This fluffy almond croissant focaccia is made with an easy no-knead dough and creamy frangipane that gets dolloped both inside and on top, so there's plenty of flavor in every bite. Sliced almonds get sprinkled on for crunch, and powdered sugar goes on last for that bakery-level look.
Two Things I Love Baked in One Pan: Almond Croissant Focaccia
Okay so I have a serious thing for almond croissants. There's just something about that buttery, frangipane-filled, powdered-sugar-dusted, sliced-almond-coated pastry that I can never say no to. The only problem? Croissants are a lot to make at home. While I used to have long weekends for baking projects, I don't have that kind of free time anymore with a baby, so I created my almond croissant focaccia recipe! Same flavors, same cozy bakery feeling, but just a fraction of the effort.
Focaccia dough is great for both beginners and seasoned bakers because it's so forgiving. You don't even have to knead it! Just four sets of stretch-and-folds build enough gluten, so the rise and proof only take one hour each. And by using a yeast-based dough (not sourdough) there's no overnight planning needed.
The homemade frangipane doesn't need to be cooked ahead of time, since it cooks in the oven as the bread bakes, so none of it is raw or gummy when it comes out. And my secret to getting that creamy almond flavor in every bite is adding the frangipane twice. First, it gets spread across the dough before it's folded in half and left to proof. Then once the dough has gotten all airy and bubbly, we'll gently dollop the remaining frangipane on top before dimpling. Every single layer has that rich, buttery, nutty flavor.
If the frangipane filling is your favorite part of this recipe (same here), you're going to want to make my apple frangipane tart next, since it puts that creamy almond filling front and center in a beautiful tart. And if you're now fully on the dessert focaccia train, my lemon blueberry focaccia needs to be the next thing coming out of your oven!
Let's Bake Almond Croissant Focaccia Together!
For the full step-by-step directions, scroll down to the recipe card.
My Tips for Fluffy Frangipane Focaccia
- I initially tried a letter fold (dividing the dough in thirds) but that caused a lot of the almond paste filling to be too close to the bottom & leak out, so just folding it in half is best to keep it inside.
- The frangipane got a little dark during one of my tests, so drizzling olive oil or melted butter over the top before it goes in the oven helps prevent it from burning. But if you still notice some areas getting a little too dark, tent a large piece of foil over the whole baking dish.
- I prefer all purpose flour here, since bread flour made it a little chewier and took longer to rise.
Almond Croissant Focaccia
developed & tested by:
Equipment
Ingredients
FOCACCIA DOUGH
- 2¼ teaspoons active dry yeast (one packet)
- 2 Tablespoons granulated sugar
- 1¾ cups warm water (between 105-115°F or 40-46°C)
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 4 cups all purpose flour
- 1½ teaspoons salt (use fine sea salt or table salt)
- 1 ½ teaspoons cinnamon
- 3 Tablespoons unsalted butter, melted (for greasing the baking dish)
ALMOND FRANGIPANE FILLING
- 6 Tablespoons unsalted butter, softened to room temperature
- ½ cup granulated sugar
- ¼ teaspoon salt (use table salt or fine sea salt)
- 2 large eggs, at room temperature
- 2 teaspoons almond extract
- 1½ cups almond flour
TOPPING
- ¾ cup sliced almonds
- 1 Tablespoon olive oil (or melted butter)
- ¼ cup powdered sugar
Instructions
Mix and Rise the Dough
- In a large mixing bowl, whisk the yeast, sugar, and warm water. Set aside for 10 minutes, until it's foamy on top. (If it's not foamy, check your yeast packet, as it might be expired.)
- Add the olive oil and stir it into the foamy yeast mixture.
- Add the flour, salt, and cinnamon, and mix for a minute with a large wooden spoon or silicone spatula until it forms a soft, wet dough. Cover the mixing bowl with plastic wrap or a kitchen towel for 30 minutes.
- Stretch and Fold 1: Use your hand to scoop a handful of dough from underneath, up one side, up out of the bowl as far as you can stretch it without tearing, then fold it over itself on top. Rotate the bowl 90 degrees and repeat another stretching of the dough up and folding over itself. Repeat rotating the bowl and stretching & folding the dough twice more, until you've completed four stretch-and-folds.
- Cover the mixing bowl with plastic wrap or a kitchen towel for 30 minutes.
- Stretch and Fold 2: Repeat the process for four stretch-and-folds. Cover the mixing bowl with plastic wrap or a kitchen towel for 30 minutes.
- Stretch and Fold 3: Repeat the process for four stretch-and-folds. Cover the mixing bowl with plastic wrap or a kitchen towel for 30 minutes.
- Stretch and Fold 4: Repeat the process for four stretch-and-folds. Cover the mixing bowl with plastic wrap or a kitchen towel for 1 hour until it doubles in size and looks bubbly on top.
Make the Almond Frangipane
- In a large mixing bowl with a hand mixer or in a stand mixer with the paddle attachment, beat the softened butter and sugar together until it's light and fluffy, after 2 to 3 minutes.
- Add the salt, eggs, and almond extract. Mix again until it's combined, after 1 to 2 minutes.
- Add the almond flour and mix with a large spoon or silicone spatula until it's smooth. Set aside.
Shape, Fill, and Proof the Dough
- Spread three tablespoons of melted butter on the bottom and up the sides of a 9x13 baking dish.
- Dump the dough from your mixing bowl onto the center of the baking dish.
- Spoon little dollops of half of the almond frangipane evenly over the dough then gently spread it out with the back of a spoon.
- Grab the dough from a short end and fold it up over itself in half. Gently press the edges to seal in the filling. Lift up the dough, turn it 90 degrees, place it back in the baking dish, and gently spread it out again.
- Cover the baking dish with plastic wrap and let it rise at room temperature for 1 hour, or until it's puffed up and jiggles on top when you shake the baking dish.
Bake the Focaccia
- Preheat the oven to 450°F (230°C).
- Spread little dollops of the remaining frangipane filling all over the dough. (We're not going to spread it out this time, to avoid knocking out too much air from the dough.) Sprinkle the sliced almonds on top.
- Generously coat your fingers in olive oil (don't skip this, or else the dough will stick all over your fingers.) Use your fingers to press dimples into the dough, pressing all the way to the bottom of the baking dish.
- Drizzle one tablespoon of olive oil or melted butter evenly over the dough. (This keeps it from drying out during baking & prevents the frangipane from burning.)
- Bake for 18-22 minutes, or until the focaccia is puffed up and golden brown. Cool the bread for at least 20 minutes then dust with powdered sugar, slice, and enjoy!
Notes
- Baking Pan: I like baking this sweet focaccia in a glass or light ceramic baking dish, which has less aggressive heat than metal or dark-colored dish.
- Stretch-and-Folds: Focaccia is a high-hydration dough, so it's going to feel wet and sticky. My biggest advice when doing the stretches and folds is to wet your hands with cold water first. I know it sounds counterintuitive, but wet hands really make the dough stick less to them!
- Storing: Store fully cooled focaccia at room temp for a few days or in the fridge for a few more days in an airtight container.
Nutrition
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