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I’ve always had a soft spot for almond croissants—hands down my favorite croissant flavor. So, after making the original Sourdough Croissant Loaf, it was only a matter of time before this almond version happened.
Buttery, lightly sweet, and layered with homemade frangipane almond filling, you’re going to love this Almond Croissant Sourdough Loaf. It’s got all the cozy, nutty goodness of an almond croissant, but in an easier sourdough loaf. Flaky, soft, and perfect for brunch, an afternoon pick-me-up, or a little weekend baking—you’re gonna want this one on repeat.
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Why You’ll Love Almond Croissant Sourdough
- Flaky Layers – Cold butter is added during the stretch and folds, creating flaky layers all throughout the loaf – this results in flaky layers and a delicious filling just like in my ham and cheese croissant sourdough loaf.
- Flavor and Texture – Buttery, tender layers swirled with rich almond frangipane give you that classic almond croissant flavor, but in a sourdough loaf – like my Sourdough Panettone Bread, another favorite recipe!
- Versatile Loaf – The homemade frangipane filling is delicious on its own, or you can add in a little almond paste or flaked almonds for more flavor and texture.
New to Sourdough? If you are new to sourdough, learn how to make a sourdough starter from scratch and check out my Free Sourdough Beginner Guide. Using naturally fermented sourdough will take much longer, but you will love the fermentation benefits and the flavor!
Important Ingredients
Almond Croissant Sourdough Bread Base
- Levain – This recipe uses a levain that combines ripe and active sourdough starter, flour, and room temperature water and is left to rise before using.
- Unsalted Butter – The key to the flaky layers that give this loaf its croissant texture is unsalted butter. I prefer to bake with unsalted butter, but you can also use salted butter if you prefer. This recipe works for both American-style butter (which has more water content) and European-style butter. The American-style will have more chunks/flakes throughout the dough, but both bake up delicious.
- Granulated Sugar – I added a little granulated sugar into the dough because this is a sweeter croissant base. It adds a little bit of sweetness to the final loaf.
See the recipe card for full information on ingredients and quantities
Frangipane (Almond) Filling
- Almond Flour: I use almond flour as the base of this homemade frangipane filling.
- Almond Extract: Almond extract adds even more almond flavor, which is delicious throughout the croissant dough.
- Egg Yolk: Helps bind the filling together – you could also use one whole egg if desired.
See the recipe card for full information on ingredients and quantities
Substitutions
- Sugar in the Dough: You can leave out the extra sugar in the dough.
- Unsalted Butter: Substitute salted butter if desired.
- Levain: Bubbly, active, sourdough starter can be substituted for the levain in this recipe if desired.
- Frangipane Filling: Frangipane is an almond-flavored paste that is often used in croissants. If you want even more almond flavor, add a few Tablespoons of almond paste in addition to the Frangipane filling – it’s delicious!
- Almonds: Add flaked almonds along with the filling when laminating the dough for more texture and almond flavor.
Sourdough Baker’s Timeline
A sample baking schedule helps me when baking with sourdough. Sourdough takes much longer to rise than commercial yeast bread. This schedule helps me plan my bake.
A few notes: I typically keep my dough in the 78-80ºF temperature range. This does not work well for this dough because you want the butter to stay relatively chilled and not melt. Instead, for this loaf the dough temperature is 70-72°F throughout the process, which is reflected in the baking timeline.
| Day 1 | Mix Levain |
| 8:00 PM – 8:00 AM | Mix the Levain. Let sit at 78°F for about 10-12 hours until doubled/bubbly and ripe. |
| Day 2 | Mix Dough Bulk Fermentation Lamination/Shaping Cold Fermentation |
| 8:00 AM | Mix Dough and Begin Bulk Fermentation |
| 8:30 AM | Stretch and Fold #1 |
| 9:00 AM | Stretch and Fold #2 Add half butter |
| 9:30 AM | Stretch and Fold #3 Add half butter |
| 10:00 AM | Stretch and Fold #4 |
| 10:05 AM | Make Frangipane filling and refrigerate |
| 10:00 AM – 5:00 PM | Bulk Fermentation Continued (70-72ºF) |
| 5:00 PM | Laminate Dough and Add Frangipane Filling |
| 5:15 PM | Shape and begin cold fermentation |
| Day 3 | Score and Bake |
| 9:00 AM | Preheat Dutch oven |
| 9:20 AM | Score and Bake |
How to Make Almond Croissant Sourdough
Mix the Levain
Step 1: Mix Levain. Combine ripe sourdough starter with water and flour to prepare your levain (Image 1). Let rise until bubbly and active (Image 2).
Do you have to use a levain in this recipe? No. I prefer it, but if you have a well-maintained and frequently refreshed sourdough starter, you can substitute it in place of the levain in the recipe.
Mix Dough & Bulk Fermentation
Step 2: Mix Dough. Combine ripe levain, water, salt, sugar and bread flour to a large bowl and use a dough whisk to combine until a shaggy dough forms (Image 3). Cover and let rest for 30 minutes.
Step 3: Stretch & Folds. Over a period of about 1 ½ hours, perform a series of “stretch and folds” by reaching to the bottom of the bowl (Image 4) and pulling the dough up to fold over on itself (Image 5). Continue turning the bowl and folding the dough about four times for each round of stretch and folds. Cover and wait 30 minutes between each set of stretch and folds, allowing the dough to become more cohesive and elastic over time (Image 6).
Note: If you want to add an aultoyse or fermentolyse to this dough and some vigorous mixing – it will only increase the strength and gluten network in the dough. I use these processes in my Classic Sourdough Bread and they also work well in this loaf. I didn’t include them in the recipe steps because this loaf is already fairly complicated with monitoring temperature and bulk fermentation and I wanted to keep the recipe approachable for most bakers.
Add in the Butter: Before your second set of stretch and folds, grate cold or frozen butter (Image 7) and add half of it to the dough (Image 8). Allow the other half to chill in the refrigerator until you add it during the third round of stretch and folds (Image 9).
Step 4: Cover and let dough rise for 6-7 more hours until it has risen about 70% and has scattered bubbles on top.
Note: Temperature is really important for this loaf! I’ve found a 70-72ºF temperature to work well. I wouldn’t go above 75ºF for this recipe or the butter will get too soft. To do this, use cooler water when mixing your dough, keep the dough in a cool place and take the temperature with a thermometer throughout the process (Image 10).
Make the Almond Filling
Step 5: Mix the Almond Frangipane Filling. While the dough is resting, prepare the almond frangipane filling. Beat the softened butter with hand beaters until light and creamy. Add the sugar and continue beating for 1–2 minutes, until well combined and slightly lightened in color. Mix in the egg yolk and almond extract and combine (Image 11)
Then add the almond flour, all-purpose flour, and salt. Beat until a thick, smooth paste forms (Image 12). Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and refrigerate the filling until you’re ready to shape the dough.
Shape the Loaf and Cold Proof
Step 6: Laminate Dough and Add Frangipane Filling. Once the dough has risen about 70% (Image 13) dump the dough out on the counter and stretch it into a 14 by 16-inch rectangle (Image 14). Add about 2/3 of the chilled frangipane filling over the dough in small chunks (Image 15). Fold the dough over (Image 16) and then over again (Image 17).
Step 7: Shape and Cold Proof. Spread the remaining filling on top of the dough (Image 18). Roll the dough up (Image 19) place into a prepared banneton basket or bowl (Image 20). Cover the dough and refrigerate overnight or up to 12-18 hours.
Note: If you prefer to bake the loaf right away, let it proof a few hours in the banenton. Stick the dough in the refrigerator or freezer while the oven preheats. This chills the butter and makes the loaf easier to score. Then bake according to recipe directions.
Score and Bake
Step 8: Bake. Preheat a Dutch oven at 450°F for 20 minutes. Remove the sourdough loaf from the refrigerator. Dump it out on a piece of parchment paper and use a sharp knife or bread lame to score your loaf (Image 21). Remove the Dutch oven from the oven and carefully place the loaf into the Dutch oven. Decrease the temperature to 425ºF and bake for 25 minutes covered and 20 minutes uncovered. Your Sourdough Croissant Bread is ready when it is a deep brown color and registers 195-200ºF (Image 22).
Note: If properly proved, only a little butter will leak out of the dough as it bakes at these high temperatures. If your dough is not properly proved, butter can leak out everywhere, so please follow the proofing notes and use parchment paper.
How to Store Leftovers
After the almond croissant loaf has cooled completely, slice it up into pieces. Some of the almond filling may crumble a little, that’s okay. Place sliced bread in a bag, push air out, and freeze. This bread toasts up well straight from the freezer into the toaster or defrosts well to enjoy a slice later.
Amy’s Recipe Tips
- Adding inclusions to sourdough often changes the way your sourdough bread looks when baked. The crumb of this loaf will turn out differently from a traditional artisan loaf – that is to be expected. It is not a loaf for intricate scoring, but the final loaf will taste incredible!
- Temperature is key to this sourdough loaf! Keeping the dough cool enough for the butter to give it flaky layers, but warm enough for the dough to rise is really important. I strongly recommend using a thermometer throughout the baking process. I have found the ideal temperature for this loaf is between 70-72ºF to work well. I wouldn’t go above 75ºF for this recipe or the butter will get too soft. Use cooler water when mixing your dough, keep your dough in a cool place and take the temperature frequently so you can make adjustments as needed. You may have to use your fridge to cool down the dough during the bulk fermentation if it gets too warm.
- Adding the Butter: I recommend adding the butter in during the stretch and folds. This allows the dough to get laminated throughout. Do not laminate the butter in at the end of the bulk fermentation. This will create gaps in your dough and cause more butter leakage.
- Sufficient Rise: Because this loaf is kept at a lower temperature to keep the butter cool, it is going to take longer to rise. Let the dough rise until almost doubled in size (about 70% of a rise). This makes sure that the loaf won’t be under-proofed when you go to shape it and bake it. Loaves that are under-proofed tend to have more butter leakage.
Frequently Asked Questions
I haven’t tried adding the frangipane filling in with the stretch and folds yet. I think it could work. I do like using the lamination method so you get ribbons of filling throughout the loaf.
This can definitely happen and I would plan for it to happen a little bit in this bread. Some of the butter will create flaky pockets and some of it will leak out. We aren’t using traditional lamination methods here, so plan for a little butter leakage by adding parchment underneath your dough.
I have found that if your dough is well-proofed – light and airy and risen that you don’t get much butter leakage. If your dough is under-proofed, you will get more butter leakage. Let the dough rise at the low and slow 70-72ºF temperature range until about 70% risen before shaping and refrigerating.
Honestly, I think it comes pretty close! Is it a croissant – no, it’s not. This is a sourdough loaf that is enriched with butter which makes for flaky layers and it has an almond filling swirled throughout. I love almond croissants and this loaf does not take the place of a delicious croissant – but it does give you similar smells, texture and taste of an almond croissant without all the extra work.
Sourdough Recipes You’ll Love
If you tried this Almond Croissant Sourdough Loaf or any other recipe on my website leave a 🌟 star rating and let me know how it went in the comments below. Happy Baking!
Almond Croissant Sourdough Loaf
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Ingredients
Levain (1:10:10 ratio, 10-12 hours peak at 78-80ºF)
- 6 grams sourdough starter ripe, bubbly and active , about 1 teaspoon
- 60 grams all-purpose or bread flour, about 1/2 cup
- 60 grams water, about 1/4 cup
Almond Croissant Sourdough Bread
- 120 grams levain, ripe, bubbly and active , about ½ cup, see recipe notes
- 340 grams water, about 1 cup plus 6 Tablespoons
- 10 grams salt, about 1 1/2 teaspoons
- 25 grams granulated sugar, about 2 Tablespoons
- 500 grams bread flour, about 3 1/2 cups
- 113 grams unsalted butter, about 1/2 cup
Almond (Frangipane) Filling
- 55 grams unsalted butter, about 1/4 cup
- 75 grams granulated sugar, about 1/3 cup
- 1 large egg yolk
- 8 grams almond extract, about 2 teaspoons
- 2 grams salt, about 1/4 teaspoon
- 75 grams almond flour, about 3/4 cup
- 15 grams all-purpose flour, about 2 Tablespoons
Instructions
Mix Levain (1:10:10 ratio, 10-12 hours peak at 78-80ºF)
- Mix together ripe/active sourdough starter with all-purpose or bread flour and water. Cover loosely and let sit 10-12 hours at 78-80°F until doubled, bubbly & peaked.Note: If you have a ripe, bubbly, active sourdough starter that is fed equal parts flour and water – it can be substituted equally for the levain in this recipe.
Almond Croissant Sourdough Loaf (Dough temperature kept at 70-72ºF)
- Mix Dough: To a large bowl, mix together ripe levain with water. Add salt, sugar and bread flour. Mix together using a dough whisk or spoon until a wet and sticky dough forms and the ingredients are fully combined. Cover and let rest for 30 minutes.Note: This dough is very sensitive to temperature. It's important to maintain a temperature where the dough will rise AND the butter stays chilled and flaky. I've found a 70-72ºF temperature to work well. I wouldn't go above 75ºF for this recipe or the butter will get too soft. To do this, use cooler water when mixing your dough and take the temperature with a thermometer throughout the process.
- Stretch and Folds: After the dough has rested, you will perform a series of “stretch and folds” over the next 1 ½ hours. The goal is to strengthen the dough through a gentle kneading process. You will also add cold butter into the dough during this process which will be evenly dispersed throughout the dough through the folds.To “stretch and fold,” wet your hand (so it doesn’t stick to the dough). Reach around the dough down to the bottom of the bowl, pull the dough up and over and place it on top of the dough. Turn the bowl a quarter turn and repeat the stretch and fold. Turn another quarter turn and repeat. Perform one more quarter turn, stretching and folding the dough. Cover and set aside. Take note of how the dough feels through this process. It will go from feeling a little shaggy to smooth and elastic. Cover the bowl and wait about 30 minutes in between stretch and folds.
- Stretch and fold #1: After 30 minutes, perform your first set of stretch and folds. Cover the dough and let rest for 30 minutes.Stretch and fold #2: After 30 minutes, grate the cold butter. Put half of the grated butter on top of the dough. The other half of the butter should be placed in the refrigerator to chill until the next set of folds. Stretch and fold the dough again, incorporating the flakes of butter into the dough. Cover and let rest for 30 minutes.Stretch and fold #3: 30 minutes later, add the rest of the butter to the top of the dough. Stretch and fold again. The butter will continue dispersing throughout the dough. Cover and let rest for 30 minutes.Stretch and fold #4: After 30 minutes do your final set of stretch and folds. You should notice the dough feeling more cohesive and strong. If your dough still feels loose, add in another couple stretch and folds to help strengthen and tighten the gluten strands.
- Rest: Cover the dough and let rise for 6-7 more hours. You will know the dough is ready to shape when the dough has risen about 70%, jiggles when you shake the bowl and has scattered bubbles visible on the sides and top.Note: This is different than my classic sourdough loaf because we are working at lower temperatures to keep the butter colder.
- Make Frangipane Filling: While the dough is resting, prepare the almond frangipane filling. In a medium bowl, beat the softened butter with hand beaters until light and creamy. Add the sugar and continue beating for 1–2 minutes, until well combined and slightly lightened in color. Mix in the egg yolk and almond extract and combine. Then add the almond flour, all-purpose flour, and salt. Beat until a thick, smooth paste forms. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and refrigerate the filling until you're ready to shape the dough.
- Prepare a bowl or banneton. Place a kitchen towel or hair net in the bowl and liberally flour as needed.
- Laminate: Once the dough has risen about 70%, dump the dough out onto a counter and gently stretch the dough into an even 14 by 16-inch rectangle. Take the filling out of the refrigerator and break off into small chunks and add about 2/3 of the filling on top of the dough. Fold the dough over and then over again (refer to photos in the post if necessary). Spread the remaining filling on the rectangle of dough. Roll the dough up and place it into a prepared banneton basket.Note: It is possible to shape the dough without any extra flour. The dough can stick to the kitchen towel but doesn't stick to the hair nets if cold proofed.
- Cold Fermentation: Cover the dough with the tea towel/shower cap/plastic wrap and refrigerate overnight or up to 12-18 hours.
- Preheat the oven: Put a Dutch oven (top and all) into the oven and preheat to 450°F for 20 minutes. You are working with high temperatures, so make sure you have some good hot pads. Once preheated for 20 minutes, pull the loaf out of the refrigerator. Remove the covering. Place a piece of parchment paper on top of the dough. Flip the dough over so it is now sitting on the parchment paper. Take off the bowl/banneton and the kitchen towel.
- Scoring: Use a very sharp knife or bread lame to score the dough. Take the bread lame and score on one side of the dough, at a shallow angle about 30º and 1 inch deep. Score straight from the refrigerator on the cold dough for best results.
- Baking: Carefully remove the Dutch oven from the 450°F oven. Take the lid off and place your bread into the Dutch oven (including parchment paper – this helps with the transfer). Put the lid on and put it back in the oven. Lower the temperature to 425°F and bake for 25 minutes. After 25 minutes, take the lid off the Dutch oven and continue baking for 20 minutes until the bread is baked through and reaches 195-200ºF temperature. Remove the Dutch oven and let the bread cool on a baking rack. Enjoy!Note: A little butter may leak out of the dough as it bakes at these high temperatures. It gives a buttery, crispy crust that is delicious – make sure you use parchment paper on the bottom of the pot so it doesn't create a mess.
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
This was the first sourdough I made (6/10/25)! I’ve been baking for my whole life so I wasn’t intimidated, especially with your detailed notes, Sourdough Baker’s Timeline, and Recipe. I did add the almond paste. The bread is so Delicious!!!! My sister loved the bread so much she requested it for her Christmas gift!!!!
Have you added sliced almonds to the top or would they burn during baking?
Thanks for the review! I haven’t tried adding sliced almonds. I think it’s worth trying though!
Hi! I’m planning to make this for Easter this weekend! Do you think it would be possible to divide and shape it into individual rolls/buns instead of one big loaf? Thanks!
This is an artisan recipe, which means the crust is crisper than most individual bun/roll recipes. However, you could try filling these Chocolate Sourdough Croissant Rolls with the almond filling instead of the chocolate to get what you want. I will say that shaping them into rolls can be more tricky to work with in terms of butter leakage, so be aware of that when you shape and bake.
OMGosh Amy, this is delicious‼️ It’s one of those loaves that I didn’t proof and shape very well and it’s kind of falling apart but it’s so good it doesn’t matter 😅 Another winner. Thank you❤️
I’m glad it tastes great, even underproofed! Enjoy!
Excellent work congratulations
Amy
I’m glad you love it! Thanks for the review.
Very excited to make this!! I’ve made a few croissant loaves before on my own (apple fritter & french onion) and since I’m a huge fan of almond croissants, I’m excited to try this one!! The only thing I am doing differently is that I cooked down blackberries & raspberries into a thick jam-like consistency and am going to drizzle that throughout alongside my frangipane for a berry-almond croissant loaf. We’ll see how it works out with the fruit addition, but I am very excited to do so!
Yum! That sounds delicious!
This is my second time making this and it’s always divine! Pretty easy to follow recipe and I’m still relatively new to sourdough baking. I keep the bowl closer to the kitchen window and dough temp always remains around 70. Can you tell me what would be the max time to cold ferment? Would 24-36 hours be too long?
This loaf should be fine with a cold ferment of 24-36 hours depending on how it rose during the bulk fermentation. I’ve had success with that timeframe. You do risk overproofing when you go beyond 24 hours, but it should still taste good!
Thank you Erika! Shaped right at 7 hours after bulk, rose just about 70% and was nice and jiggly. Nothing stuck to the bowl after dumping it out so always a good sign in my book. Tonight will be 24 hours in the fridge so I think I’ll bake late tonight and let it cool on the counter for the perfect bite in the morning. Thanks!
Enjoy!
I love your recipes!! However, this is one that is just not working. The flavor is there but the dough, even though it temped out 200-205 tastes gummy and appears to be raw. The dough had great BF with bubbles and giggly. I have tried it twice and got the same results both times and the only change I made was the shape – one batard and one boule. I am completely stumped. Your regular croissant SD is great and always comes out perfect. I feel like the frangipane should be ‘spreadable’ as a thinner layer opposed to the small chunks. I don’t know, just trying to figure it out.
I’m sorry you aren’t having luck with this one. I have never had a loaf bake up raw that wasn’t under-proofed in some way. Is your dough rising before spreading the filling? I’ve even added almond paste to the frangipane filling and had it come out delicious with a little heavier filling. Maybe adding a little less filling would help? I like the texture of this for the dough, but you could experiment with an almond paste instead if the frangipane isn’t working for you.