Give your leftover bread a bakery-style upgrade with this matcha strawberry bostock. Inspired by my matcha almond croissants, this version uses enriched bread instead of day-old croissants. The almond cream is delicately infused with matcha, adding a gentle earthy note and a beautiful green hue that pairs perfectly with the vibrant red strawberry slices on top.
I’m not gonna go into the history or origins of bostock here, but if you’re like my husband who asks me everytime “what is this thing again?” I’m just gonna tell you to think of it as fancy toast. Bostock usually starts with bread slices that are soaked in some sort of syrup, slathered in jam, topped with a rich almond cream and baked until golden.
This version leans a bit Asian-inspired, with matcha in the almond cream creating a subtle, earthy depth. I’m also using the strawberry syrup from the macerated strawberries to soak the bread. It’s not just a nice-to-have, the strawberry syrup adds flavor and keeps the bread moist as it bakes. If you’re skipping the macerated strawberry, you can swap in a simple syrup or fruit juices to give the bread the same moisture and flavor boost.
Key ingredients and notes
All the ingredients you need for this bostock recipe are pictured below. But if you want to skip ahead, the complete list of ingredients with quantities and step-by-step instructions are in the recipe card, as always.
- The bread – I used leftover sourdough milk bread to test this recipe but you certainly don’t need homemade bread to make this, storebought will work just fine. However, I do recommend some sort of enriched bread like milk bread, brioche or challah that you can pick up at a bakery. I find that ½” to ¾” thick slices are perfect for this recipe, any thicker and they can get a bit dry.
- I recommend culinary grade matcha – I used Jade Leaf brand, which strikes a nice balance between flavor and price. It’s vivid enough to give a pretty green hue and delivers that signature matcha earthiness without being overpowering or grassy. You can use ceremonial grade matcha for baking, but it is a lot more expensive. And while you may get a more vibrant green hue, I don’t think it is really necessary for everyday baking.
Testing notes
I was curious whether the syrup is absolutely necessary in this recipe so I tested it without the syrup at one point and while the bostock was still good, it was definitely a bit drier. So soaking the bread slices in syrup absolutely keeps them moister and also helps them last longer too without drying out in the next few days.
The reason why I was curious is because bostock is very similar to almond croissants but in almond croissant recipes, I never use syrup or jam. But there is a big difference, bread is drier than croissants which are made with so much butter 🙈 that they don’t need any help from syrup or jam to stay moist.
Anyways, I tried it so you don’t have to, the verdict is don’t skip the syrup. I hope you try these and let me know if you liked them!
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Matcha Bostock Recipe
Equipment
Ingredients
- 2 pound strawberries
- ¼ cup (50 g) granulated sugar
- 3 oz (85 g) unsalted butter, room temperature
- ¾ cup (78 g) powdered sugar
- 1 cup (114 g) almond flour, packed
- 1 tablespoon (5 g) matcha powder
- 1 tablespoon (8 g) all-purpose flour
- 1 large egg, cold
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- 8 slices enriched bread, ½” to ¾” slices
- ¼ cup strawberry jam, more as needed
- ¼ cup (22 g) sliced almonds, toasted
- More powdered sugar for dusting
Instructions
- Macerate the strawberries – Wash the strawberries, hull and cut them into about ⅛” slices. Toss them in a small mixing bowl with the granulated sugar. Refrigerate overnight or at least for a few hours, until ready to use.2 pound strawberries, ¼ cup granulated sugar
- Beat butter and sugar – Add butter and powdered sugar to the bowl of your food processor and process until creamy and fluffy. You may need to stop the food processor and scrape down the side to make sure the ingredients are combined thoroughly.3 oz unsalted butter, ¾ cup powdered sugar
- Add dry ingredients – In a small mixing bowl, whisk together almond flour, matcha powder and all-purpose flour to distribute evenly. Add the flour mixture to the food processor and process until the mixture is thoroughly combined. Again, you may need to stop the food processor to scrape down the side.1 cup almond flour, 1 tablespoon matcha powder, 1 tablespoon all-purpose flour
- Add remaining wet ingredients – Lightly beat together egg and vanilla extract in a small bowl and add it slowly to the food processor through the feed tube while the processor is running until the mixture is thoroughly combined and creamy. You may need to stop the food processor to scrape down the side as well as the bottom of the food processor.1 large egg, 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- Chill in the fridge – Transfer the matcha almond cream to a bowl, cover and refrigerate for at least 2 hours.
- Preheat the oven – Set the oven rack in the middle of the oven and preheat to 350°F.
- Brush the sliced bread with strawberry syrup – Strain the syrup from the macerated strawberries into a small bowl. Soak a pastry brush with the syrup, then gently dab it over one side of all 8 slices, letting the liquid absorb into the bread rather than brushing it across the surface. Flip each slice and repeat on the other side, ensuring every piece gets an even coating before you run out of syrup.8 slices enriched bread
- Add jam – Spread 1 heaping teaspoon of strawberry jam all the way to the edge of each bread slice. Use more jam to your liking.¼ cup strawberry jam
- Add matcha almond cream – Divide the cream as evenly as you can among the 8 bread slices, about 3 tablespoons each. Spread the almond cream all the way to the edge of each slice.
- Top with strawberries – Add a handful of macerated strawberry slices on top of the almond cream.
- Bake – Bake for 25 – 30 minutes until the top of the matcha almond cream is slightly golden. Remove from the oven and allow to cool on a wire rack.
- Finishing touches – Sprinkle toasted sliced almonds on top and add a generous dusting of powdered sugar before serving.¼ cup sliced almonds, More powdered sugar for dusting
- Serve – serve with the remaining macerated strawberries.
Notes
- Type of matcha: use culinary matcha for baking. You can use ceremonial matcha for a more vibrant green color but it is absolutely not necessary.
- Almond flour or almond meal: you can use almond flour and almond meal interchangeably in this recipe.
- Mixer will work: if you don’t have a food processor, you can use a stand mixer or an electric hand mixer to make the matcha almond cream.
- Storage: you can keep these in an airtight container at room temp for a couple days or store in the fridge for up to a week. They should still be moist the next day, but after day 2 and 3, you’ll definitely want to reheat leftovers in the oven at 350°F for 5-7 minutes to soften the interior and crisp up the edges before serving.
- Freezer: the bostock freezes well even with the strawberries baked into it. Just thaw and toast it up before serving.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
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