This Cinnamon Croissant Loaf can't help but bring a smile to your face. It is buttery, flaky, and perfectly balanced by the warm spices of the cinnamon and gooey brown sugar. It is an impressive loaf (make this for your favorite family members and friends), but it is oh so easy to make. The bread itself is a classic white sourdough with frozen butter grated into it on the third stretch and fold, while the filling is simply brown sugar and cinnamon, which you sprinkle all over the dough in a measure-with-your-heart fashion. This was one of my first recipes I tried and published, and I am so proud of it. It's so yummy and fun to make. If you're just getting into sourdough, this is a great way to start experimenting with flavored and filled loaves.
Special Ingredients: Notes and Tips
Vegan Butter: Make sure the vegan butter is frozen at least 30 minutes in advance. To make sure the butter maintains little spots and layers throughout the sourdough, the butter must be frozen enough to not melt too quikly throughout the stretch and fold process.
Brown Sugar: Use your favorite brown sugar. You will notice there isn't a measurement for brown sugar. Just eyeball how much you sprinkle throughout the layers.
Cinnamon: Same for the cinnamon, there aren't specific measurements for the filling. I just like to give a light, even sprinkle over the brown sugar as I fill and shape the loaf.
Vegan Cinnamon Croissant Sourdough Loaf
Ingredients
Equipment
Method
- Feed your sourdough. I do this around 6-8 pm, so I can start baking the next day around 8 am.
- Combine sourdough starter and warm water in a bowl. Whisk until combined and bubbly.150 grams Sourdough Starter, 350 grams Filtered Water
- Add in honey or liquid sweetener. Mix until dissolved.10-20 grams Honey
- Add in flour and salt. Mix until a shaggy dough forms. Does not need to be perfect! Just until most dry/ wet spots are gone.500 grams Bread Flour, 11 grams Sea Salt
- Cover and let rest for 1 hour. I like to place it in a sunny spot in my house.
- Begin your first set of stretch and folds. Scoop on the side of the dough and pull up. Once it stretches without tearing as far as it can go, fold the dough back on top of itself. Turn the bowl a quarter of the way and repeat. You should do 8 stretches and folds or go around the bowl twice. Cover and let rest for 30 minutes.
- Grate in half of the frozen vegan butter. Then, do 4 stretch and folds (go around the bowl once). Grate in the rest of the vegan butter and do 4 more stretch and folds. Cover and let rest for 30 minutes.6 tbsps. Vegan Butter
- Complete your final set of stretches and folds. For this last set, scoop under both sies of the dough and pull up, allowing the dough to fall over your hands. Repeat on the opposite side of the dough. Repeat again. You should have completed 4 stretch and folds.
- Allow the dough to bulk rest. Depending on your kitchen temperature, this will take more or less time. Usually, it takes bout 3-4 hours. Ultimately, you're looking for your dough to double in size.
- Generously flour a clean surface once the dough has doubled in size. Pour the dough onto the counter and push/ flatten into a rectangular shape. Flour the top of your dough. Then, sprinkle brown sugar and cinnamon generously over the rectangle. Fold one side of the dough about halfway into the rectangle. Add more brown sugar and cinnamon. Fold the opposite side of the dough over. Push down on the roll to flatten the dough again. Add more brown sugar and cinnamon. Finally, roll up your dough, pinching and sealing the sides as you go. Place into floured banneton and let rest, covered, in fridge overnight.~1 cup Brown Sugar, 1 tbsp. Cinnamon
- Preheat your oven to 450 degrees F for 1 hour before baking, with the Dutch oven in the oven. When ready to bake, flip your dough out of the banneton onto parchment paper. Score with the desired pattern using a knife or scoring blade.
- Place your dough into the warmed Dutch Oven. I like to sprinkle the top of my dough with some water or spray it with a spray bottle to create steam. Place the lid on the Dutch oven and bake at 450 degrees F for 30-35 minutes. You want your dough to have sprung up and developed some color.
- After about 30 minutes, take the Dutch Oven out of the oven. Take off the lid. Place the bread back into the oven for 15-20 minutes at 450 degrees F. This is where your crust will develop color, so take out your bread when you've reached the desired darkness on your crust. You will know when your bread is done by knocking on the outside of the bread. If it sounds hollow, it is completely baked.
- Allow to cool completely, then slice and enjoy!
