Ham and Cheese Croissants

Before the purists get all in a tizzy, these croissants are made the easy way, with puff pastry.

Because unless you are a serious baker who needs to fulfill the dream to make croissant laminated dough from scratch, this is just the easier, breezier way to get the flavours, in a fraction of the time.

Anyone who knows me, knows that if there is a ham and cheese croissant on the menu at any bakery I am walking past, I will be ordering one.  Through all the years I have found a few that ticked all the boxes: enough of both the ham and cheese to be noticed; the cheese was oozy enough to create a wonderful frico edge (more on this later); and finally, the addition of bechamel in the filling.  This is often left out of most bakes, even in professional settings.  I think that the addition of this creamy sauce takes the ham and cheese croissant to the next level.

So, while I may not be using the classic traditional pastry for these treats, I have all of the other boxes ticked.

Method for the Pastry

You will need one or two sheets of puff pastry.  One sheet should give you six croissants. (if you are using pastry from the freezer,  let it thaw in the fridge overnight)  If you are feeding a crowd for a weekend brunch, then make up two sheets.  You will need to roll the sheets out to approximately 9 x 11 inches or thereabouts.  You don’t need to obsess about the exact measurements, it will all work in the end. Rolling it out on a well floured surface, with a floured rolling pin.  But before rolling up, use a brush to remove any excess flour from the counter or whatever you may be placing the pastry on.

Have the sheet with the short ends at the top and bottom. First using your finger, trace out five lines starting in one corner and working across horizontally, zigzagging over the sheet to create six long triangles.  Don’t worry if they aren’t all perfectly uniform in size, it will all even out in the baking.  Once you are happy with the gently traced lines, use a sharp knife or pizza cutter to create the actual triangles. See the photos below for what I am trying to describe. Take each triangle in both hands and gently stretch them out so the the small point is much more elongated.  Lay them back down, and cut a small slit into each short side.  This notch will help you pull the pastry from each end as you roll them up to make them longer.

Layering

Béchamel Sauce: You will start with a simple béchamel sauce that you made and allowed to cool down a bit.  It is a simple combination of butter, flour, milk, mustard, pepper, nutmeg and cayenne pepper.  This all makes for a flavourful béchamel, not a boring white sauce.  Spread some of the béchamel on each triangle, leaving the long point empty. 

Ham: Next comes the ham.  Fresh French ham, or a good but thinly sliced Black Forest ham is good.  I even use mortadella if that is all that happens to be on hand.  Lay out some ham on each triangle over the béchamel. 

Cheeses: Cheeses in the form of Emmental, Gruyere, or Swiss are the next layer.  These are the classics.  My addition: thin batons of cheddar cheese.  I think the play of both cheeses makes for a tastier result.  Again, these get laid out on top of the ham, as per the photos below.

Roll: Now you are ready to roll up.  Take each end of the short side in both hands.  Pull these apart at the same time as you tightly catch the filling and start rolling up.  Roll firmly but gently without too much tugging or else you may tear the pastry.  As you get to the point, if you find that the point refuses to adhere to the pastry (too much flour) just a dab of water will help.  Place each croissant point side down onto a parchment lined sheet.v  You will be able to fit six croissants onto one sheet.

Baking the Croissants

Egg Wash: Give each croissant a quick egg wash, avoid the side edges of the pastry (or else you will be glueing the layers together, making it difficult for them to expand and puff up.  Having said this, in these photos I am using gluten free puff pastry which by nature of the lack of gluten and stretchability in forming the pastry just will not rise to the same degree as wheat based pastry.

The racks in the oven will be set to the bottom and upper thirds of the oven.  The oven should be warmed through to 375F.  Bake the croissants on the lower rack for 15 minutes. 

Add Gruyere Cheese: Remove and quickly sprinkle  freshly grated Gruyere cheese over the tops of each croissant.  Return to the oven, on to the upper rack.  Continue baking till the cheese is all bubbly, and the pastry is a lovely golden brown, about 15-20 minutes.  Remove to a wire rack and let cool down so that the melted cheeses firm up a bit.

A Word on Frico

See all that glorious cheese that has puddled around each croissant?  It firms up to a lovely crispness that is one of my favourite parts of these croissants.  Do not remove this frico (the official name of the melted lacy cheese bits) because it isn’t a mistake.  It is there to be enjoyed!

How to Serve and Store

I always think of these as a morning treat, as a take away or portable breakfast if I’m on the go, or something to grab from a bakery with a coffee before work.  But a basket of freshly baked Ham and Cheese Croissants makes for a fabulous weekend brunch addition.  Whether alone with a coffee, or as part of a spread, these are a fantastic way to sop up golden soft egg yolks, whether sunny side up, or soft boiled.

How to make life easy: You can prep everything  up to the egg wash and store the sheets in the fridge overnight.  Bring out while the oven is warming up in the morning, add the egg wash and grated cheese, and bake as per the recipe.  Now all you need to do is set the table and start the coffee. 

To Freeze Unbaked: You can also freeze these, unbaked laid out on a wax paper lined baking sheet. Once frozen, they can be transferred to a freezer bag and frozen for up to two months.  Thaw in the fridge overnight, and then do the egg wash and grated cheese, and bake as per the recipe.

Once baked and cooled, they can be stored in a sealed container on the counter for a day or so.  To warm up again, use a toaster oven or regular oven, or even your air fryer.  Set the oven to 325F and bake till warmed through, about 8-9 minutes.  Use a setting on your air fryer that will not scorch the pastry as it is warming up.

Store in the Freezer: Place baked and cooled croissants into a freezer bag and store up to a month.  When you desire one for breakfast the next day, pull one out and let it thaw in the fridge overnight.  Then rewarm as described above.

If you make these Ham and Cheese Croissants, please be sure to leave a comment and/or give this recipe a rating! It’s always lovely to hear from you guys, and I always do my best to respond to each comment or question. And of course, if you do make this recipe, and you post it on Instagram, don’t forget to also tag me so I can see! Looking through the photos of recipes you all have made is such a treat.

Love Jen

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Ham and Cheese Croissants

A flavourful béchamel sauce and two types of cheese ensure that these aren't your run of the mill ham and cheese croissants. Using ready made puff pastry, and a little prep the night before means that these will bake up quick in the morning while you put the coffee on!

Course Baking, Breakfast, brunch

Cuisine French

Keyword béchamel sauce, cheddar cheese, gruyere cheese, ham, puff pastry

Prep Time 30 minutes

Cook Time 30 minutes

Servings 12

Ingredients

Béchamel Sauce

• 1 1/2 tbsp butter
• 1 tbsp flour
• 3/4 cup milk
• 1 tbsp mustard
• 1/4 tsp black pepper
• pinch cayenne pepper

Croissants

• 2 sheets puff pastry
• 6-12 slices of black forest ham or French ham
• 7 oz (200 grams) Gruyere or Emmental Cheese, thinly slices
• 3 oz (85 grams) cheddar cheese, thinly sliced into batons
• 1 egg for eggwash
• 2 oz (50 grams) finely grated fresh Gruyere cheese

Instructions

Béchamel Sauce

1. Melt the butter in a small pot over medium heat. Add the flour and stir through for one minute to remove the raw flour flavour.
2. Pour in the milk, mustard, pepper and cayenne and whisk thoroughly. Bring to a boil and then reduce heat to medium. Whisk until thickened, about 3-4 minutes. Set aside to cool.

Croissants

1. Heat the oven to 375F, and place two racks in the lower and upper thirds of the oven. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper.
2. On a well floured surface with a well floured rolling pin, roll out the two sheets into approximately 9 x 11 or so rectangles. Position the shorter ends at the bottom and top (portrait orientation) Work with one at time if needed.

3. Starting in one top corner, use your finger to lightly trace out five lines horizontally across the pastry to create six triangles. The end ones may be a bit wonky, but that's alright. Once you are happy that the triangles are pretty even, use a sharp knife or pizza cutter to cut through the lines to create six long triangles. See photos in the blog post for assistance.

4. Lift the first triangle in both hands, pulling it gently apart to lengthen the triangle even more, return to the counter. Repeat with the remaining triangles. Cut a small slit in the short side (the top of the triangle). This will help you pull out on either end to stretch out the pastry as you roll them up to give the croissants more width.

5. Divide the cooled béchamel between each croissant, spreading it out on the wider part of each triangle, leaving the very top of the short side, and the final third or so of the long point empty. See the blog post photos for assistance.

6. Top each croissant with the ham, then both the sliced Gruyere and cheddar batons, again leaving the long points empty. See blog post photos for a visual.
7. Gripping each end of the short side and pulling away from the centre, start rolling up the filling. Press firmly but not to tight so as to tear the pastry. If the tip doesn't adhere to the pastry, use a bit of water to help it stick. Turn it over so that the tip on the outside is underneath, and place onto the parchment lined baking sheet. Each sheet can hold six croissants.
8. Repeat with remaining croissants.
9. Whisk the egg with a splash of water in a small bowl. Use a pastry brush to paint the tops of the croissants. Try not to brush the sides where you can see the layers of pastry. Getting egg on these edges will act like a glue and inhibit the pastry from puffing up properly.
10. Bake on the lower rack for 15 minutes. Quickly remove and sprinkle the grated fresh Gruyere over the tops of the croissants. Return to the upper rack this time and bake until golden brown and baked through. The cheese will be bubbling and the pastry should be perfectly golden. This should take between 15-20 minutes.
11. Place the racks onto a wire rack to cool until the cheeses that have bubbled out to firm up.
12. Serve warm.

13. See blog post for more details.

Recipe Notes

Store in a sealed container for up to three days. Re-warm in a toaster oven or regular oven set at 325F until warmed through, about 8 minutes.
You can freeze baked cooled croissants in a freezer bag up to one month. Thaw in the fridge overnight and re-warm as described above. See blog post for freezing unbaked croissants.
Feel free to prepare the croissants up to the point of the egg wash and store in the fridge overnight. Bring out while the oven is heating up the next morning. Brush with egg and continue with the recipe.

Feel free to halve the recipe if so desired.