Almond Croissant Focaccia

Focaccia is my favorite bread to make because it doesn't involve any kneading. My countertop mixer has a tendency to loosen pins every time I use it, and I have neither the arm strength nor the desire to knead by hand. With focaccia dough, you basically just mix it, wait, and poke at it a few times and TA-DA - bread!

This tastes just like those fancy almond frangipane croissants you buy at a patisserie, but you don't need to laminate and chill 500 times.

DOUGH

4 cups bread flour

1 3/4 cup warm water (110 degrees F)

1 TB olive oil

1.5 tsp active dry yeast

1 tsp honey or sugar

2 tsp sea salt

3 TB unsalted butter, melted

FRANGIPANE FILLING        

8 TB unsalted butter, softened

3/4 cup granulated sugar

2 large eggs

1 cup almond flour

1 1/2 tsp almond extract

TOPPING

Sliced almonds

Powdered sugar

ALMOND SIMPLE SYRUP

1/4 cup water

1/4 cup granulated sugar

1 tsp almond extract

Wisk together water, sugar, and yeast. Let stand 5 minutes until bubbly, then stir in olive oil, bread flour and salt. Cover and rest at room temperature for 15 minutes.

Stretch and fold the dough about 8 times around the bowl. Cover and rest at room temperature for another 15 minutes.

Repeat the stretch and folds one more time, cover and proof at room temperature for 1 - 1.5 hours.

Line a 9x13 metal baking pan with parchment paper. Coat the paper with 3 TB melted butter. Add the dough to the pan, turning over to coat both sides in melted butter. Gently stretch the dough to mostly fit the size of the pan.

Make the frangipane. In a stand mixer bowl with the paddle attachment, beat the butter and sugar until well combined. Mix in the eggs. Add the almond flour and extract. Beat until creamy. Place filling in a piping bag.

Pipe 1/3 of the frangipane filling onto the top half of the dough. Fold the bottom half of the dough over the top half. Move the dough to the center of the pan. Cover and allow the dough to rise for an hour in a warm place.

Preheat oven to 450 degrees F.

Uncover the focaccia. After the second rise, the dough should have spread to fill the pan. If not, stretch it gently until it does. Pipe the remaining frangipane filling over the entire surface of the focaccia. Drizzle with 2 TB melted butter. With oiled fingertips, deeply indent the dough all over. Add sliced almonds all over the surface.

Bake for 25 minutes, tenting with foil if the focaccia is getting too dark.

While the bread bakes, make the simple syrup by combining the water and sugar in a small saucepan. Bring to a boil over medium heat, stirring, until the sugar dissolves. Remove from heat and add the almond extract.

Brush the simple syrup over the warm focaccia, then dust with powdered sugar.