How to Make Amazing Sourdough Croissant Sandwich Bread
There is a trend these days in social media making sourdough croissant bread. Well, little did anyone know but I have been making a few versions of this for a while and today I want to share my version of sourdough croissant sandwich bread.
One of my most popular recipes and one of my most popular breads to sell is my sourdough sandwich bread.
This bread is soft and so tender. It reminds me of the squishy Grandma Sycamores bread. It makes amazing sandwiches. It holds together so well and does not crumble apart while being soft and squishy.
This sourdough croissant sandwich bread is my regular sandwich bread but taken up a notch! Let me share how to make it!
The biggest change to this bread is the addition of butter. I grate the butter and add it into the dough during the stretch and folds. I allow the dough to bulk ferment and then bake it off. As long as you keep the dough at room temperature you will not have issues with the butter melting in the dough. Allow it to stay cool, and do not put it in a proofing oven.
By adding butter to this sandwich bread, the crust becomes flakey like a croissant would. The flavor of the bread tastes just like a croissant as well!
The bread is also even softer than it is with my regular sourdough sandwich bread.
I like to twist my dough on itself before baking this in the oven. The butter combined with the twisting creates flaky layers in the bread.
Soft Sourdough Croissant Sandwich Bread
Ingredients
- 300 grams sourdough starter active and bubbly
- 650 grams warm water
- 1000 grams white bread flour
- 50 grams honey
- 40 grams olive oil or avocado oil
- 20 grams fine sea salt
- 1/2 cup frozen or cold high quality butter
Instructions
- I am sharing two different ways to make this dough. First Method:In a large bowl, mix your fed sourdough start, water, flour, oil, honey and salt. I like to use my danish dough whisk to mix it together before then using my hands to finish combining it completely.
- Next let this mixture sit covered for 1 hour.
- Once it has sat for an hour, you want to do your stretch and folds. I like to do them every 20 minutes. This takes the place of the knead process that you usually do in a stand mixer. You can go as long as 30 minutes in between. But if you are in a bit of a hurry, you can do 20 minutes. You want to do 4 stretch and folds. You will grate the butter into the dough during your first or second stretch and fold. Carefully fold it in as you do these steps. Do not work with it too much to melt the butter.By the time you are done with your last stretch and fold, the butter will be completely folded in, but not melted into the dough.
- Once you have finished your stretch and folds you have an option. I like to let my dough sit for about 3-4 hours and bulk ferment. Then I put the dough directly in the fridge and leave it overnight or for 10-12 hours.You can also put it right into the fridge after you are done with the stretch and folds, but I like to give it more time. I find it makes the bread a bit more flavorful and the texture is so nice.
- After it has been in the fridge, take it out and let it come to room temperature. This takes about 1-2 hours.
- Method 2: Overnight Bulk Method. Before bed around 9 or 10, mix your dough according to the earlier directions. Follow the instructions of the stretch and folds.You will grate the butter into the dough during your first or second stretch and fold. Carefully fold it in as you do these steps. Do not work with it too much to melt the butter.By the time you are done with your last stretch and fold, the butter will be completely folded in, but not melted into the dough.Once finished with the stretch and folds, let the dough sit overnight for up to 6-8 hours in a cool area of your kitchen. In the morning the dough should be double in size.
- Shaping the dough: Divide the dough into two large sections if you want two large loaves. You can also cut it into 3 and makes 3 slightly smaller loaves.
- Place your dough on a lightly floured surface. I prefer not to flour my work surface, especially if your dough is properly proofed it will not be sticky. Stretch your dough into a rectangle. Fold it in thirds and then roll it up into itself. Pinch the ends and tuck them under. Place the dough into a greased loaf pan seam-side down. Cover with a wet towel or I like to use shower caps or plastic wrap and allow the dough to proof until it has doubled or almost doubled. You can also roll the rectangle and then cut it down the length of the dough and twist it to create a twisted loaf. Place it in a greased bread pan. Cover the bread pans with plastic or a damp cloth. Let the dough rise again until it has doubled.
- While it is rising, preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Once the dough rises, cut some slices in the top and place in the oven. Place a pan with hot water below the bread to allow some steam. This helps with the crust and the rise of the bread.
- Bake for 35-40 minutes or until the top is a nice golden brown. If you tap the top and it sounds hollow, it is done.
- Remove the bread from the oven and carefully take the bread loaves out of the pans and let them cool on a wire rack.
- Cool completely and then cut and enjoy! These sandwich loaves are the perfect combination of sandwich bread and my traditional dutch oven sourdough bread! The buttery flavor reminds me so much of croissants. You cannot go wrong with this bread!
Did you know I also have a sourdough croissant recipe? I plan to share it soon! This sourdough croissant sandwich bread is an easy option if traditional croissants are too daunting for you.
Tips & Tricks
- You can line your bread pan with parchment paper if you desire. My bread never sticks to the pan, but adding the parchment guarantees it will not.
- You can use unsalted butter in this sourdough croissant loaf. As it already has salt in the recipe, it may be too much salt for some. I have made it with both.
- Make sure you have an active sourdough starter that is strong and not acidic. This means that its being fed enough. If its not being fed enough flour it will form little and big bubbles and it will appear more runny at times. If it is acidic it will not rise as well as it should.
- When baking the bread, add a pan with ice to the oven to add some steam. This helps the dough to rise abd bake better.
- You can let this dough sit in the refrigerator overnight if you desire. I usually mix mine at night and let it bulk ferment overnight on the counter and then bake in the morning.
- I would recommend not using all purpose flour for this bread. You need a good bread flour. Bread flour has a higher protein content which helps with the bread structure and the crumb of the bread.
- You do not need a banneton for this, as it is baked in a bread pan for a more consistent shape.
Don’t forget to pin this for later!
