Easy Same Day Croissant (Hybrid Method)

ByNatalya Syanova
Jump to Recipe Card

In order to make proper croissants you typically need 2 days. During the first day you make the dough and keep it in the fridge for at least 12 hours. On the second day you laminate the dough, shape croissants, then proof and bake them.

But if for some reason you need to speed up the process, here is a solution for you: same day croissants using both sourdough starter and yeast as a leavening agent.

Before we begin, here is a small observation and a note – when I was laminating the dough and rolling croissants on a hot summer day, when temperature in my kitchen went up to 27C/80F, I realized I had to move quicker, to prevent butter from melting. Hope that helps some of you!

Below you can find instructions and a video of the whole process.

Starter

  • 7g ripe starter
  • 35g flour
  • 35g water

Night before set your levain:

  • mix everything, let ferment for 10-12 hours, until it will reach the peak. For the recipe you’ll need 60g.

Main Dough

  • 60g ripe starter (26%)
  • 230g bread flour (protein 12-13%) (+ 20-30 g if needed) (100%)
  • 74g water (32%)
  • 64g milk (28%)
  • 34g sugar (15%)
  • 5g salt (2%)
  • 3g instant yeast (1.3%)
  • 11g butter (4.7%)
  • 140g roll-in butter (pastry butter with 82% fat or more) (61%)
  • Mix water and milk, add yeast.
  • Add sourdough starter, sugar and flour.
  • Start mixing on medium speed for a couple of minutes, add salt, continue mixing.
  • Add soft butter. Continue mixing for 5-6 min. If the dough doesn’t come up together, add 20-30g flour.
  • Continue mixing until it comes up together.
  • Cover, let it rest for 30 min.
  • Preform 2 stretches, 30 minutes apart.

  • Cover the dough in a plastic wrap and transfer to freezer for 30 minutes.
  • Then move the dough from the freezer to the fridge for 2 hours.
  • Meanwhile prepare butter for rolling (about 10cm each side), transfer it to chill in the fridge for 30 min before rolling.

Please note, butter shouldn’t be too cold, or too warm:

  • If its cold, then during lamination, it will start to break into pieces
  • if its to warm it will melt in between layers
  • Remove the dough from the fridge. Roll it as a rectangular, big enough to place the butter block inside. (About 25cm x 15 cm).
  • Start rolling by pushing the butter from 1 side to another (lengthwise).
  • Cut the edges.
  • Fold the dough as a book.
  • Turn the dough 90 degrees, and continue rolling lengthwise. Cut the edges, fold it as a letter.
  • Cover, transfer it to the fridge for 1 hour.
  • Remove from the fridge.
  • Roll it in squares with sides about 23-25cm.
  • The thickness should be 4-5mm.
  • Cut the dough ( the base of croissant has to be 8cm).
  • Shape them and cover.
  • Let them proof for about 4-5 hours until they double in volume and become jiggly.
  • Egg-wash (mix one egg with 2 tbs of water).
  • Brush croissants with egg mixture.
  • Preheat the oven to 425F.
  • Bake croissants 10 minutes at 425F, lower the temperature to 375F and bake for 15 more minutes until golden brown.

Here is the video that provides a visual of the whole process:

While traditional two-day croissants will always have their place, this hybrid method offers an excellent alternative when time is limited. The addition of sourdough starter contributes flavor and complexity, while the yeast helps accelerate fermentation and proofing. The result is a croissant that still delivers beautiful layers, buttery flavor, and an airy honeycomb crumb without the lengthy schedule. It’s a great option for home bakers who want freshly baked croissants the same day without sacrificing too much of the texture and flavor that make croissants so special.

Enjoy!

Same Day Croissant Recipe

Easy Same Day Croissant (Hybrid Method)

286kcal
No ratings yet
Share Print
Prep 1 hour
Cook 25 minutes
Total 8 hours 25 minutes
Crisp, shatteringly flaky, and boasting a beautiful open honeycomb crumb, these same-day croissants utilize a clever hybrid leavening method. By pairing a classic sourdough culture for deep complex flavor with a touch of instant yeast to accelerate the proofing schedule, this recipe cuts the traditional multi-day timeline down to a single daytime process without sacrificing texture.
Servings 8 Croissants
Cuisine French

Ingredients

Sweet Stiff Levain (Night Before)
  • 7 g Sourdough starter culture
  • 35 g Bread flour
  • 35 g Water
The Main Croissant Dough
  • 60 g Active hybrid starter (From the stage above)
  • 230 g Bread flour (Protein 12–13% – add 20–30g extra only if dough resists coming together)
  • 74 g Water
  • 64 g Milk
  • 34 g Sugar
  • 5 g Fine sea salt
  • 3 g Instant yeast
  • 11 g Unsalted butter, softened
The Roll-In Butter Block
  • 140 g Pastry butter (Minimum 82% fat, cold but pliable)
Surface Finish Egg Wash
  • 1 Large egg
  • 2 tbsp Water

Method

Night Before – Levain Peak Optimization
  1. Setting the Build: In a small clean glass jar, thoroughly combine the 7g of ripe starter culture, 35g of flour, and 35g of water. Seal loosely and allow to ferment at room temperature (74–78°F) for 10 to 12 hours overnight until it safely reaches its absolute peak before mixing.
Day 1 (Morning) – Hybrid Dough Development & Rest
  1. Yeast Activation & Incorporation: In your stand mixer bowl, whisk together the 74g of water, 64g of milk, and 3g of instant yeast. Stir in the 60g of active overnight hybrid starter, 34g of sugar, and all 230g of bread flour.
  2. Mechanical Gluten Mixing: Attach the dough hook and begin mixing on medium speed for 2 minutes until a shaggy mass forms. Add the 5g of fine sea salt and continue mixing. Drop in the 11g of softened unsalted butter and knead continuously for 5 to 6 minutes until the dough comes together tightly. If the mass remains overly sticky, add 20 to 30g of extra flour until it cleans the bowl sides.
  3. Intermittent Stretch Cycles: Transfer the dough to a clean container. Cover and let it rest for 30 minutes. Perform your first round of stretches and folds. Cover, let rest for another 30 minutes, and perform a second round of stretches and folds to optimize structural vertical strength.
  4. Dual-Temperature Thermal Stabilization: Wrap the smooth dough tightly in plastic wrap. Transfer it directly into the freezer for 30 minutes to rapidly arrest yeast activity, then move it into the refrigerator to chill slowly for 2 full hours.
Day 1 (Afternoon) – Butter Lamination & Geometric Folds
  1. Butter Block Calibration: While the dough chills, place your 140g of cold pastry butter between sheets of parchment paper. Roll it firmly into a neat square measuring roughly 10cm on each side. Chill the block in the refrigerator for 30 minutes before laminating. The butter must be cold yet pliable—if too stiff, it will fracture; if too warm, it will smear.
  2. Enclosing the Core: Remove the cold dough from the refrigerator. Roll it out into a clean rectangle measuring roughly 25 x 15 cm. Place the chilled pliable butter block squarely in the center and fold the dough flaps over it securely to encase the fat entirely.
  3. The Book Fold Sequence: Gently roll the enclosed block lengthwise, pushing the internal butter smoothly from one side to the other. Trim away any irregular uneven edges. Fold the extended dough sheet cleanly like a book (a four-layer fold).
  4. The Letter Fold Sequence: Rotate the dough pack exactly 90 degrees. Roll it out lengthwise a second time. Trim any rough edges and fold the sheet into thirds like a standard letter (a three-layer fold). Wrap the laminated packet tightly in plastic wrap and chill in the refrigerator for 1 full hour to relax the gluten network.
Day 1 (Late Afternoon) – Slicing, Shaping, & The Long Proof
  1. Final Sheet Extension: Remove the rested packet from the fridge. Roll the dough out carefully into a uniform square measuring roughly 23 to 25 cm on each side, maintaining an even thickness of 4 to 5 mm throughout.
  2. Triangle Partitioning: Using a sharp pizza cutter or chef’s knife, cleanly slice the dough square into elongated triangles. Ensure the base of each individual croissant triangle measures exactly 8cm in width.
  3. Tension Rolling: Starting at the wide 8cm base, roll the dough triangle up gently yet tightly toward the narrow point to form a traditional layered croissant shape. Arrange the shaped pastries onto a parchment-lined baking sheet.
  4. The Jiggly Ambient Proof: Cover the tray loosely with plastic wrap. Let the croissants proof undisturbed at room temperature for 4 to 5 hours. They are fully proofed when they have completely doubled in volume, show highly visible delicate layers, and wobble like jelly when the baking sheet is gently shaken.
Day 1 (Evening) – High-Heat Steam Bake
  1. Flash Heat Preheat: Thoroughly preheat your oven to 425°F (220°C). In a small bowl, whisk together the 1 large egg and 2 tablespoons of water until completely smooth. Tenderly brush a thin layer of the egg wash over the curved crowns of each swollen croissant, ensuring it doesn’t pool in the laminated layers.
  2. The Structured Bake: Slide the tray onto the middle oven rack. Bake at 425°F (220°C) for exactly 10 minutes to trigger maximum oven spring and crisp the outer shell. Without opening the door, immediately turn the oven temperature setting down to 375°F (190°C) and bake for an additional 15 minutes until the croissants are beautifully golden brown. Cool on a wire rack before shattering open.

Nutrition

Calories286kcalCarbohydrates29gProtein5gFat17gSaturated Fat10gPolyunsaturated Fat1gMonounsaturated Fat4gTrans Fat1gCholesterol62mgSodium257mgPotassium61mgFiber1gSugar5gVitamin A515IUVitamin C0.001mgCalcium23mgIron0.4mg

Notes

  • The Proofing Safeguard Against Butter Leaking: If your croissants pool or leak butter onto the baking sheet during the bake, it is almost always a sign of under-proofing. When the dough hasn’t proofed long enough to create strong gas-trapping pockets, the internal butter melts and escapes before the starch matrix can set. Ensure they pull a full 4–5 hour proof and become perfectly jiggly before baking.
  • Mastering the Hybrid Lamination Texture: Utilizing both a natural sourdough levain and instant yeast gives you the ultimate baker’s advantage. The sourdough levain works over the resting hours to break down complex starches, contributing a rich, subtle tang and improving the interior honeycomb structure, while the instant yeast provides the reliable explosive power needed to loft the heavy pastry butter into towering layers in a single afternoon.
  • Overnight Adaptability Rule: If you change your mind after shaping, you can easily shift this to a next-morning bake. Once shaped in step 12, slide the tray into the refrigerator for 3 to 4 hours to stop the yeast, then move the pan to a cool counter space (66–68°F / 19–20°C) to proof slowly overnight. They will be perfectly puffed and ready for egg wash and baking first thing in the morning!

Tried this recipe?

Let us know how it was!

Disclosure: As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.

Discover more from Natasha's Baking

Subscribe to get the latest posts sent to your email.

25 Comments

  2. Thank you for sharing <3 , To fill them with chocolate is it preferred to add the chocolate before or after baking ?

    Reply

    2. Hi, Is it possible to place them in the fridge for a few hours after shaping the croissants and then take them out and let them proof overnight on the counter to bake them for breakfast like in the croissants recipe with only yeast?

      Reply

      1. Yes!
        3-4 hours in fridge, then proof at 19-20C overnight, then bake in the morning

  5. Hi! Thank you!
    Sure you can leave them in the fridge overnight, and continue proofing in the morning if needed 🙏

    Reply

  6. I made these and the butter came out while they were in the oven. What did I do wrong?? I used 85% butter fat butter.

    Reply

      1. Ahhh ok! I’m on a mission to try again, thank you! I bought your book and I love it! Thanks again

  7. Was about to sign up for your croissant workshop thinking it was a hybrid class. Just to clarify, the workshop is classic French technique and this is the only hybrid croissant recipe you offer? BTW, also looking for a really good hybrid donut recipe (fried). My sourdough donuts are coming out okay but not what I’m looking for. However, I am in the process of your beginner panettone workshop and super excited! My focaccia is coming out fabulous using your recipe! Thanks so much ~

    Reply

    1. Hi!
      Thank you!
      I have yeast method croissant recipe on my website.
      And I definitely need to work on hybrid recipe for donuts

      Reply

  10. Hi,
    I would love to know when it is right to freeze the croissant. Is it after creating a shape? (This means that I skip proof hours).
    When taken out of the freezer – what is the correct way to bake the croissants? Do you thaw overnight in the refrigerator and then let it rise outside for a few hours? I would appreciate guidance. Thanks

    Reply

    1. Hi there! Freezing croissants can be a great way to have freshly baked pastries whenever you want. You can freeze croissants after shaping them but before the final proofing stage. When you’re ready to bake them, you can thaw the croissants overnight in the refrigerator to slowly bring them to room temperature. Then, let them proof at room temperature for a few hours until they have doubled in size before baking them. This method will help maintain the flakiness and texture

      Reply

  11. Hey! Is it possible, after adding butter block and rolling etc, to leave the dough in the fridge for the evening, and then roll and cut/shape in the morning to bake in the afternoon? Or should I shape first then leave in fridge overnight, pull out and proof and bake?

    Reply

  14. Hi Natasha,
    Really loved your croissant recipe. Best I’ve tried far. My husband and daughter gobbled them up piping hot.

    Reply

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Recipe Rating