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Whole Wheat Sourdough Croissants

October 21, 2014 By Korena in the Kitchen 38 Comments

Whole Wheat Sourdough Croissants | Korena in the KitchenAlmost a year ago exactly, David Lebovitz posted a recipe for whole wheat croissants on his blog. I have been meaning to make them ever since, and I finally found an excuse to do it for this month’s Sourdough Surprises project. I haven’t baked with the group for a few months and my poor, poor starter has definitely been suffering because of it: when I pulled it out of the fridge at the beginning of the month, knowing that I’d need to revive it after not feeding it for a very long time, the top had actually turned grey. My heart sank because I thought I’d killed for real, but upon closer inspection it smelled fine and I was able to scrape off the grey layer (which was just discolouration and not anything more sinister). A few aggressive discards and feeds later, it was back to its happy, bubbling self. Moral of the story: despite appearances, a well-established sourdough starter is actually really really hard to kill!

Whole Wheat Sourdough Croissants | Korena in the Kitchen

Even though I wanted to use David’s recipe, I turned to txfarmer on The Fresh Loaf for advice, because she is both a sourdough connoisseur and the Croissant Queen of the internet. I combined her sourdough croissant formula with David’s whole wheat croissant formula, and what I ended up with is very tasty indeed: flavourful and rich, with a flaky-crisp crust and soft, buttery inside. I proofed the croissants in an overly-warm spot, where they leaked a little bit of butter and expanded out rather than up so they don’t have that perfectly round cross-section, but they came out of the oven looking much better than I expected. Not to mention, they are delicious and made my whole house smell like a bakery (and also somehow like dark chocolate, even though they don’t contain a speck of it. Speaking of which, this recipe would make a mean pain au chocolat!).

Whole Wheat Sourdough Croissants | Korena in the Kitchen

In this formula, the sourdough is more for flavour than anything else, with the addition of a bit of commercial yeast in the dough to make sure things actually keep moving on schedule. This is important because the activity of the sourdough starter slows down considerably with all the chilling and resting of the dough that is necessary to keep the butter within it from melting. In most cases when making bread, slower activity = more time = more flavour, but here you run the risk of too much time, resulting in over-fermentation where the sourdough goes from extra flavourful to extra sour – not exactly welcome in a delicious breakfast pastry. I did all the mixing, folding, and shaping one day, then kept the croissants in the fridge overnight to proof and bake the next day, and not only was the schedule convenient, but the flavour was pretty much perfect.

Whole Wheat Sourdough Croissants | Korena in the Kitchen

Click the link to see all the croissants made this month by the Sourdough Surprises group!

Whole Wheat Sourdough Croissants

Adapted from David Lebovitz and txfarmer. Makes 16 small croissants – you could easily make 12 larger ones instead.

In the bowl of an electric mixer, combine:

320 g recently fed, active starter, 100% hydration

137 g whole milk, at room temperature

67 g granulated white sugar

10 g salt

3.55 g (1 1/8 tsp) instant yeast

22 g very soft unsalted butter

166 g strong bread flour

196 g whole wheat flour

Mix together to form a shaggy dough, then knead with the dough hook on medium-slow speed until the dough comes together and starts to become elastic. Don’t over-knead at this stage – all the rolling and folding you are going to do will develop the dough as well, and too much kneading early-on will make it much harder to roll out. Pat the dough flat, cover with plastic, and refrigerate for at least 2 hours.

sdcroissants1

While the dough rests, prepare the butter. Place 287 g cold unsalted butter between two sheets of waxed paper. With a rolling pin, pound on the butter to flatten it into a square (eventually you’re aiming for about 7 inches square). This will help make the butter pliable without melting it. Once the butter is a bit flatter and more malleable, fold the waxed paper into a 7 inch square envelope enclosing the butter, and roll the butter like cookie dough out to the edges and corners of the envelope to make a perfectly-sized square.

buttah

Check the consistency of both the refrigerated dough and beaten butter – you want them to be about the same, so chill/rest at room temperature either one as required before continuing.

Place the dough on a lightly floured surface and roll/stretch it into an 11 inch square – it should be large enough to fit the butter block in the middle. Fold the corners of the dough over the butter and seal the seams tightly to completely enclose the butter. With a rolling pin, roll the dough into an 8 x 24 inch rectangle.

sdcroissants2

With a knife, trim the short ends of the dough to expose the butter – this will help make your layers more distinct, with no “trapped dough” in the final product. Fold the dough into thirds, like a letter, then wrap in plastic and chill for about an hour.

fold1

Repeat the rolling, trimming, and folding 2 more times, for 3 folds total. When rolling, make sure you roll from the center out towards the short ends to evenly distribute the butter inside the dough, and use a pastry brush to brush away any extra flour on the dough when folding. By the third fold you should see lots of lovely layers of butter and dough in the cut edge.

fold3

After the third fold and rest, you are ready to shape the dough. Roll it into a 9 x 36 inch rectangle or split the dough in half and roll each into a 9 x 18 inch rectangle (this is what I did). Carefully trim all 4 edges to expose the butter layers. Cut the dough into 8 rectangles total (4 1/2 x 9 inch), then cut diagonally across each rectangle to make 16 right-angle triangles total (if you’re working with a half batch, that’s 4 rectangles and 8 triangles). Stretch the shorter side of the triangle to make the two longer sides more equal, then roll it up from the base into a croissant.

(If you want slightly larger croissants, cut the dough into 6 rectangles total/12 triangles.)

sdcroissants4

Ideally, you want 7 little steps:

shapedcroissant

Place the croissants on a baking sheet lined with a silicon mat or parchment paper. At this point, you can cover and refrigerate overnight, or you can go ahead an proof them to bake. Brush the croissants with an egg wash of 1 egg beaten with 1 tbsp water. Cover the croissants lightly with plastic wrap and proof them at room temperature until they are very puffy and jiggly, with obvious visible butter layers in the cut edges (this might be 3 hours or more, depending on temperature).

sdcroissants5

Brush them once more with egg wash and bake in a preheated 425˚F (400˚F convection) oven for 10 minutes, then reduce the heat to 350˚F (325˚F convection) and bake for 15 more minutes, until they are a deep, glossy, mahogany brown. Cool slightly on a rack and eat them while they are still warm.

baked

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Filed Under: Bread, Breakfast & Brunch, Recipes Tagged With: bread, breakfast, brunch, butter, croissants, French cuisine, laminated dough, recipe, sourdough, Sourdough Surprises

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Comments

  1. wendyjv says

    October 21, 2014 at 7:47 am

    Wow, Korena. I love how you can make something that you’ve perhaps made before many times but put a new twist on it or tweak it somehow and still come up with what seems like a new and delightful taste experience or look. You seem to do that all the time! Looks wonderful! Well done!

    Reply
    • Korena in the Kitchen says

      October 21, 2014 at 5:38 pm

      Thanks Ma 😉

      Reply
  2. nievesmischucherias says

    October 21, 2014 at 7:56 am

    Wowww Korena !!! looks delicious, beautiful, perfect………..yummmmmiiiiii!
    Cheers =)

    Reply
    • Korena in the Kitchen says

      October 21, 2014 at 5:38 pm

      Thanks Nieves!

      Reply
  3. Sawsan@ Chef in disguise says

    October 21, 2014 at 10:59 am

    Oh my! These look heavenly Korena!
    I really miss baking with my sourdough starter! I need to join in next month!
    and your whole wheat croissants are now on my must make list!

    Reply
    • Korena in the Kitchen says

      October 21, 2014 at 5:39 pm

      I know, I missed it too! These were a pretty tasty way to get back into it 🙂

      Reply
  4. Rebecca says

    October 21, 2014 at 1:31 pm

    They look beautiful! Nice to know that croissants can be made with whole wheat flour too.

    Reply
    • Korena in the Kitchen says

      October 21, 2014 at 5:39 pm

      The whole wheat really didn’t affect the texture at all – still light and fluffy – but more flavour.

      Reply
  5. Jess says

    October 21, 2014 at 3:13 pm

    Outstanding job, Korena. I have to admit, this recipe intimidates me, but you’ve pulled it off perfectly. Well done 😉

    Reply
    • Korena in the Kitchen says

      October 21, 2014 at 5:41 pm

      Croissants only look intimidating: it’s really just rolling and folding. It’s totally worth getting over the intimidation 😉

      Reply
  6. Robyn says

    October 21, 2014 at 4:23 pm

    So happy you got your starter up and running again, great job!

    Reply
    • Korena in the Kitchen says

      October 21, 2014 at 5:41 pm

      Me too!!

      Reply
  7. bec {daisy and the fox} says

    October 21, 2014 at 5:18 pm

    Wow! what a great job for making your own croissants from scratch! that’s awesome! 🙂
    i just love the whole wheat sourdough version, sure will make me feel less guilty for eating them, plus would add such a great flavour 🙂
    lovely post

    Bec {Daisy and the Fox}
    http://www.daisyandthefox.wordpress.com

    Reply
    • Korena in the Kitchen says

      October 21, 2014 at 5:42 pm

      Hehe, yeah, the whole wheat practically makes them a health food 😉 Thanks Bec!

      Reply
  8. Joanne T Ferguson (@mickeydownunder) says

    October 21, 2014 at 7:29 pm

    Gday! Fantastic Korena and STUNNING photos!
    Cheers! Joanne

    Reply
  9. Kathryn and Ross says

    October 21, 2014 at 8:08 pm

    Those look beautiful. In fact since they are made with whole wheat, I wouldn’t feel guilty with eating quite a few of them. I like the photo instructions, you always make it look very thought out, neat and tidy. I don’t know if my process would look the same, but it makes one feel hopeful that it could.

    Reply
    • Korena in the Kitchen says

      October 21, 2014 at 9:08 pm

      Neat and tidy is an illusion. You should see the rest of my kitchen in the middle of a project like this!

      Reply
      • Frugal Hausfrau says

        October 22, 2014 at 3:42 am

        Hi Korena, that was my thought as well – that I was so impressed on how well you pulled this off and kept it all so neat! I’ve made puff, but only a few times, and I was much younger…lol! And any pastry or bread for me tends to be a mess! Worse thing, I have a habit of dusting my hands off on the sides of my jeans, a throwback to when I actually used to wear aprons! And then I forget that I’ve done it and go out in public…

        Reply
        • Korena in the Kitchen says

          October 22, 2014 at 7:51 pm

          The nice thing about taking pictures is that you can tidy up the bits that will be in the frame 😉 I know what you mean about flour all over your clothes – I’ve gone out in public covered in flour more than once!

          Reply
  10. frugalfeeding says

    October 22, 2014 at 6:20 am

    Fantastic – your bread/pastry skills go from level to level. I’ve never seen such tempting croissants in my life (and I’m NOT just saying that).

    Reply
  11. bakingwithsibella.com says

    October 22, 2014 at 11:20 am

    Korena, HI! 🙂
    These just look spectacular! Croissants are not easy to make and require A LOT of time and skill and you have mastered it all!

    Reply
    • Korena in the Kitchen says

      October 22, 2014 at 7:52 pm

      Thanks Sibella! 🙂

      Reply
  12. Diana says

    November 15, 2015 at 1:06 am

    Hi Korena,

    Its a perfect croissant you had there.
    I just wondering about the starter, do you have the recipe for the starter?I looked into txfarmer as well, she didnt mentioned the recipe.
    Thank you for your help.

    Best Regards,

    Diana

    Reply
    • Korena in the Kitchen says

      November 15, 2015 at 5:18 pm

      Hi Diana, the method I used for making my sourdough starter is here: https://korenainthekitchen.com/2011/12/27/daring-bakers-letting-nature-do-the-work/. It’s a bit of a commitment, so if you’re not looking for that, the David Leibovitz recipe I linked to is made with regular yeast. Good luck!

      Reply
      • Diana says

        November 15, 2015 at 7:33 pm

        Thank you Korena,
        Will try your method!Wish me luck 🙂

        Reply
  13. House of Escobar says

    February 26, 2016 at 9:33 am

    Where did you buy that dough board? What’s the brand?

    Reply
    • Korena in the Kitchen says

      February 27, 2016 at 8:22 pm

      Do you mean the white mat with the red writing/lines? It’s a “Fox Run Silicon Pastry Mat with Measurements”: http://www.amazon.ca/Fox-Run-Silicone-Pastry-Measurements/dp/B002NVEN48. You can also bake on it, but I just use it for rolling things out.

      Reply
  14. KB says

    June 12, 2016 at 7:43 am

    Can you please use the usual measurments? I don’t have a scale to measure the ingredients using grams. Please convert it over if you can. I would love to be able to use this recipe. It sounds so good.

    Reply
    • Korena in the Kitchen says

      June 22, 2016 at 10:00 pm

      Sorry KB, I don’t have the volume measurements, if that’s what you’re looking for – weight measurements are much more accurate for finicky recipes like croissants. If you want to try converting the measurements yourself, this is a good resource: http://www.kingarthurflour.com/learn/ingredient-weight-chart.html

      Reply
  15. Nicolas Ghantous says

    May 12, 2017 at 11:55 pm

    Hello Korena, thanks for your recipes I have baked a lot of them..I have one question about the wholewheat croissants Levain..is it whole wheat or white? if it is white can we substitute the white levain with whole wheat and leave the rest of the flour as white? thanks again

    Reply
    • Korena in the Kitchen says

      May 14, 2017 at 9:24 pm

      Hi Nicolas, my levain was white but you could certainly use whole wheat levain and all white flour instead… I haven’t tried it this way myself but I can’t see why it wouldn’t work.

      Reply
      • Nicolas Ghantous says

        May 18, 2017 at 3:35 pm

        cool was thinking t give it a shot will update you..thanks you are a star

        Reply
      • Nicolas Ghantous says

        May 20, 2017 at 12:45 pm

        Hello again Korena I made the croissants today with preferment spelt and the rest bread flour..the croissant tasted good yet did not get the honeycomb texture inside…they proofed for 4 hours…not sure if needed further proofing or the spelt is not the right substitute for wheat..i wish i could forward you a picture

        Reply
        • Korena in the Kitchen says

          May 22, 2017 at 8:02 pm

          Hi Nick, hmmmm, that’s too bad! Spelt might not be the greatest grain for croissants, as their honeycomb texture does rely on strong gluten formation, and spelt’s gluten is rather fragile. The proofing could also be the culprit… they need to be proofed somewhere not too hot and not too cold until they are very puffy and jiggly, until you can see the layers of butter and dough quite clearly… and it could also be an issue with the lamination of the dough and butter layers – it’s a delicate balance to chill the dough enough to keep the butter from getting too soft and squishing out everywhere, and chilling it too much so that it sort of cracks and splinters within the dough rather than forming a single layer within the dough. Croissants are obviously a bit of a princess but I hope these eventually work for you – they are pretty delicious. If you want to send me a pic, you can send it to korena [at] korenainthekitchen.com 🙂

          Reply
  16. Joey says

    May 23, 2017 at 2:31 pm

    Hello Korean, thanks for sharing this recipe, one question before try to make it, can i just skip the instant yeast, or it is necessary to add?

    Reply
    • Korena in the Kitchen says

      May 23, 2017 at 7:31 pm

      Hi Joey, I’d say no, don’t skip the instant yeast. The sourdough here is more for flavour, the yeast is for keeping things moving, as any sourdough activity will be significantly slowed down by all the chilling required for croissants. If you rely only on sourdough for the croissants to rise, you run the risk of ending up with overly sour croissants that take forever!

      Reply
  17. Nicolas says

    February 7, 2024 at 12:21 am

    Hello can you make them without yeast ?

    Reply
    • Korena in the Kitchen says

      April 18, 2025 at 8:26 am

      Do you mean using only sourdough? I’m sure there are other 100% sourdough recipes for croissants out there but this one does use yeast for an extra boost. I wouldn’t suggest making this recipe without yeast.

      Reply

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I'm Korena: cook, baker, dirty-dishes-maker. My favourite things include flour, butter, sugar, and chocolate. Read More…

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