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The Croissant Breakfast Sandwich

A construction project with a ten-minute build time and immediate returns.

Prep 5 min Cook 10 min Serves 2

A croissant breakfast sandwich filled with bacon, avocado and egg
Photo: Andy Li · CC0 · Wikimedia Commons

The croissant breakfast sandwich rewards restraint. The croissant is already the richest thing on the plate — it needs soft eggs, one slice of good ham, cheese that actually melts, and nothing else. Press it too hard or overstuff it and you lose the layers you paid for. Built right, it beats any bagel version on earth. We say that with love, and a bagel on our own menu.

Ingredients

  • 2 fresh butter croissants
  • 4 large eggs
  • 1 tablespoon butter
  • 2 slices cooked ham
  • 2 slices Emmental or cheddar
  • Salt, black pepper, chives (optional)

Method

  1. Warm the croissants in a low oven (150°C/300°F) for 3–4 minutes. Warm, not toasted.
  2. Whisk the eggs with a pinch of salt. Melt the butter in a nonstick pan over LOW heat.
  3. Cook the eggs slowly, stirring constantly, until just set and still glossy — soft scramble, 3–4 minutes.
  4. Split the warm croissants along the side without cutting all the way through.
  5. Layer ham, then the soft eggs, then cheese — the eggs' heat melts the cheese.
  6. Close gently. Do not press. Eat immediately, over a plate, without shame.
Baker's note — Low heat is everything for the eggs. If they look done in the pan, they'll be overdone in the sandwich.

Questions, answered

Should the croissant be toasted?
Warmed, not toasted. A few minutes in a low oven revives the butter and crisps the outside without drying it. Toasting a split croissant in a pan crushes the layers.
What cheese melts best?
Emmental is classic and melts beautifully; Gruyère is nuttier; mild cheddar works well. Put the cheese on top of the hot eggs so it melts as you close the sandwich.
Can I add bacon or avocado?
Of course — just keep the total load light. The croissant is delicate; one or two fillings beyond the eggs is the ceiling before the layers collapse.

Skip the baking — we did it already.

Everything in this recipe starts with good bread and pastry — request a pickup 24 hours ahead at either maison.

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