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After final fold: Chill dough overnight again.
Day 3: Shape + Bake
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Shape:
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Roll dough into a ~30×40 cm rectangle.
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Roll it up tightly (like a jelly roll) and place in a loaf pan seam-side down.
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Proof:
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Cover and let proof at ~24–26°C for 4–6 hours, until puffy and jiggly.
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Bake:
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Preheat oven to 200°C (392°F).
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Egg wash the loaf if desired.
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Bake for 35–45 minutes until golden brown and internal temp is 94°C (201°F).
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✅ Tips
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Use high-quality butter (European-style for best lamination).
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Keep everything cold during lamination.
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Don’t rush proofing—watch the dough, not the clock.