Ingredients
Method
Bechamel sauce
- Add 40 g unsalted butter to a small saucepan. Cook over medium low heat until the butter melts. Add 20 g all-purpose flour all at once, and whisk into the melted butter. Keep cooking for another 30–60 seconds.
- Continue cooking while slowly drizzling in 185 g whole milk, and whisk constantly. Cook for another 1–2 minutes while whisking, until the sauce thickens slightly.
- Take off the heat. Add ½ tsp fine sea salt, ⅛ tsp fresh ground pepper, and ⅛ tsp fresh ground nutmeg and whisk to combine.
- Transfer to a heat proof container. Allow to cool down until no longer steaming. Cover, and refrigerate until ready to use.
Roll, Shape & Proof
- Line a baking sheet with a silicone baking mat or parchment paper. Roll 1 batch Anything Goes Enriched Sourdough into a rectangle about 12 x 18 inches (30.5 × 45.5 cm). Spread 2 tbsp dijon mustard over the dough all the way up to the edges, but leave about 1 inch (2.5 cm) of dough uncovered along one short side so you can pinch the rolls closed.
- Arrange 100 g thin cut hamlternating stripes of 150 g Gruyère or Havarti (or another melty cheese you like) and 100 g thin cut ham all along the dough, except for the area of dough that wasn't coated with mustard. If you're using grated cheese instead of sliced, arrange the ham in stripes first and then evenly sprinkle the cheese on top.
- Use a pizza wheel or sharp knife to cut the dough into 6 equal strips about 2 inches (5 cm) wide for tall and fat rolls, or 12 equal strips about 1 inch (2.5 cm) tall for shorter rolls. Roll each strip up into a spiral and pinch closed. Arrange on a baking sheet leaving a couple inches in between. If making 12 rolls, you may need to use a second baking sheet.
- Cover with plastic wrap or a plastic baking sheet cover and leave at room temperature to proof until noticeably puffy (they won't double at this point).
Baking
- Preheat the oven to 350 °F. While the oven preheats, spoon some bechamel over each roll and top with more cheese. Bake until puffed and golden brown. Leave to cool down for 10-15 minutes.
- While the rolls are cooling down, fry enough eggs to top as many croque madames as you're serving, in a pan with 1 tbsp oil. Sunny side up is traditional, but it's your croque madame so you should fry them however you like! Season them with salt + pepper to taste. Sprinkle on 2 tbsp chives and 1 cup microgreens if desired, and serve!
- These are best enjoyed right away. Extras can be stored in the fridge. I recommend only frying the eggs when you're ready to serve the rolls. You can refresh leftover rolls in a 350 °F oven for 8–10 minutes, then top with a freshly fried egg, chives, and microgreens. Enjoy!
Video
Notes
The estimated recipe timing above doesn't include the time to make the dough. You can use any enriched dough you like (whether sourdough or not) as the base for these rolls, even though I do recommend using my Anything Goes Enriched Sourdough recipe for these. The timing to make the dough depends on what recipe you use!
- Make a full batch of Anything Goes Enriched Sourdough up to resting in the fridge, then roll, fill, shape, and bake according to this recipe. Or make whatever enriched dough recipe is your go-to up to bulk fermentation.
- Gruyère is the traditional choice for Croque Madame sandwiches, but there's no reason you can't use any melty cheese that you like the flavour of! I prefer slicing it thinly into 1" strips, but you can use grated cheese instead.
- Fried eggs are optional: A fried egg on top makes it a croque madame. Without a fried egg, it becomes a croque monsieur! Personally, I think almost every savoury food is better with a fried egg on top.