Any classic French breakfast must include a croissant. Serve them with jam, maybe even a little cheese. But, for a genuinely sweet way to start the day, make it an almond croissant.
This almond croissant recipe is the classic version of the breakfast pastry with a sweet almond filling or frangipane swirled throughout the dough and topped with toasted almonds baked right into the top.
"I'm always amazed at how flour, yeast, and a liquid can come together to form a gorgeous dough. This was actually fun to make as I haven't made croissants in years. I used the canned almond cake and pastry filling from the baking aisle of the grocery store and it was surprisingly quite tasty." —Carrie Parente
Ingredients
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4 teaspoons instant dry yeast
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1/2 cup lukewarm water
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3 1/2 cups bread flour
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1/2 cup milk
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1/3 cup granulated sugar
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3 tablespoons melted unsalted butter, cooled
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1 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt
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8 ounces (1 cup) unsalted butter, softened
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1/2 cup frangipane, or sweet almond filling
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1 large egg
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2 tablespoons milk
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1/3 cup sliced almonds
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2 tablespoons confectioners' sugar
Steps to Make It
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Gather the ingredients.
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Dissolve the yeast in the warm water for 5 minutes.
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Add the bread flour, milk, sugar, melted butter, and salt to the dissolved yeast and water and mix the dough on medium speed for about 2 minutes. If the dough is too sticky, add 1 tablespoon of extra flour at a time, until the dough is just firm enough to hold a shape.
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Shape dough into a ball and loosely cover it with plastic wrap. Allow it to rest at room temperature for 30 minutes.
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Roll the dough into a 10-inch by 15-inch rectangle, and then cover it loosely and allow it to rise for 40 minutes.
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Spread the rectangle with the softened butter and then fold the dough into thirds, like a letter.
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Roll the long, thin rectangle back into the original 10-inch by 15-inch rectangle. Fold the dough into thirds again, and then cover the dough with plastic wrap and allow it to rest in the refrigerator for 1 hour. Repeat this process one more time.
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Roll the long, thin rectangle back into the original 10-inch by 15-inch rectangle. Using a sharp knife, cut the dough down the center lengthwise to create two 5-inch by 15-inch rectangles.
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Slice each rectangle across widthwise four times to create ten 3-inch by 5-inch rectangles. Finally, cut each rectangle in half diagonally to create 20 triangles.
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Pull the tip of each triangle taut, spread a small spoonful of frangipane across each triangle, and then roll the croissants up from the base, curving the ends slightly to make a crescent shape.
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Arrange each finished croissant on a lightly greased baking sheet with at least 1 1/2 inches between each pastry. Cover them loosely with plastic wrap and allow them to rise for 45 minutes to 1 hour until they are nearly doubled in size.
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Preheat the oven to 375 F. Whisk the egg and 2 tablespoons of milk together to make an egg wash.
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Brush the egg wash across the surface of each pastry and then sprinkle them with the sliced almonds.
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Bake the croissants for 14 to 16 minutes until they are puffed and golden brown, and the almonds are toasted.
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Sprinkle the powdered sugar over the tops of the warm croissants.
Tips
- Like all croissants, they are best eaten fresh. They do not keep well and the almond version is no exception. You may manage a second day if you gently warm them in a hot oven for about 5 minutes.
- If you'd like to bake these croissants in the morning, you can prepare them the day before and refrigerate, covered in plastic, overnight. Instead of letting them rise at room temperature until doubled in size (step 10), leave them in the refrigerator until the morning and then continue with the recipe.
Helpful Links
Nutrition Facts (per serving) | |
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285 | Calories |
17g | Fat |
28g | Carbs |
6g | Protein |
Nutrition Facts | |
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Servings: 20 | |
Amount per serving | |
Calories | 285 |
% Daily Value* | |
Total Fat 17g | 22% |
Saturated Fat 9g | 45% |
Cholesterol 54mg | 18% |
Sodium 207mg | 9% |
Total Carbohydrate 28g | 10% |
Dietary Fiber 2g | 6% |
Total Sugars 9g | |
Protein 6g | |
Vitamin C 0mg | 0% |
Calcium 36mg | 3% |
Iron 1mg | 3% |
Potassium 98mg | 2% |
*The % Daily Value (DV) tells you how much a nutrient in a food serving contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calories a day is used for general nutrition advice. |