Strawberry Sourdough Croissants
These strawberry sourdough croissants are light, flaky, and buttery, featuring a pink bi-color dough filled with real strawberries and a delicious strawberry pastry cream filling. The sourdough starter adds a tangy twist to the classic French pastry, making for a fun and flavorful breakfast or dessert.
Equipment
- 1 Stand mixer Used for mixing dough
- 1 Rolling pin Used for rolling dough and butter block
- 1 Parchment paper Used for rolling butter into a block
- 1 Pastry brush Used to apply egg wash on the croissants
- 1 Piping bag Used for filling croissants with strawberry cream
- 1 Saucepan Used for making strawberry pastry cream
- 1 Oven For baking the croissants
- 1 Refrigerator Used for chilling dough and croissants
- 1 Plastic wrap For wrapping dough and butter block
Ingredients
- Amount Unit Name Notes
- 600 g grams All-purpose flour
- 65 g grams Granulated sugar
- 12 g grams Salt
- 60 g grams Active sourdough starter 100% hydration
- 205 g grams Water Room temperature
- 112 g grams Whole milk Room temperature
- 56 g grams Unsalted butter Cut into ½-inch pieces chilled
- 1.5 g grams Active dry yeast optional
- 40 g grams Freeze-dried strawberries Crushed
- N/A N/A Plant-based food coloring For light pink dough optional
- N/A N/A Red plant-based food coloring For dark pink dough optional
- 25 g grams Freeze-dried strawberries Whole and pieces soaked in water for topping dough
- 170 g grams Fresh strawberries Stemmed for filling croissants and making strawberry milk
- 340 g grams Unsalted butter 84-86% butterfat for butter block
- 1 unit Egg yolk For egg wash
- 1 Tbsp tablespoon Heavy cream For egg wash
- 500 g grams Whole milk For strawberry pastry cream
- 67 g grams Granulated sugar For strawberry pastry cream
- 40 g grams Cornstarch For strawberry pastry cream
- 2 units Large egg yolks For strawberry pastry cream
- 2 tsp teaspoons Vanilla bean paste Or vanilla extract for pastry cream
- ¼ tsp teaspoons Salt For pastry cream
- 150 g grams Fresh strawberries Optional pureed for pastry cream
Instructions
- Day 1: Prepare the Dough
- Optional: Make strawberry milk by blending milk and fresh strawberries.
- Mix the dough (détrempe) by adding flour, sugar, salt, milk (or strawberry milk), sourdough starter, water, food coloring, crushed freeze-dried strawberries, and optional yeast in a stand mixer. Mix on low, add butter, and continue mixing until smooth.
- Make dark pink dough by adding more food coloring to a portion of the dough.
- First rise: Let both doughs rise at room temperature for 3-6 hours, then refrigerate overnight (~12 hours).
- Make the butter block: Beat butter into a square shape using parchment paper, then refrigerate.
- Day 2: Laminating the Dough
- Prepare dough for laminating by rolling it into a square and freezing for 20 minutes.
- Roll dough, lock in the butter, and perform the first turn (book fold). Rest dough in the freezer and refrigerate for 1 hour.
- Perform a simple turn to create more layers, refrigerate for 1 hour.
- Add the red dough layer on top of the pink dough, roll out to a large rectangle, and refrigerate overnight.
- Day 3: Shaping and Baking
- Slice the dough into rectangles, then cut each rectangle into triangles. Roll each triangle into croissants.
- Proof the croissants at room temperature or with steam for 2-6 hours.
- Preheat oven, egg wash the croissants, and bake at 375°F for 15-30 minutes until golden brown.
- Optional: Fill croissants with strawberry pastry cream.
Notes
- Adding active dry yeast to the dough is optional but can help with fermentation.
- For a more vibrant strawberry flavor, optional steps like making strawberry milk or adding pureed strawberries to the pastry cream are recommended.
- Be sure to let the dough rest for proper layering and texture, which contributes to the flaky nature of the croissants.