These potato flake sourdough croissants make the perfect buttery and flaky pastry. The process may seem intricate, but with patience and attention to detail, you’ll be rewarded with layers of butter and dough that produce a delicious croissant with rise and texture.
I’ll show you each step, while also touching on essential baking tips and techniques to ensure your croissants are the best they can be.
Why Use a Potato Flake Sourdough Starter?
A potato flake starter is a type of sourdough starter that uses potato flakes, sugar, and warm water to cultivate wild yeast. This method creates a slightly sweeter and more mild-tasting starter, which is a great option for those who may not be fans of the tangier traditional sourdough. Using this type of starter in this croissant rolls sourdough recipe adds a subtle depth of flavor, resulting in a perfectly balanced taste.
Don’t have a potato flake sourdough starter? Don’t let that worry you, I’ve got you! In a separate blog post I teach you step-by-step how to make a potato flake starter with my potato flake starter recipe. The first time you make it you will need commercial yeast, but after you’ve got an active starter you will only need warm water, potato flakes, and sugar to feed it.
If you already have a traditional sourdough starter made form flour and water, you don’t need to make a brand new starter. You can use some of your established starter and convert it into a potato flake starter.
There are so many different things you can make with this type of starter: potato flake sourdough bread, cinnamon rolls, dinner rolls, crackers and more!
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Tools you will need:
Parchment paper
Large mixing bowl
Knife
Measuring tape
Pastry Mat (optional)
Ingredients You’ll Need for Potato Flake Sourdough Croissants:
To make buttery sourdough croissants, you’ll need a mixture of dough ingredients, a butter block for lamination, and an egg wash to create that golden-brown exterior. Here’s the breakdown:
Dough Ingredients
- 115g (about ½ cup) active potato flake starter – This will give the croissants their sourdough flavor, leavening power, and fermented benefits.
- 36g (2 ½ Tablespoons) sugar
- 5g (1 teaspoon) table salt – Don’t skip the salt, it enhances the overall flavor.
- 29g (2 tablespoons) unsalted butter, melted – If you use salted butter, just reduce the amount of salt by 1/4 of a teaspoon)
- 221g (about 1 cup + 2 Tablespoons) whole milk, cold – Keeps the dough tender and moist.
- 480g (about 3 ¾ cups) unbleached all-purpose flour – The base for your croissant dough. You could substitute a portion for the all purpose flour for bread flour if needed.
Butter Block Ingredients:
- 227g (1 cup) unsalted butter, cold – Laminates the dough to create flaky layers.
- 8g (1 tablespoon) unbleached all-purpose flour – Prevents the butter from melting too quickly during lamination.
Egg Wash Ingredients:
- 1 egg
- 15g (1 tablespoon) whole milk – Creates a glossy, golden finish.
Making the Potato Flake Sourdough Croissant Dough
Mixing the Dough:
In a large bowl, combine your potato flake sourdough starter, sugar, salt, melted butter, cold milk, and flour.
Stir the ingredients until a shaggy dough forms.
Once it starts to come together, knead the dough for several minutes either in the bowl of a stand mixer with a dough hook attachment or by hand on a floured surface. The dough should feel smooth and soft and the sides of the bowl should be clear.
The First Rise:
- Once the dough is smooth, form it into a ball and place it in a bowl.
- Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and let it sit at room temperature for 8-10 hours, or until it nearly doubles in size.
- After the dough has doubled, cover it and refrigerate it for at least 2 hours to firm up before lamination.
Preparing the Butter Block
You can create the butter block at the same time as you make the dough, or after the first rise. If making it ahead of time, refrigerate the butter but allow it to set out at room temperature for about 20-30 minutes to soften up and become pliable before laminating.
Creating the butter block is crucial for achieving those flaky layers in your croissants. The butter will be encased in the dough and folded multiple times to create thin, buttery layers.
Shaping the Butter Block:
On a sheet of parchment paper, mark out a 6×8 inch rectangle with a pen or pencil. Pre-fold the lines to form a rectangle shape. Be sure to fold the parchment so the markings are on the outside and won’t touch the butter.
Sprinkle ½ tablespoon of flour over the rectangle area and evenly distribute the cold butter (cut into small pieces) across the flour.
Sprinkle the remaining ½ tablespoon of flour on top of the butter.
Fold the parchment over the butter, using your markings as a guide.
Flip the pouch over to keep the edges closed. Then use a rolling pin and your fingers to evenly press the butter into the pouch to make a butter block. Chill if butter has begun to melt and looks greasy on the edges. If butter is still cold but pliable when you bend the block, it is ready for the next step.
Laminating the Dough
Lamination is the process of folding the butter into the dough to create those signature layers. This part of the process requires patience and attention to detail. It isn’t exactly difficult, but rather time consuming.
Wrapping the Butter Block:
After the dough has chilled, turn it out onto a lightly floured surface. Use your hands to begin to shape the dough into a rectangle and pull the corners to shape them. Roll it into a 13×9-inch rectangle. Dusting the top and bottom with flour as needed to prevent sticking.
Unwrap the butter block and place in the center of the dough, with a short side facing you.
Fold the edges of the dough over the butter so they meet in the center, fully encasing the butter block. Seal the edges well to prevent the butter from escaping during rolling. Brush away loose flour with a pastry brush or your hands.
First Lamination Fold (Book Fold):
With the dough positioned so that the seam is parallel to you, use your rolling pin to roll it into a 24×10-inch rectangle. Try to keep the edges and corners straight. Dust underneath with more flour as needed to prevent sticking.
Fold the short ends of the rectangle inward to meet off center. (You don’t want them to meet directly in the center because this will cause it to open up in the next fold) Then fold the new ends together like you’re closing a book. Brush away any loose flour as you go. This is your first lamination.
Wrap the dough in plastic wrap and refrigerate for 20 minutes.
Second Lamination Fold (Tri-Fold or Letter Fold):
After the dough has chilled, Place dough on your lightly floured surface again, this time with the fold facing you. Press with the rolling pin and roll to a 24×10-inch rectangle again. Dusting with flour as needed to prevent sticking.
This time, fold the short ends of the rectangle in thirds, as if you are folding a letter. Brush off any excess flour to maintain a smooth texture.
Wrap the dough again and refrigerate for 30 minutes.
Shaping the Croissants
Now that your dough is laminated, it’s time to shape your croissants.
Cutting the Dough:
Remove the dough from the fridge. With the folded side facing you, roll the dough out to a rectangle measuring about 18×11.5 inches. Use a pizza cutter to trim the edges so that they are straight, if needed.
Cut the dough into 5 equal rectangles, measuring to ensure accuracy. I make small cuts as I measure to track where I need to make my cuts. Now, cut each rectangle in half diagonally to form 10 triangles.
Shaping the Croissants:
Using the pizza cutter, cut a small slit at the base of the large end of each croissant triangle. Gently stretch the corners of dough at the corners and roll the triangle tightly (stating at the larger end) into a croissant shape.
Lightly press the tip of the triangle into the croissant to help it adhere to the underneath side. Repeat for remaining triangles.
Place the croissants on two parchment paper-lined baking sheets, with 5 croissants on each sheet.
One large baking sheet can be used, but they might end up touching during the rising time.
The Final Rise and Baking
Patience is key during the final rise. You want the croissants to double in size before baking, which ensures a light, airy texture. It also prevents the butter from leaking out. You definitely don’t want to rush this step.
Proofing the Croissants:
Cover the croissants loosely with plastic wrap and allow them to proof at room temperature for 8-12 hours. They should be wobbly and have visible layers when ready to bake. You can spray your plastic wrap with cooking spray if you are worried about it sticking to the croissants.
You don’t want to proof them in a warm place because this could cause the butter to melt out.
I like to let mine rise in the oven with the light off. This is a safe place that is draft free and won’t allow any gnats to get to the rising dough. Allow them to rise until doubled. This took my croissants 11 hours.
Don’t rush this part of the process. Under proofed croissants will leak out butter and won’t rise properly in the oven
You should begin to see some separation in the layers when proofing is finished.
Baking:
Once the croissants have doubled, preheat your oven to 425°F.
Beat your egg and milk together to make an egg wash. Use a pastry brush to brush egg wash over each proofed croissant.This helps give them that shiny, golden finish.
Bake one sheet at a time on the center rack, for 15-17 minutes or until deeply golden brown.
Serving and Storing Potato Flake Sourdough Croissants
Once baked, transfer your croissants to a cooling rack to allow them to cool slightly before serving. They can be enjoyed warm from the oven, with their crispy exterior and soft, buttery interior, or stored for the next day.
Storing Croissants:
- Croissants can be stored in an airtight container at room temperature for up to two days, or they can be frozen for up to a month.
- To reheat frozen croissants, simply pop them in a preheated 475°F oven for 3-5 minutes, or until they’re warmed through and crispy again.
Tips for Successful Potato Flake Sourdough Croissants
Making croissants requires practice, but tips will help you master the art of potato flake sourdough croissants:
Chill Your Dough and Butter:
The butter and dough need to have the same consistency for proper lamination. The butter should be cold but pliable; if it gets too soft, chill it before continuing. If the butter melts at any point in the process, you will lose your layering and end up with bread-like crescent rolls.
Don’t Rush the Proofing Process:
This is the main thing that causes my croissants to fail. Croissants need plenty of time to proof. They should double in size and develop visible layers before baking. They should “wobble” like jello or marshmallows if you bump the baking tray. Don’t bake too early!
Prevent Leaking Butter:
During baking, you can expect a slight bit of butter to leak out and then be re-absorbed by the croissants. Excessive leakage is not normal and could be due to problems with lamination, under-proofing, or proofing at too warm of a temperature.
By following these steps and practicing patience, you’ll be rewarded with the perfect croissant: buttery, flaky, and full of flavor.
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Potato Flake Sourdough Croissants
Equipment
- Rolling Pin
- Parchment Paper
- Pizza Cutter
- Large mixing bowl
- Knife
- Measuring tape
- Pastry Mat (optional)
Ingredients
Dough Ingredients
- 115 g about ½ cup active potato flake starter
- 36 g 2 ½ Tablespoons sugar
- 5 g 1 teaspoon table salt
- 29 g 2 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted (If you use salted butter, just reduce the amount of salt by 1/4 of a teaspoon)
- 221 g about 1 cup + 2 Tablespoons whole milk, cold
- 480 g about 3 ¾ cups unbleached all-purpose flour
Butter Block Ingredients:
- 227 g 1 cup unsalted butter, cold
- 8 g 1 tablespoon unbleached all-purpose flour
Egg Wash Ingredients:
- 1 egg
- 15 g 1 tablespoon whole milk
Instructions
Mixing the Dough:
- In a large bowl, combine your potato flake sourdough starter, sugar, salt, melted butter, cold milk, and flour.
- Stir the ingredients until a shaggy dough forms.
- Once it starts to come together, knead the dough for several minutes either in the bowl of a stand mixer with a dough hook attachment or by hand on a floured surface. The dough should feel smooth and soft and the sides of the bowl should be clean of ingredients.
- Once the dough is smooth, form it into a ball and place it in a bowl.
- Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and let it sit at room temperature for 8-10 hours, or until it nearly doubles in size.
- After the dough has doubled, cover it and refrigerate it for at least 2 hours to firm up before lamination.
Preparing the Butter Block
- On a sheet of parchment paper, mark out a 6×8 inch rectangle with a pen or pencil. Pre-fold the lines to form a rectangle shape. Be sure to fold the parchment so the markings are on the outside and won’t touch the butter.
- Sprinkle ½ tablespoon of flour over the rectangle area and evenly distribute the cold butter (cut into small pieces) across the flour.
- Sprinkle the remaining ½ tablespoon of flour on top of the butter.
- Fold the parchment over the butter, using your markings as a guide.
- Flip the pouch over to keep the edges closed. Then use a rolling pin and your fingers to evenly press the butter into the pouch to make a butter block. Chill if butter has begun to melt and looks greasy on the edges. If butter is still cold but pliable when you bend the block, it is ready for the next step.
Wrapping the Butter Block:
- After the dough has chilled, turn it out onto a lightly floured surface. Use your hands to begin to shape the dough into a rectangle and pull the corners to shape them. Roll it into a 13×9-inch rectangle. Dusting the top and bottom with flour as needed to prevent sticking.
- Unwrap the butter block and place in the center of the dough, with a short side facing you.
- Fold the edges of the dough over the butter so they meet in the center, fully encasing the butter block. Seal the edges well to prevent the butter from escaping during rolling. Brush away loose flour with a pastry brush or your hands.
First Lamination Fold (Book Fold):
- With the dough positioned so that the seam is parallel to you, use your rolling pin to roll it into a 24×10-inch rectangle. Try to keep the edges and corners straight. Dust underneath with more flour as needed to prevent sticking.
- Fold the short ends of the rectangle inward to meet off center. (You don’t want them to meet directly in the center because this will cause it to open up in the next fold) Then fold the new ends together like you’re closing a book. Brush away any loose flour as you go. This is your first lamination.
- Wrap the dough in plastic wrap and refrigerate for 20 minutes.
Second Lamination Fold (Tri-Fold or Letter Fold):
- After the dough has chilled, Place dough on your lightly floured surface again, this time with the fold facing you. Press with the rolling pin and roll to a 24×10-inch rectangle again. Dusting with flour as needed to prevent sticking.
- This time, fold the short ends of the rectangle in thirds, as if you are folding a letter. Brush off any excess flour to maintain a smooth texture.
- Wrap the dough again and refrigerate for 30 minutes.
Shaping the Croissants
- Remove the dough from the fridge. With the folded side facing you, roll the dough out to a rectangle measuring about 18×11.5 inches. Use a pizza cutter to trim the edges so that they are straight, if needed.
- Cut the dough into 5 equal rectangles, measuring to ensure accuracy. I make small cuts as I measure to track where I need to make my cuts. Now, cut each rectangle in half diagonally to form 10 triangles.
- Using the pizza cutter, cut a small slit at the base of the large end of each croissant triangle. Gently stretch the corners of dough at the corners and roll the triangle tightly (stating at the larger end) into a croissant shape.
- Lightly press the tip of the triangle into the croissant to help it adhere to the underneath side. Repeat for remaining triangles.
- Place the croissants on two parchment paper-lined baking sheets, with 5 croissants on each sheet.
- One large baking sheet can be used, but they might end up touching during the rising time.
Proofing the Croissants:
- Cover the croissants loosely with plastic wrap and allow them to proof at room temperature for 8-12 hours. They should be wobbly and have visible layers when ready to bake. You can spray your plastic wrap with cooking spray if you are worried about it sticking to the croissants.
- You don’t want to proof them in a warm place because this could cause the butter to melt out.
- I like to let mine rise in the oven with the light off. This is a safe place that is draft free and won’t allow any gnats to get to the rising dough. Allow them to rise until doubled. This took my croissants 11 hours.
- Don’t rush this part of the process. Under proofed croissants will leak out butter and won’t rise properly in the oven
- You should begin to see some separation in the layers when proofing is finished.
Baking:
- Once the croissants have doubled, preheat your oven to 425°F.
- Beat your egg and milk together to make an egg wash. Use a pastry brush to brush egg wash over each proofed croissant.This helps give them that shiny, golden finish.
- Bake one sheet at a time on the center rack, for 15-17 minutes or until deeply golden brown.
- Serving and Storing Potato Flake Sourdough Croissants
- Once baked, transfer your croissants to a cooling rack to allow them to cool slightly before serving. They can be enjoyed warm from the oven, with their crispy exterior and soft, buttery interior, or stored for the next day.
Storing Croissants:
- Croissants can be stored in an airtight container at room temperature for up to two days, or they can be frozen for up to a month.
- To reheat frozen croissants, simply pop them in a preheated 475°F oven for 3-5 minutes, or until they’re warmed through and crispy again.
TY, Having IBD, T2D w/NAFLD I’ve given up a lot of My Faves, 1 being Croissants, now I can make them 😋🤗🧜🏽♀️