Sourdough Croissant Loaf In a Dutch Oven
The other day I shared my sourdough croissant sandwich bread recipe and today I want to show one that I love even more! This is my take on the sourdough croissant loaf that is baked in our dutch oven. You can also open bake this in the oven, but this takes a traditional sourdough boule loaf and turns it on its head, with buttery goodness in every bite.
There is something that happens to this loaf when butter is introduced. By changing just a few things about my beginner sourdough bread recipe, you can create a loaf so soft, flakey and buttery. I promise this is the way you will want to make your sourdough bread every time!
There are a lot of things that you can do with sourdough bread and the most important thing to do is to have a STRONG sourdough start. This is really important. Sometimes you may think it is strong, but it may be too acidic and that can cause it to be weak.
I have found that feeding it more flour than water has given my start a strong base and recently all my loaves are turning out amazing. So make sure you have a healthy and strong starter.
Next, make sure you have butter!
I will share the recipe below but I wanted to share how this sourdough croissant loaf is made.
Sourdough Croissant Loaf
Ingredients
- 625 grams bread flour about 4 cups
- 100 grams active sourdough starter about 1 cup
- 10 grams salt about 1 3/4 teaspoon
- 450 gram water about 1 1/2 cup
- 1/2 cup frozen or cold butter 1 cube
Instructions
- To begin this bread, you need to set aside about 1 hour at least to take the time to knead and let the dough rest. The rest of the time will be more passive time.
- This recipe only has a small amount of active effort. You need to let the dough sit and take its time. You also need to plan time for this bread. It needs at least 12 hours in the fridge and at the least 3 on the counter.
- What I like to do is to start this dough in the afternoon around 1. I can get all the kneading in by 1:30 and then it needs some rest time. After that it will be sitting in the fridge overnight.
- Take your sourdough start, water and flour and put them in a large mixing bowl. Use a wooden spoon or dough spoon to mix the ingredients together.
- It will begin to be too sticky and dense to manage with a spoon. Continue to mix with your hands until it is completely combined. Let this sit for 30 min to one hour. This is the autolyse stage. Once the hour has passed you will add the salt and let it sit another 20 minutes.
- Now you will do your first stretch and fold or coil fold. There are two different options. You can stretch and fold which means you pull the dough up from one corner and stretch it and then fold it over the top fo the dough, rotate and do the same action 4 times for the dough.Coil fold is where you lift the dough from underneath with two hands, pulling the dough up and then folding it down in half on itself as you let it back down. I You then rotate the bowl and repeat this 3 more times rotating the bowl each time.`
- Let the dough rest another 30 minutes. The next stretch and fold you will grate the butter prior, into the dough and then repeat your stretch and folds.
- Repeat this 3 -4 more times. You can do it up to 6 times.
- Once you are at this point you will notice the dough has a very different texture and should be very jiggly.
- Once it has almost doubled in size, its time to shape your dough and prepare it for the fridge! This time can take anywhere from 4-8 hours. This will make one large loaf or two smaller loaves.
- Now, you are going to form a ball, first by rolling the dough in on itself. Then flip it over and use the countertop to create tension. Push on the dough ball while rolling it under. You want to turn and roll. You can watch my video to see how to do this. This creates tension on the dough surface and gives it that good crust.
- Let the dough sit and rest for a couple minutes.
- While it rests, its time to get a bowl ready. You can use a regular large mixing bowl, but it is recommended to use a bread banneton proofing basket.
- If you use a bowl, line it with a towel, and flour the towel heavily to prevent the dough from sticking. I like to use wheat flour for this because it tends to not absorb into the dough.
- If you use a bread banneton basket, flour its as well.
- Take the dough and lift it up, flip it over and put the finished side of the dough down into the bowl. Cover with plastic wrap and use a rubber band to secure the plastic wrap around the bowl.
- Put the bowl in the fridge and let it sit in there for at least 12 hours. You can go as far as 24 hours.
- Time to bake? Preheat to 450 degrees while this is happening. Put your dutch oven in the oven to preheat with the oven. You want your pan to be hot.
- Lay out some parchment paper, and take the dough gently out of the bowl and flip it over so the smooth side of the dough is on top. Lay it on the parchment paper
- Cut some slits or designs in the dough to allow for more of a rise. They are called expansion scores. I like to make a swirl. You can use a scoring lame or a sharp knife.
- Immediately take your hot dutch oven out of the oven and take hold of the parchment paper with the dough. Put it inside the dutch oven and carefully place the lid on and put it in the oven to bake.
- If you want, you can add a couple ice cubes on the outside of the parchment paper between the pan and the paper. This will give the crust a bubbly surface and allow more of a rise!
- Bake the dough for 30 minutes. Check around 30 minutes and see if it is done. Tap it, it should feel hollow. You can take the top off of the pan and let it bake if the top is not golden brown. Cook with the top off for another 15-20 minutes.
- Take it out of the oven when it is done and let it cool completely on a rack before cutting.
- This bread makes the most amazing toast, french toast, grilled cheese sandwiches, and it is fantastic with olive oil and balsamic vinegar!
First, in a large bowl, mix your flour, starter and water using a dough whisk or wooden spoon until a shaggy dough forms. Let it autolyse for 30 min to 1 hour. Autolyse means to let is sit undisturbed. The flour will be fully incorporated. It gives the water and flour to combine.
Add your salt and a small amount of water and mix it into the dough. I actually prefer this method. Recently I have found it to make my loaves better, lighter and they get a better rise.
Begin your stretch and folds. I like to do one set of stretch and folds before I add the butter. You can use salted butter or unsalted butter. I have done both.
After your first set of stretch and folds, grate the butter into the dough and then do another set of stretch and folds.
Repeat your coil folds/ stretch and folds 2-3 more times. Once you are done, its time to let it bulk ferment.
Let it sit covered until it almost doubles in size. This could take 4-8 hours depending on many variables. Make sure not to proof it somewhere warm or you will melt the butter. I bulk ferment this type of dough on my counter where it is room temperature.
One it has doubled in size, shape your dough on your work surface and place in a banneton. Place the shaped loaf in the refrigerator to chill overnight. This is called cold fermentation. I cover mine with a plastic shower cap.
In the morning, preheat your oven with your dutch oven inside.
Once it is preheated, score the dough to allow for expansion. Place it in the dutch oven with a parchment liner.
Bake covered for 25-30 minutes. I like to check my loaf about 5-7 minutes in and rescore the dough if needed.
Let it bake uncovered for 15-20 minutes until it is nice and golden brown.
Remove from the oven and let it cool completely. At least 1-2 hours.
Slice and serve. This is an amazing loaf of bread! It is so much softer than any traditional loaf of sourdough. The addition of the butter makes this loaf flakey, buttery, and so soft. I promise you will love the difference. My kids said I have to make it this way every time now.
The crumb though…its absolutely amazing too!
There are so many advantages to this recipe. The flaky layers of crust are just the beginning. This sourdough loaf is heavenly. The butter gives this crispy crust flaky layers that you just wont get otherwise.
What I love about this sourdough croissant loaf:
There is much less work and less error when making it instead of croissants. Croissants do demand more technical accuracy and things need to work just right in general.
This sourdough croissant bread much easier to make than croissants. It toasts beautifully and has a wonderfully soft crumb. It seems to stay soft for more days, whereas regular sourdough bread does seem to be more dense and hardens sooner.
Don’t forget to pin this for later!
