The light bread croissants with natural yeast are the perfect recipe for those looking for a light yet tasty alternative to classic brioche. Made without butter and with very little sugar, they have all the softness and aroma of freshly baked bread, with a delicate vanilla scent that makes them ideal for a healthy and delicious breakfast. Their neutral taste allows them to be paired with both sweet fillings, such as light jams or light spreads, and savory versions with cold cuts or low-fat cheeses. These light bread croissants are also dairy-free and can easily be turned into a vegan version with a few adjustments. A versatile, light recipe perfect for a balanced snack, too: just knead and discover all my tips to make them even more irresistible!
- Difficulty: Medium
- Cost: Economical
- Rest time: 8 Hours
- Preparation time: 30 Minutes
- Portions: 22 Pieces
- Cooking methods: Oven
- Cuisine: Italian
- Seasonality: All Saints
Ingredients
- 250 g type 1 flour (strong)
- 250 g type 1 flour
- 200 ml almond drink (unsweetened)
- 130 g natural yeast
- 70 g egg (1 egg plus one yolk)
- 50 ml water
- 15 g sugar
- 5 g fine salt
- 1 packet vanillin
- 1 egg yolk
- 15 ml almond drink (unsweetened)
- to taste sugar
Tools
- 1 Stand Mixer
- 1 Pastry Board
- 1 Rolling Pin
- 1 Pastry Wheel
- 1 Brush
- 2 Baking Sheets
- 1 Ruler
- 1 Dough Scraper
Steps
Tear the natural yeast into the stand mixer and add 120 ml of liquids previously mixed and the sugar.
Start adding some of the flour to absorb the liquids.
Quickly beat the eggs and add them to the stand mixer, letting them incorporate into the dough.
Continue adding alternating between flour and liquids. Once finished, attach the hook and knead the dough until it gathers around the hook, leaving the sides clean.
Add the flavorings (I only had vanillin but anything can work) and finish with the salt while increasing the speed.
Once kneaded, perform three slap and fold turns on the pastry board every 15 minutes, then place in a closed container. Refrigerate overnight.
The next day, take the dough out of the fridge and let it complete doubling. In summer, this will take about an hour; in winter, it will take longer.
Deflate the dough on the pastry board and divide it in two with a dough scraper.
Take the first piece and roll it with the rolling pin into a long strip.
Measure the rectangle with a ruler and trim the excess, ensuring it’s 20×40 cm
Use a pastry wheel to cut triangles (there’s a video on my Instagram page)
Take each triangle and pull its tip a little.
Roll from the base, keeping the dough in tension.
The Light Bread Croissant with Natural Yeast is done! Repeat the same process for the remaining dough.
As the croissants are formed, place them on two baking sheets lined with parchment paper, spaced enough apart. As you can see from the photo, I made small leavened pastries with the leftovers with jam just to not waste anything!
Cover the bread croissants with plastic wrap and let them double. Depending on the external temperature, this can take one to two hours.
Preheat the oven to 356°F in static mode. Mix the egg yolk with the almond drink and brush it on all the croissants.
To add more flavor, you can sprinkle the brioche with some sugar, preferably brown. Not having it available, I used semolina.
Bake the light bread croissants with natural yeast for 25/30 minutes (this depends a lot on the oven!) remembering to turn the trays halfway through. If needed, you can increase the time by another 5 minutes. Once golden, take them out and let them cool on a wire rack. Then, enjoy them!
The light bread croissants with natural yeast keep in a paper bag for three or four days, or in the freezer. They can be frozen either before the second rise (and then let to double) or, and this is my preference, just after baking and cooling. You just need to take them out of the freezer and reheat them in the oven to make them crispy again.
This recipe is a base that can be adapted to many uses, as I explain in the FAQ below! If you liked this recipe, join me on Instagram where you’ll find many other recipes and tips!
FAQ (Questions and Answers)
How can I make the croissants more indulgent?
The recipe for the bread croissants described so far is very neutral and its aroma comes mainly from the vanillin and the little sugar on the surface since I designed them for a controlled diet. But that doesn’t mean they can’t be modified to make them more indulgent. We can add 20 g of seed oil, replace the water with an equal amount of plant-based drink, and increase the sugar up to 40 g. On the surface, we can add more sugar… and of course, fill them with jam!
Can I make savory bread croissants?
To make savory light bread croissants, simply reduce the sugar to 10 g in the dough and do not sprinkle with additional sugar before baking. This way they are perfect for a small buffet. If you like the sweet/salty contrast, then they are perfect as is!
