This $6.99 Kroger Find Is So Good It "Blew My Mind"

It tastes like a fancy French bakery.

I can’t remember the last time I was truly surprised by a bakery item at a major supermarket. I usually avoid that section of the store altogether, preferring to make my own cookies and cakes (or at least use a boxed mix) and go elsewhere for bread. But when I heard that Kroger was selling a croissant loaf, I had to try it. Croissant, in loaf form? Available right down the street for under seven bucks? No brainer.

There’s a good reason that the Private Selection Croissant Loaf has excellent reviews online. It’s so incredibly good that it blew my mind! It’s easily one of the best items I’ve eaten from the bread section of the grocery store. Luckily, it’s available at all Kroger-owned stores, including Harris Teeter, Ralph’s, Gerbes, Fred Meyer, City Market, and more.

Why I Love Kroger’s Private Selection Croissant Loaf

This buttery, flaky sliced loaf has a lot of things going for it. It has the texture and flavor of a good croissant but in an easy-to-eat and easy-to-serve form. It’s less messy to eat since the slices are tidier. You’ll end up with decidedly fewer pastry shards flying all over the place when you dig in.

The novel shape also opens up a lot of possibilities for serving. The packaging suggests using the bread for the best French toast (sounds like a grand idea) or an upgraded grilled cheese (so luxurious!). While I ended up eating my first loaf simply toasted with apricot jam, I plan to get another loaf and use it to make bread pudding. The sliced loaf will be so much easier to cut into cubes, and the texture will happily soak up the custard.

I found the quality impressively high for a store-brand bakery offering. A quick peek at the short ingredient list is a good indicator of that: flour, butter, whole milk, cane sugar, sea salt, and yeast. One bite is all it takes to know this loaf is the real deal—it’s buttery, flaky, and tender.

Tips for Serving This Croissant Loaf

Don’t even think about digging into this bread without visiting your toaster first. Just like a day-old croissant, it needs a bit of reviving in a hot environment. A quick trip in a toaster, toaster oven, or under the broiler will do the trick. I’ve also heated slices in a cast-iron pan on the stove with success. This helps re-crisp the edges and tenderize the interior, which can be too chewy without heating.

Save the end pieces for croissant eaters who prefer crispy edges. The rest of the loaf is for those like me who treasure the extra buttery, soft, and pillowy insides of croissants. Whatever slice you choose, it’s excellent simply toasted with jam, used for a decadent hot sandwich, or turned into French toast. Or transform it into a fun dessert.

Read the original article on Simply Recipes.