Remember when all of a sudden avocado toast dominated every brunch menu in the country? I’ve been wondering what would be the next big brunch menu trend and I’m ready to call it: croissant toasties are coming for us.
No, I’m not talking croissants stuffed with ham and cheese. I’m talking full-on sandwiches, with fillings like pesto, bocconcini and tomato, but between layers of flaky, buttery pastry.
My first encounter with the delicious treat came at Sprout Artisan Bakery in Brisbane. The bakery’s owner and director Lutz Richter says he’s always loved ham and cheese croissants, but wanted to create a more elevated version of the dish.
“Our croissant toasties are made from freshly laminated croissant dough each day,” Richter says. “Rather than using freshly-made or day-old croissants, the dough is cut into perfect triangles.”
A couple weeks later, I saw it on the menu at Promenade Bondi, listed as a ‘pressed croissant sandwich’. It was filled with pesto, stracciatella and sliced green olives.
“In the mornings when I arrive at work, I’m looking for a quick snack to have with my coffee for breakfast,” Promenade’s Executive Chef Chris Benedet says. “So, I like to experiment with toasted sandwiches and the idea evolved from there.”
The croissant base, compared to the usual sourdough, is a perfect size if you don’t want to have a large breakfast, he says. After it’s toasted, it becomes crispy on the outside and flaky, buttery soft on the inside.
“The filling combinations are endless, but I love light dishes in the morning with vegetables — it’s not always about meat — and I landed on this combination, which I love. The neutral, creamy stracciatella cheese is the perfect vehicle to bring together the zesty herb pesto with the salty green olive, peppery rocket and then crisp, buttery croissant as the bun.”
Benedet says based on the item’s feedback from diners, it will remain a staple on the menu, though he’ll tweak the flavours seasonally to keep it interesting.
Another version of the croissant toastie is also served at sandwich shop Happy Alley in Rockdale. It’s filled with zaatar, halloumi, tomato, olives and oregano. Tenacious Bakehouse in Darlinghurst has a beef bulgogi croissant sandwich. And Tuga Pastries in Alexandria also has a few croissant toastie options, including a tomato, cheese and basil.
You’ll find countless recipes online for how to make croissant sandwiches at home, but it’s slowly but surely appearing on more and more Australian brunch menu pages.
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