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These Almond Croissant Buns are fluffy milk bread meets almond croissant! These buns are inspired but almond croissant and has a almond filling and topped with almond flakes and a dusting of powdered sugar! These bakery-style buns are made with a soft and fluffy, enriched tangzhong milk bread dough that stays soft for days. Making the tangzhong might be small extra step, but it makes them extra good!
This super fluffy and soft Almond Croissant Buns recipe is a new weekend stable. These buns are so incredible. They have a soft milk bread dough, using the tangzhong method. Tangzhong is a slurry made of milk and flour that gets added to the dough. The buns are filled with an a delicious almond filling and topped with almond flakes and a dusting of powdered sugar.
If you haven't tried milk bread, you'll never want to go back after you try it. It might sound like an extra step, making the tangzhong, but it a simple and quick extra step that will make for extra fluffy buns that stays soft for days!
For more bread recipes, try Giant Cinnamon Rolls, Lemon Poppy Seed Rolls and Blueberry Cream Cheese Buns.
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WHY THIS RECIPE WORKS
- Milk bread dough: The milk bread base gives these buns their signature pillowy texture, that lasts for days!
- Almond filling: These buns are filled with a delicious almond filling.
- Almond croissant crossover: These buns are a fun twist of the almond croissant.
INGREDIENT NOTES
These are some of the key ingredients for this recipe. For a full list of ingredients, check out the recipe card below.
- Yeast: I use fresh yeast but you can also use instant yeast.
- Butter: Take it out of the fridge 1-2 hours before baking.
- Whole milk: Heat the milk up to 37ºC, make sure it's not warmer as it can kills the yeast if it's too hot.
- All-purpose flour: I use all-purpose flour. It is used both in the tangzhong and with the rest of the dough.
- Almond flour: The almond flour is used in the filling
- Almond extract: To enhance the almond flavor, almond extract is added to the filling.
WHAT MAKES THEM SO SOFT: TANGZHONG MILK BREAD METHOD
Tangzhong origins from Japan’s yokone (or yudane). Tangzhong is a method used in yeasted bread and was popularized around Asia by Taiwanese cookbook author Yvonne Chen. It is a slurry that is made of flour and a liquid before adding it together with the rest of the ingredients. By precooking the flour and milk, it makes your bread incredibly soft and fluffy, more tender and extends the shelf life.
Source: King Arthur Baking
STEP BY STEP INSTRUCTIONS
Here is how to make and bake these Almond Croissant Buns. This recipe needs a stand mixer with a dough hook attachment and two large baking trays lined with baking paper.
The full recipe is down below in the recipe card.
STEP 1: Start by making the tangzhong for the dough. Add the milk and flour to a small saucepan. Place it on the stove over medium-high heat and constantly stir until it becomes a thick paste. Add the tangzhong to a small bowl and place it in the fridge until room temperature.
STEP 2: Heat up the milk and water until it’s lukewarm (37ºC). Crumble the fresh yeast into your mixing bowl and pour in the heated milk and water. Stir it together until the yeast has melted. If you are use instant yeast, mix it instead together with the flour before pouring over the milk and water mixture.
STEP 3: Add the granulated sugar, all-purpose flour, tangzhong, egg and using the dough hook, mix the dough on low speed for 4 minutes.
STEP 4: Continue on medium speed and add salt and the butter in two parts. Add the second part of the butter, once the first part has mixed into the dough.This part looks messy but don’t worry. Once the second part has incorporated, keep mixing the dough for 6-7 minutes. It should end up looking smooth and glossy.
STEP 5: Add the dough to a clean slightly oiled bowl, and cover the bowl with plastic wrap and a clean kitchen towel. Place it in a warm room temperature area in your house. Let it rise for 1 hour. See FAQ above for overnight rising.
HOW TO MAKE THE FILLING AND ASSEMBLING
STEP 1: For the almond filling, mix it all together until smooth and set it aside.
STEP 2: After the first rise, it should now be double in size. Gently punch the air out of the dough and divide the dough into 12. Roll the dough into balls and place them baking trays. Gently press the buns down to get more of a donut shape. Let them rise for a second time on the kitchen counter for 45 minutes.
STEP 3: Meanwhile preheat the oven to 190ºC/ 375ºF conventional oven. After the second rise, use a ⅓ cup measurement or a cup. Press down the middle so it leaves an indent and pip the almond paste in the middle. Brush the sides of the buns with egg wash.
STEP 4: Pip the filling into the buns and finish them with sprinkling of almond flakes. Bake them for 12-14 minutes or until golden brown. Dust them with powdered sugar and enjoy them lukewarm or cooled down completely.
EXPERT BAKING TIPS
- Use a kitchen scale: My default setting for my recipes is grams. It is the most precise way of measuring out your ingredients, I therefore highly recommend using a kitchen scale.
- Don't over mix your batter: I always use a spatula after everything has mixed together, to give it one final gentle fold together. This makes sure everything in the bottom of the mixing bowl has been mixed into the batter.
- Light vs. dark baking pans: For the best result, use an aluminum baking pan, greased with butter and lined with baking paper in the bottom. Aluminum pans are light in color and therefore attract less heat. That means it bakes more gently which results in a softer cake. If you use a black baking pan it'll attract a lot more heat. That will then give a darker crust, which can result in a dryer cake.
FAQ
Yes, start by reducing the yeast to 2 g instant yeast or 6 g fresh yeast. Mix the dough together as written, then let it rise for 20 minutes on the kitchen counter before letting the dough rise the rest of the 1st rise in the refrigerator overnight, proofing for no more than 16 hours. Then follow the recipe instructions and let the dough do its 2nd rise at room temperature for 60-90 minutes depending on how warm your home is.
You can test if they are done proofing with a finger poke test. Lightly press the surface of the bun with your fingertip. If it springs back slowly, leaving a slight dent it is perfect and ready to bake. Does it bounces back immediately it needs more rising. If it doesn’t spring back at all it is overproofed.
HOW TO STORE
Store the almond croissant buns at room temperature in plastic bag. They are best enjoyed within a 2-3 days. They taste the the best when reheated in the microwave for 30 seconds to 1 minutes.
Other Bread Recipes To Try
Make sure leave a STAR REVIEW if you loved this recipe! Make sure to tag me on Instagram @juliemarieeats. To get more ideas by following me on Pinterest.
Almond Croissant Buns
Equipment
Ingredients
DOUGH
TANGZHONG
- 30 g all-purpose flour
- 150 g whole milk
DOUGH
- 90 g whole milk
- 90 g water
- 6 g instant yeast or 25 g fresh yeast
- 50 g granulated sugar
- 510 g all-purpose flour
- 1 egg preferably 60 g egg with shell
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 100 g butter room temperature
ALMOND FILLING
- 110 g butter room temperature
- 100 g granulated sugar
- 140 almond flour
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- ¼ teaspoon almond extract
- 1 egg
- Small pinch of salt
ASSEMBLING
- 1 egg for egg wash
- Almond flakes
- Powdered sugar for dusting
Instructions
TANGZHONG
- Start by making the tangzhong. Add the milk and flour to a small saucepan. Stir it together with a whisk until the flour has mixed together with the milk. Then place it on the stove over medium-high heat. Keep constantly stirring until it becomes a thick paste, similarly to smooth mashed potatoes. Take it off the heat and add it to a flat surfaced bowl so it can cool down faster. Place it in the fridge to cool down so it becomes room temperature. It’ll take about 20-30 minutes.30 g all-purpose flour, 150 g whole milk
DOUGH
- Heat up the milk and water until it’s lukewarm (37ºC). Crumble the fresh yeast into your mixing bowl and pour in the heated milk and water. With a spatula stir it together until the yeast has melted. (If you are use instant yeast, mix the yeast instead together with the flour before pouring over the milk and water mixture)90 g whole milk, 90 g water, 6 g instant yeast
- Add the granulated sugar, all-purpose flour, tangzhong, egg and using the dough hook, mix the dough on low speed for 4 minutes.50 g granulated sugar, 510 g all-purpose flour, 1 egg
- Continue on medium speed and add salt and the butter in two parts. Add the second part of the butter, once the first part has mixed into the dough. Once the second part has incorporated, keep mixing the dough for 6-7 minutes. It should end up looking smooth and glossy.1 teaspoon salt, 100 g butter
- Add the dough to a clean bowl, with a bit of vegetable oil, and cover the bowl with cling film and a tea towel. Place it in a warm room temperature area in your house. Let it rise for 1 hour. See FAQ above for overnight rising.
ALMOND FILLING
- While the dough rises, mix together all of the ingredients until one paste and set it aside.110 g butter, 100 g granulated sugar, 140 almond flour, 1 teaspoon vanilla extract, ¼ teaspoon almond extract, 1 egg, Small pinch of salt
ASSEMBLING
- After the first rise, it should be double in size. Tip the dough out and divide the dough into 12 (about 86g each). Roll the dough into balls and place them on two baking trays lined with parchment paper. Gently press the buns down to get more of a donut shape. Let them rise for a second time on the kitchen counter for 45 minutes under some cling film and a tea towel.
- Meanwhile preheat the oven to 190ºC/ 375ºF conventional oven.
- Whisk an egg together and brush the sides of the buns with the egg wash.1 egg
- After the second rise, use a ⅓ cup measurement or a cup that is around 5 cm in diameter. Press down the middle so it leaves an indent. Then use your fingers to gently press down the sides a bit. Add the almond paste to a piping bag, or add it with a spoon, and pip the almond paste in the middle. Finish them with sprinkling of almond flakes.Almond flakes
- Bake them for 12-14 minutes or until golden brown. After they have baked, places them on a cooling rack to let them cool down a bit. Dust them with powdered sugar and enjoy them lukewarm or cooled down completely.Powdered sugar for dusting
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