Sourdough Croissants
These take a lot of overnight proving but the result is worth it
Makes enough for: 8 croissants
Ingredients
- 112 g active sourdough starter
- 150 mls milk
- 245 g flour, divided, plus extra for dusting
- 42 g fructose
- 5 mls fine salt
- oil for greasing
- 224 g butter
- 1 egg
Method
Day 1:
- Place the starter, milk and 140g flour into a stand mixer bowl
- Using a dough hook, beat until combined
- Cover and leave to rest for 30 minutes
- Add the remaining flour, fructose and salt and mix until a dough forms
- Then knead on a low speed for 10 minutes
- Tip the dough out onto a lightly floured surface and shape into a ball
- Lightly oil the bowl, place the dough back into the bowl and turn to cover with the oil
- Leave the dough seam side down, cover the bowl and set aside for 30 minutes
- Pinch and fold the dough from the 12, 3, 6 and 9 o'clock positions then cover and set aside for 30 minutes
- Repeat the pinch and fold action, cover and set aside for 60 minutes
- Repeat the pinch and fold action then cover and set aside overnight to prove
Day 2:
- Cut off a large piece of baking paper
- Cut your butter into 4 equal slices and place into the middle of the baking paper in the shape of square (or as square as you can get it)
- Cover with another sheet of baking paper and leave at room temperature to soften enough to roll
- Tip your dough out onto a well floured surface and roll into a large rectangle, 4mm thick
- Orient the dough with the long edge facing you
- Measure the dough and work out the size of a square (i.e. half the size of the rectangle)
- Roll your butter out to this size then place the butter into the middle of the dough, leaving a quarter edge flap on each side
- Fold the flaps into the middle, then fold in half again (this is a book fold) and seal the edges
- Cover with cling film and place into the fridge for 10 minutes to allow the butter to harden
- Remove from the fridge and place the dough with the folds facing upwards onto a lightly floured surface and roll out into a large rectangle
- Repeat the book fold procedure, seal the edges, cover with cling film and place into the fridge for 30 minutes
- Remove from the fridge and place the dough with the folds facing upwards onto a lightly floured surface and roll out into a large rectangle
- Repeat the book fold procedure, seal the edges, cover with cling film and place into the fridge for 30 minutes
- Remove from the fridge and place the dough with the folds facing upwards onto a lightly floured surface and roll out into a large rectangle
- Orient the dough with the short edge facing you then fold the top edge down, two thirds of the way
- Fold the bottom edge up, to cover the top edge (this is a letter fold), and seal the edges
- Cover with cling film and place into the fridge for a minimum of 2 hours
- Remove from the fridge and place the dough with the folds facing up onto a lightly floured surface and roll out into a large rectangle, 40cm long and 20cm wide
- Cut the rectangle into 4 squares of 10cm x 10cm, refrigerating the squares you are not working with to keep the butter cold
- Cut each square along the diagonal to make 8 triangles
- Place with the base facing the bottom and roll out the top two thirds of the dough
- Roll up from the base to the tip, as tightly as possible then place onto a lined baking tray with the tip tucked under
- Shape into a crescent as best you can and repeat until you have shaped all the dough
- Cover with lightly oiled cling film and leave to prove overnight
Day 3:
- Preheat your oven to 200° Celsius
- Whisk the egg to completely slacken
- Brush the top of each croissant with the egg then place into the oven
- Bake for 15 minutes then remove from the oven
- Place onto a wire rack straight away and serve warm