From Scratch Sourdough Einkorn Flour Croissant Recipe
I don’t buy a lot of goodies while out and if I’m going to eat a treat, I want it to be GOOD. Croissants are one of my weaknesses. The butter, bread and flaky crust. Mmm! It makes my mouth water just thinking of it. What a handful of rich goodness a croissant can be. It was only natural that I had to learn how to make croissants for myself. It hasn’t been easy to figure out the right recipe as I’m not a pastry chef. Even so, it’s been worth every moment. Making from scratch sourdough einkorn croissants comes down to learning a few rules. Here’s here’s what you need to know and a what I hope is a thorough process for tackling and making these in your own home!
What are Croissants?
Croissants can easily be confused with crescent rolls. The difference is that while crescent rolls are a rolled bread that looks quite similar to croissants, croissants use a different tactic to make the dough flaky called laminating. Lamination is the art of rolling a dough flat, then folding it to create layers. More on that here. We are using a long rising period to power the raised dough while crescent rolls are usually considered a quick bread. Lastly, croissants are known for their flakey crust and rich butter flavor while crescent rolls tend to be soft. They are buttery but may not use the high amount of butter in your croissant recipe. All to say, croissants are a special rich delicacy and should not be taken for granted. They take time and the results are exquisite.
Why Einkorn Flour
If you’ve been around here for long you know I love to use einkorn flour for baking. The reasons are many. The ancient grain einkorn is the original wheat, meaning it’s NEVER been hybridized and has the simplest structure of all wheat grains. This simple structure means the gluten is quite weak, resulting in easier digestion. Baking this weak gluten structure can take some practice, but it’s worth the effort for it’s huge nutritional advantage. I’ll just say this: einkorn wheat has an astounding 18 grams protein, as well as 3-4 times more beta carotene than modern wheat. It has 4-5 times more riboflavin and 3-4 times more lutein! This is just the beginning. Check out THIS post for more information on einkorn’s nutrition and structure and THIS post to learn about it’s anti-inflammatory benefits.
Where to Buy Einkorn
The unfortunate truth is that, while it’s easy to run to the supermarket and grab a bag of white wheat, it’s not so easy to find the ancient grain einkorn flour. I’ve found a few different sources from which I purchase einkorn flour based on the quality, price and whether it’s being used for milling, while grain or all-purpose.
Whole Wheat Einkorn
There are two ways to purchase whole wheat einkorn flour. The first is to purchase the grains unhulled and then mill it at home. You can see how I do this HERE. My favorite place to purchase grain for milling at home is from Grand Teton Ancient Grains in Idaho. I’m blown away by their wonderful customer service and quality. Their bulk grain prices are competitive which helps bring me back again and again.
I don’t personally purchase ground whole wheat einkorn but if that’s what you’re looking for I’d check out the above link or Azure Standard for pricing. They are a once per month grocery pick up that provides natural and local groceries or homestead supplies. Shipping is free. You just show up at the designated drop point! I LOVE THEM.
All-Purpose Einkorn Flour
The two places I use for all-purpose flour are Grand Teton Ancient Grains and Jovial Foods. Note that when I purchase jovial foods einkorn I still get it from Azure Standard as they often run sales. Jovial foods einkorn is the leader in the industry and has great quality though prices often run higher. Free shipping is a plus but the one drawback to purchasing it from Azure Standard is having to wait until the monthly pick up to receive the order.
Grand Tetons Ancient grains has been my other go to for all-purpose, especially when grabbing larger quantities for holidays or big baking seasons. As I said above, I’ve been extremely pleased with their quality and customer service. They have even switched out bag sizes to get my order to me faster. I’m very impressed.
Finding Deals
What about the deals you ask? Yes, I’m not opposed to finding deals and have done so myself. I have occasionally ordered from Amazon, though I don’t like to point people to such a large corporation. It’s hit and miss what sizes and prices you’ll find. Sometimes it’s just nice to get your flour with one day shipping. I understand that.
I’ve also tried other large natural food stores online. Again, I wouldn’t depend on them. I had a very bad experience once when trying to get a super deal on all-purpose einkorn flour. My package was damaged in the mail twice (the second time they didn’t bother to tell me) and I finally cancelled the order after about a month of waiting.
That said, deals are great to find but realize if you’re using this flour a lot, you’ll want a consistent source.
How to Make Sourdough Einkorn Flour Croissants
Einkorn Sourdough Croissant Recipe
Buttery Croissants made with the ancient grain einkorn
Ingredients
- 1/2 Cup Sourdough Starter (consistency of pancake batter)
- 3 Tablespoons Melted Butter
- 1/4 Cup Sugar
- 1 1/4 Cups Milk
- 2.5 teaspoons Sea Salt
- 3 1/2 Cups All-Purpose Einkorn Flour (plus extra for rolling out the dough)
- 12 Tablespoons Cold Butter
Instructions
- In preparation for making these croissants you'll want to have cold butter but take the butter out to sit as you prepare the dough. Mix together your sourdough starter, milk, butter, flour, sugar and salt, then cover with plastic wrap or a towel and place in the fridge for 30 minutes.
- While that is sitting, prepare your butter. You can either use two 1/2 cup sticks of butter side by side or an 8 oz. (1 cup) bar. I like the 8 oz. size because it's the perfect shape. Lay your butter in the middle of a large sheet of parchment. The parchment will sit horizontally while the butter is vertical on the paper. Fold the parchment over the butter to make a 6 inch by 8 inch rectangle. Using a rolling pin beat the butter down a few times until it's soft enough o roll into the 6 x 8 inch shape of parchment paper around it. Return this to the fridge for about 30 minutes to chill.
- After both your dough and the butter has chilled take it out of the fridge and return it to the counter. Fold your dough a few times, then roll it out to a 9 x 13 inch rectangle. Place the 6 x 8 inch butter vertically onto the center of the horizontal dough rectangle. Fold both sides of the dough to together until they meet in the center. Press the dough together on the top and bottom to seal the butter inside.
- Turn the dough and butter combination 45 degrees until it is horizontal. Now roll the dough out to about 10 x 18 inches ( this doesn't have to be exact until the last time) being careful to keep the thickness even. Fold the dough into thirds as if folding a letter. Dust off any excess flour.
- This finishes you first "lamination" or folding. You can also laminate by folding it into fourths. We will do at least three laminations in all to create the puff pastry style dough. Now wrap the "letter" up and return to the refrigerator for approximately 45 minutes.
- After time is up take it out and fold the dough (laminate) once again by rolling out to about 10 x 18 inches and then folding. Return to the refrigerator once again to cool and harden the dough to the butter. Refrigeration between folding is VERY important!
- After THREE laminations, take the dough out and roll it out a final time to 10 x 18 inches. This time you want the measurements correct. Transfer your dough to a floured and parchment lined surface such as a large wooden cutting board. Cover it with plastic wrap or a damp tea towel so it doesn't dry and crack ( yup, it will happen!). Let is rise for 10-12 hours in a warm area (70-75 degrees Fahrenheit).
- I like to rise this dough overnight. Then In the morning I come back to a pastry that's ready to slice. To roll croissants, mark with a knife, pizza cutter or dough scraper, every 3.5 inches across the top. Do the same on the bottom. Cut straight down from the top cut to the bottom cut. You should now have cut five rectangles. Then cut an angle from the top left corner of a rectangle to the bottom right corner. A pizza cutter is great for this job.
- Stretch the wide end slightly before rolling up the croissant rolls. You want to roll them firmly but not extremely tight otherwise they'll get stretched. Seal them at the end so they don't come undone and place on a parchment lined baking sheet. Place five croissants on each baking sheet.
- Cover the croissants with plastic wrap or a damp towel and place them in the refrigerator to chill for 45 minutes. After 30 minutes preheat your oven to 450 degrees Fahrenheit. Bake the croissants for 16 to 18 minutes, then take out and transfer to a cooling rack. Wait 15 minutes to allow to cool. This also allows the insides to settle before eating. You want to see the flaky layers inside!
Notes
(Optional) spread an egg wash over the top of these rolls before baking.
Ingredients for Croissants
1/2 Cup Sourdough Starter (consistency of pancake batter)
3 Tablespoons Melted Butter
1/4 Cup Sugar
1 1/4 Cups Milk
2.5 teaspoons Sea Salt
3 1/2 Cups All-Purpose Einkorn Flour (plus extra for rolling out the dough)
12 Tablespoons Cold Butter
Instructions for making Croissants
In preparation for making these croissants you’ll want to have cold butter but take the butter out to sit as you prepare the dough.
The dough is very simple. Mix together your sourdough starter, milk, butter, flour, sugar and salt, then cover with plastic wrap or a towel and place in the fridge for 30 minutes.
While that is sitting prepare your butter. You can either use two 1/2 cup sticks of butter side by side or an 8 oz. (1 cup) bar. I like the 8 oz. size because it’s the perfect shape.
Lay your butter in the middle of a large sheet of parchment. The parchment will sit horizontally while the butter is vertical on the paper. Fold the parchment over the butter to make a 6 inch by 8 inch rectangle. Using a rolling pin beat the butter down a few times until it’s soft enough o roll into the 6 x 8 inch shape of parchment paper around it. Return this to the fridge for about 30 minutes to chill.
After both your dough and the butter has chilled take it out of the fridge and return it to the counter. Fold your dough a few times, then roll it out to a 9 x 13 inch rectangle.
Place the 6 x 8 inch butter vertically onto the center of the horizontal dough rectangle. Fold both sides of the dough to together until they meet in the center. Press the dough together on the top and bottom to seal the butter inside.
Turn the dough and butter combination 45 degrees until it is horizontal. Now roll the dough out to about 10 x 18 inches ( this doesn’t have to be exact until the last time) being careful to keep the thickness even. Fold the dough into thirds as if folding a letter. Dust off any excess flour.
This finishes you first “lamination” or folding. You can also laminate by folding it into fourths. We will do at least three laminations in all to create the puff pastry style dough. Now wrap the “letter” up and return to the refrigerator for approximately 45 minutes.
After time is up take it out and fold the dough (laminate) once again by rolling out to about 10 x 18 inches and then folding. Return to the refrigerator once again to cool and harden the dough to the butter. Refrigeration between folding is VERY important!
After THREE laminations, take the dough out and roll it out a final time to 10 x 18 inches. This time you want the measurements correct. Transfer your dough to a floured and parchment lined surface such as a large wooden cutting board. Cover it with plastic wrap or a damp tea towel so it doesn’t dry and crack ( yup, it will happen!). Let is rise for 10-12 hours in a warm area (70-75 degrees Fahrenheit).
I like to rise this dough overnight. Then In the morning I come back to a pastry that’s ready to slice.
Now it’s time to roll up your croissants! To do this measure and mark with a knife, pizza cutter or dough scraper, every 3.5 inches across the top. Do the same on the bottom.
Cut straight down from the top cut to the bottom cut. You should now have cut five rectangles. Then cut an angle from the top left corner of a rectangle to the bottom right corner. A pizza cutter is great for this job.
Stretch the wide end slightly before rolling up the croissant rolls. You want to roll them firmly but not extremely tight otherwise they’ll get stretched. Seal them at the end so they don’t come undone and place on a parchment lined baking sheet.
Place five croissants on each baking sheet.
(Optional) spread an egg wash over the top of these rolls before baking.
Cover the croissants with plastic wrap or a damp towel and place them in the refrigerator to chill for 45 minutes. After 30 minutes preheat your oven to 450 degrees Fahrenheit.
Bake the croissants for 16 to 18 minutes, then take out and transfer to a cooling rack. Wait 15 minutes to allow to cool. This also allows the insides to settle before eating. You want to see the flaky layers inside!
Notes
Add-ins
Feel free to add in chocolate chips ( as seen in the picture), cheese or experiment with other fillings. place them on the widest end before rolling.
Scheduling
A good time schedule for this recipe I’ve found goes like this:
5-6 pm. Mix dough and roll out butter in parchment.
6-7 pm. First lamination.
8-9 pm. Second lamination.
9-10 pm. Third (and fourth if you want more) lamination and cover for bed.
Egg wash
If you wish to use an egg wash over the tops of the croissants before baking, simple beat one egg and wipe it using a pastry brush.
Alternatively you can also just use a bit of milk. Note this step is optional.
Other Posts you may like
Here are a few other posts you may find inspiring:
Soft and Chewy Einkorn Gingerbread Cookies in a Hurry
My Favorite Farmhouse Buttermilk Biscuits with Einkorn
The Best Salted Chocolate Zucchini Einkorn Muffins Recipe
I’d love to hear how this works for you. Happy baking!
From the Hilltop,
How can i print this recipe? I would lol to try it but a little confusing spread out like this. Thank you.
All fixed. You should be able to go to the printable version and print it out 🙂