Crunchy, fruity and sweet, Bostock is a French pastry made with simple ingredients and leftover bread. It's unfussy, delicious and would look at home in a pastry case at any patisserie. While it may not be as popular as French Toast, it’s even tastier, quicker to make and great for feeding a crowd.
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What is Bostock?
If you make a lot of bread (like me), Bostock is going to be your new bestfriend.
Bostock is my absolute favorite way to use up day-old bread. Traditionally made with thick slices of brioche that are drenched in sugar syrup, layered with jam, almond paste and nuts. As it bakes the bread is refreshed and bakes up light and sweet while the exterior becomes crunchy. It basically tastes like a cross between a pillowy French toast with the flavor and crispy edges of an almond croissant.
Commonly sold at French bakeries, you can find bostock right beside croissants, pain au chocolat and mille feuille. I don't know the exact origins of this bake, but I imagine it was created as a way to prevent brioche from going to waste. It can be served for breakfast or dessert.
Formula for Bostock
Bostock can be broken down into a simple formula and is endlessly adaptable. You can go as fancy or as basic as you want.
- Bread: Brioche is the traditional base for Bostock, so I always save a few slices so I can make it anytime I bake Sourdough Brioche. However, any soft enriched bread would work great use store bought or make your own! Sourdough Milk Bread, Sourdough Challah or even Sourdough Discard Sandwich Bread are all great options.
- Sugar syrup: A simple combination of water and sugar, makes the bread soft and sweet. Use fruit juice or wine to add more flavor to your syrup.
- Fruit spread: I love using homemade raspberry preserves, but any great-quality store-bought jam, jelly or even lemon curd would work
- Almond paste: Also known as frangipane in French, almond paste, is a pastry cream made of ground nuts (usually almonds), butter, eggs, sugar and a little bit of flour. Frangipane is easy to make at home but you can use store bought if you prefer
- Flaked almonds or fruit (optional): Adds texture and makes for a lovely topping but totally optional.
What you need
Similar to the majority of my baked goods, I tend to make all the components from scratch. If you already have some day-old bread all you need are a handful of common pantry ingredients to make this yummy French pastry.
Enriched bread: Day-old bread is best since it will absorb the sugar syrup much better. It's best not to use Crusty Sourdough Bread for this bake since it has a different structure and will change the texture of the bake.
Ground almonds: You can use almond meal or almond flour for this recipe but I find that grinding your own imparts a better flavor to the almond paste. Walnuts, pecans, cashews and pistachios are great substitutes.
Vanilla extract: Imparts flavor to the frangipane, you can also add almond extract to enhance the flavor of your almond paste. You can also substitute rum or bourbon if you have it.
See the recipe card for full ingredient amounts.
What is enriched bread?
If you've been baking sourdough bread for a while, you'll know that the basic ingredients for bread are flour, water, salt and yeast (or sourdough starter). These components create a "lean dough" which bakes up into a crusty rustic loaf.
Anything else added to the dough beyond these four basic ingredients, such as eggs, milk, oil, sugar and butter are known as enrichments. These additions usually impede gluten development which has the effect of transforming the internal structure of your bread, making the crumb tighter and softer.
Apart from the commonly used dairy, eggs, and sugar, there's a whole world of other ingredients you can use to enrich your dough. Take, for instance, pumpkin, a key component in my Pumpkin Sourdough Cinnamon Rolls, or even potatoes, which lend their magic to my Potato Sourdough Sandwich Bread. There's no limit to the creativity you can infuse into your baking!
Variations
There are so many ways to customize this bake! The possibilities are really endless.
- Make stewed fruit: Cook fresh berries, peaches or apples in your sugar syrup and pile it on the bread instead of using jam.
- Add chocolate: Layer Nutella on the bread or top with chocolate chips.
- Customize your frangipane: You can make frangipane out of any type of nut. Pistachios, hazelnuts, walnuts, and cashews are great options, or you can even use tahini.
- Use fresh fruits: A common way I like to make my Bostock is my adding fresh blueberries on top of with my flaked almonds.
- Make a cream cheese topping: Transform your Bostock into yummy cheesecake toast by using cream cheese icing or even ricotta.
- Change up the toppings: Instead of flaked almonds, use coconut flakes, pistachios, hazelnuts or even chocolate.
How to make Almond Bostock
STEP 1: Make the almond paste (frangipane).
STEP 2: Make the sugar syrup.
STEP 3: Brush the sliced bread liberally with sugar syrup.
STEP 4: Spread fruit spread and top with homemade frangipane.
STEP 5: Top with flaked almonds.
STEP 6: Bake at 350 F for 15 to 20 minutes. Dust with powdered sugar.
How to Store
Bostock is best enjoyed fresh from the oven. But leftovers will keep well in an airtight container for up to 3 days.
To reheat: Reheat on a parchment-lined baking sheet at 350 F for 10 minutes.
Recipe FAQs
Absolutely! Pistachio, walnuts or pecans would make a delicious substitute.
Yes, a soft, fluffy enriched bread like challah, milk bread, sandwich bread and even babka would all work.
No, marzipan has a bit more sugar than frangipane (almond paste), it's sweeter and a little drier.
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Bostock Pastry Recipe
Equipment
- Food processor
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Ingredients
Sugar Syrup
- 50 grams cane sugar
- 56 grams water
- 8 grams vanilla
Frangipane (Almond Paste)
- 56 grams unsalted butter softened but cold
- 75 grams cane sugar
- 60 grams egg whites
- 75 grams almonds or almond meal
- 20 grams vanilla
- 9 grams all-purpose flour
Bostock
- 4 thick slices of enriched bread about 1 ½ inches
- 113 grams simple syrup
- 56 grams homemade blueberry preserves sub store-bought jam
- 56 grams almond paste
- 15 grams flaked almonds
- powdered sugar
Click US Customary to view volume measurements
Instructions
- Make the frangipane: Combine frangipane ingredients in a food processor or blender. Blend until smooth.56 grams unsalted butter, 75 grams cane sugar, 60 grams egg whites, 75 grams almonds, 20 grams vanilla, 9 grams all-purpose flour
- The mixture will make more than you need in the recipe, store leftovers in a jar in the refrigerator.
- Make sugar syrup: Combine water or wine and granulated sugar in a small saucepan over medium low heat. Cook, stirring until sugar dissolves completely, about 2 minutes. Stir in vanilla.50 grams cane sugar, 56 grams water, 8 grams vanilla
- Prep: Preheat the oven to 350 F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
- Assemble Bostock: Brush sugar syrup liberally on both sides of the bread. Spread 1 tablespoon of preserves or jam on one side of the bread. Layer 1 tablespoon of almond paste and a sprinkling of flaked almonds on top.4 thick slices of enriched bread, 113 grams simple syrup, 56 grams homemade blueberry preserves, 56 grams almond paste, 15 grams flaked almonds
- Bake: Bake Bostock for 15 to 20 minutes or until almond paste appears golden brown.
- Serve: Sprinkle powdered sugar over Bostock before serving. Bostock is best enjoyed the same day it's baked.powdered sugar
- Store: Bostock will keep well for up to 3 days stored in an airtight container at room temperature.
Tips
These recipes were developed and tested using grams for precise measurements. To increase your chances of success, I recommend investing in a kitchen scale. I've included rough volume estimates (in tablespoons and cups), but they might not be totally accurate.
Remember all ovens are unique, these recipes were tested in my oven which runs cooler than others. You might need to lower the temperature if your bake appears to be browning too quickly. Monitor your bake closely and make adjustments if needed.
Notes
- Brush the slices of bread repeatedly until you've used up most of the sugar syrup. You'll want to make sure the bread has really absorbed the liquid.
- Store leftover frangipane in the fridge for up to a week. Use it to make tarts, bars or as a filling for babka.
- Reheat bostock on a parchment-lined baking sheet at 350 F for 10 to 15 minutes.
Nutrition
I am not a nutritionist or dietitian, any nutrition information provided is an estimate.
Andreas says
Hello Hannah
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In the recipe you explain how to make frangipane, while nowhere you mention using it to make your bostock pastry, imagine that the almond paste is meant to describe the frangipane* which might confuse me and possibly others.
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Like your book and obsession on sourdough - just planning my first sourdough starter myself reading "Flour Water Salt Yeast" where i got worried about all the left-over "discard" sourdough and found your sourdough or fermented pasta a brilliant implementation.
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* almond paste can be much like frangipane, but it can also be like marzipan i think
Hannah @ Make It Dough says
Sorry you were confused! Frangipane is another name for almond paste which is listed in the recipe. I'll add a parenthetical to avoid confusion. I believe frangipane is a little creamier than marzipan.
So glad you liked the pasta recipe!