Almond Croissants Meet Cinnamon Rolls In This Delightful Breakfast Pastry

I once worked at a French bakery where the best-selling item was our twice-baked almond croissant. We made them in the traditional way—by filling day-old croissants with a drizzle of simple syrup and a scoop of fragrant almond cream, then baking them again until they were crisp. Using day-old croissants is convenient in more ways than one: It gives new life to pastries that might otherwise be thrown away or sold at a hefty discount, and because the slightly stale croissants are less fragile, they’re much easier to work with. Plus, the slightly stale pastry is better able to absorb the rich, creamy filling without becoming soggy. 

These pastries were so popular people would line up around the block in hopes of procuring one. On weekends, the demand was so great that we often had no choice but to bake hundreds of extra fresh croissants, let them stale for several hours, then turn them into even more almond croissants.

It’s been almost four years since I left my job at the bakery, and the almond croissant is one of the pastries that I miss the most. Since I don’t usually have the time or resources to make them myself at home, I’ve started to make almond buns, which are essentially a mash-up of twice-baked almond croissants and cinnamon rolls, my other favorite breakfast treat. I swap out the croissants with a bread dough enriched with milk, butter, and eggs that I fill with sweet almond cream and baked into soft, pillowy rolls. It’s an easier way to satisfy my craving for an almond croissant—and though it isn’t quite the same, it’s just as delicious. 

Key Techniques for Making Delicious Almond Rolls 

My ideal rolls are light and lofty with a plush, feathery crumb. While most freshly baked cinnamon rolls start out this way, it only takes a few hours for them to lose their softness and become hard and slightly dry. Using a higher-hydration dough is one solution, but a wetter dough can be tricky to work with and harder to shape. After much trial and error, I came up with a method for making rolls that are easy to shape and stay fluffy and tender for longer: using a tangzhong. That, plus a few other important technical details, are the keys to success.

The Benefit of a Tangzhong

These rolls get their fluffy texture from tangzhong, a mixture of flour and milk or water that’s whisked together and cooked on the stove until a thick, stretchy paste forms. This process helps hydrate and gelatinize the starches in the flour, resulting in moist bread that stays fresher for longer. As Serious Eats contributor Andrew Janjigian touched on in his shokupan recipe, a gelled mixture of flour and water is “drier in texture than an identical ungelled one,” which “allows you to make a dough with more water in it than it could otherwise contain” without it becoming unworkably wet and sloppy.

The Importance of Thorough Kneading

Bakers and pastry chefs often caution against overworking doughs and batters, which can result in tough, chewy cakes and cookies. But some baked goods, like these rolls, benefit from a good knead, which organizes the gluten proteins glutenin and gliadin into a strong, extensible network that supports the dough as it rises in the oven. 

Since this dough is soft and sticky, I recommend using a stand mixer to knead it, as attempting to knead it with your hands and incorporating too much flour can result in tough, dry rolls. You’ll want to knead the dough until enough gluten has developed and it passes the windowpane test, which indicates the dough has developed enough elasticity: Pull off a golf ball-sized piece of dough and, using two hands, slowly stretch it as thinly as possible without ripping it. Hold the stretched dough up to the light, and if you can see through it, the dough is ready for its first rise. If not, continue kneading until you can stretch the dough thinly without it tearing. 

Proper Proofing

Like many yeasted doughs, these rolls require two rises: the first rise, also called the bulk fermentation, and the second rise, which is known as the final proof. As Serious Eats contributor Max Bernstein wrote in his guide to breadmaking, bulk fermentation is when the yeast does most of its work—consuming sugars and producing carbon dioxide, ethanol, and other byproducts—that help leaven the dough and deepen its flavor. To ensure the dough is adequately proofed, let it rise at warm room temperature (75 to 80°F; 24 to 27°C) until it’s puffy and has doubled in size—the dough should spring back slowly when gently pressed with a finger. 

After shaping the dough into rolls and nestling it into the baking pan, you’ll leave the dough to rise once more. This gives the gluten a chance to relax: Dough that hasn’t had time to rest will tear and deflate, instead of stretching and expanding into light, fluffy rolls. During the final proof, the dough will continue to produce carbon dioxide and rise, resulting in soft, airy rolls once baked.

Make a Great Almond Filling

At its most basic, almond cream (also called creme d’amande) is made by beating softened butter, sugar, eggs, and ground almonds together until it resembles thick cake batter. My version, like many others, incorporates an aromatic blend of flavorings including citrus zest, vanilla and almond extracts, and a splash of brandy.

Many people may call this mixture “frangipane,” though that term technically refers to almond cream that has been lightened with pastry cream. Almond cream is also not to be confused with marzipan or almond paste, which are both made from varying amounts of ground almonds, sugar, and egg whites, and contain no butter. 

How to Shape the Almond Rolls

The dough will be sticky, so be sure to generously flour your work surface and rolling pin. To shape the rolls, roll the dough into a 10- by 14-inch rectangle about half an inch thick, then use an offset spatula to spread a thick layer of almond cream evenly across it. It will feel like a lot, but ensures that each bite is packed with bold almond flavor. 

How to Serve

Starting with the long end, roll the dough into a tight log, then slide a strand of thread, unflavored dental floss, or butcher’s twine under the dough then cross the ends over the top and pull tight to slice the dough into seven portions. (This is a clever trick that former Serious Eats editor Stella swears by for cutting her cinnamon rolls neatly without squishing the dough, but a serrated knife will work too.) Nestle the buns into a greased 9-inch aluminum cake pan, cover loosely with plastic wrap or a damp towel, and let the dough proof until they’ve doubled in size.

While these rolls are wonderful topped with nothing more than a dusting of powdered sugar, a buttery almond glaze makes them even more delicious. To keep the rolls gooey and moist, pour the glaze over the rolls as soon as they come out of the oven. Enjoy these rolls while they’re still fresh and warm, and they might just become your new favorite breakfast pastry.

For the Almond Cream: Adjust oven rack to middle position and preheat to 350°F (175ºC). Add almond flour to a parchment-lined rimmed baking sheet and spread into a thin, even layer. Toast, stirring every 3 minutes, until the almond flour is fragrant and light golden brown, about 10 minutes. Remove from oven and let cool to room temperature, about 20 minutes.

In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat butter, sugar, and orange zest, if using, on low speed to roughly incorporate. Increase to medium-high speed and beat until smooth and creamy, about 3 minutes, pausing to scrape down bowl and beater with a flexible spatula as needed. Add almond flour, all-purpose flour, egg, brandy (if using), almond extract, vanilla extract, and salt. Mix on medium-high speed until smooth, thick, and creamy, pausing to to scrape down bowl and beater halfway through, about 2 minutes. Using a flexible spatula, scrape bowl and beater to ensure that no streaks of unmixed butter remain. (Almond cream can also be prepared in a large bowl with an electric hand mixer.) Set aside.

For the Tangzhong: In a small saucepan, whisk milk and flour to combine. Cook over medium heat, whisking constantly, until mixture thickens to a stretchy pudding-like consistency, 2 to 3 minutes.

For the Dough: Using a flexible spatula, scrape hot tangzhong into the now-clean bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the dough hook attachment; let cool until just warm to the touch, about 10 minutes. Add cold milk to tangzhong, followed by the flour, butter, egg, sugar, yeast, and salt. Mix on low speed until dough is smooth, supple, and elastic, 12 to 15 minutes. (The dough should pass the “windowpane” test: Pull off a golf ball-sized piece of dough and, using two hands, gently flatten and stretch it until it’s a thin, translucent window of dough that resists tearing. Though all dough will eventually tear if you stretch it too much, you should be able to stretch it quite thin before that happens. If dough does not pass windowpane test, continue kneading until dough resists tearing when stretched, another 2 to 4 minutes.)

Loosely cover bowl with plastic wrap or a damp towel and let sit at warm room temperature (75 to 80ºF; 24 to 27ºC) until dough is puffy and doubled in size, 60 to 90 minutes.

Grease a 9-inch aluminum cake pan with butter. Line the pan with two 15-inch by 3-inch strips of parchment paper, overlapping them to form an “X” in the bottom of the pan. (There should be about 3 inches of overhang on the edges.)

Turn dough out onto a lightly floured surface and, using a rolling pin, roll it into a 10-by 14-inch rectangle about 1/2-inch thick. Using an offset spatula, spread frangipane over dough into an even layer, leaving a 1/2-inch border along each side. Starting with the long end, roll dough into a tight log. Carefully pinch dough together along the seam to seal, and gently pat log to ensure even thickness. Brush off any excess flour from the dough. Divide dough evenly into 7 slices, each about 2-inches thick: Slide an 8-inch strand of thread, unflavored dental floss, or butcher’s twine under the dough; cross the ends over the top and pull tight to slice dough. (Alternatively, you can use a serrated bread knife to portion dough.) Arrange rolls inside prepared pan: Place 6 rolls around the perimeter and one in the center, evenly spaced apart. Loosely cover with plastic wrap or a damp towel and let rise in a warm place until about doubled in size, 30 to 60 minutes. (To test if the dough is fully proofed, gently press the dough with the flat of your finger; it should leave an indent and gently spring back.)

Adjust oven rack to middle position and preheat to 350°F (175°C). Scatter sliced almonds evenly over proofed buns. Bake until rolls are golden brown and have an internal temperature of at least 190°F (88°C), 30 to 35 minutes. If the rolls begin to get overly dark before they’re finished cooking, lightly tent the pan with foil.

Meanwhile, prepare the glaze: In a medium bowl, whisk confectioners’ sugar, melted butter, milk, vanilla extract, almond extract, and salt until a smooth, glossy glaze forms. It should be thick but pourable; add additional milk, 1 teaspoon at a time, to loosen as needed.

Remove rolls from the oven and pour glaze over them while still hot. Let cool in pan for 15 to 20 minutes before serving. Enjoy warm.

Special Equipment

Stand mixer or hand mixer, small saucepan, whisk, flexible spatula, 9-inch aluminum pan, rolling pin, offset spatula

Notes

The final proof can be done overnight in the refrigerator, if desired. Arrange rolls in prepared pan, cover, and let rise until just beginning to puff, about 20 minutes. Refrigerate for up to 12 hours. When ready to bake, remove rolls from refrigerator and let rise in a warm place until double their original size. Proceed with step 7 of recipe. 

Make-Ahead and Storage

The almond cream can be made up to 4 days in advance and refrigerated in an airtight container. Once cold, the almond cream becomes very firm—be sure to let it come to room temperature before attempting to spread it over the dough.

Once cooled, leftover rolls can be stored in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days. Rolls can be tightly wrapped in plastic and frozen for up to 1 month. Thaw overnight in fridge. To reheat, wrap rolls loosely in foil and place in a preheated 350°F (180°C) oven for 5 to 10 minutes or until warmed through.c