Buttery and flaky croissant dough will get tousled with a beneficiant dose of cinnamon-sugar and baked in a muffin pan, combining two tasty treats into one: croissants + muffins = cruffins. Should you’re searching for a brand new one-day baking problem, this distinctive pastry is a enjoyable one to attempt. And completely scrumptious to eat! That is an egg-free baking recipe.
What Are Cruffins?
Cruffins are a pleasant hybrid of two beloved bakery treats: croissant dough baked right into a fantastically spiraled muffin form. After I determined to make a home made model, I wished to study extra about their origin. It seems cruffins had been first created in Melbourne, Australia, by Lune Croissanterie and later made their solution to the U.S., due to Australian pastry chef Ry Stephen.
And we are able to all agree—this buttery masterpiece was a creation value promoting!
Let’s Strive an Approachable Selfmade Model
If in case you have ever taken the time to make flaky, buttery croissants from scratch, you’ll know that home made pastry requires time, precision, and endurance, however is a really rewarding baking venture. I do know it could possibly appear intimidating, however I totally break down the method for you, step-by-step, within the tutorial beneath.
*Bakery cruffins are often taller than at the moment’s home made model as a result of they’re baked in deeper pans, equivalent to popover pans. Since many residence bakers don’t have popover pans, this recipe is designed for the standard muffin pan.
Selfmade cruffins don’t require any particular components, however they do require 4 rounds of 20-minute refrigerations, 3 rounds of rolling-and-folding (laminations), and a pair of rises. For these causes, I categorize this as an superior baking recipe. However I’m right here to stroll you thru every step.
You may completely do that!
Begin by Making the Dough
The bottom dough for these cruffins is identical yeasted dough we use to make this croissant bread loaf, which is a scaled-down model of my recipe for home made croissants.
You want very primary components: complete milk, yeast, sugar, salt, butter, and all-purpose flour. I like to recommend European-style butter right here. It has the next fats content material than American-style butter, giving it a richer taste. Whereas the distinction is delicate in lots of baked items, it turns into extra noticeable in recipes the place the butter in the primary ingredient… like cruffins!
Not solely did my group and I discover higher taste, the dough was simpler to roll out when laminated with European-style butter. It’s softer, which made the dough extra pliable… and the method simpler! 😉
If in case you have a stand mixer with a dough hook attachment, you should use that to make and knead the dough, however it’s not required. See my Knead Dough tutorial should you want any additional assist with the kneading step.
When the dough is able to rise, cowl it and let it rise for round 2 hours, till it’s almost doubled in dimension. Gently punch down the risen dough to deflate it:
Roll the dough into a ten×14-inch rectangle on a calmly floured silicone baking mat or piece of parchment paper. In case your baking mat has a border like a Silpat (pictured beneath), you should use the border of the baking mat as your information—it’s like having a cheat sheet!
Place the baking mat on a baking sheet, cowl, and refrigerate for 20 minutes. Throughout this primary refrigeration, put together for the lamination.
In Photographs: Lamination Course of
Laminating dough is the method of folding butter into dough many instances, which creates a number of alternating layers of butter and dough. When the laminated dough bakes, the butter melts and creates steam. This steam lifts the layers aside, leaving us with dozens of flaky ethereal buttery layers. We obtain one thing related in tough puff pastry, pie crust, and biscuits.
The butter you utilize for laminating this cruffin dough needs to be barely softened however nonetheless cool—about 60–64°F (15–18°C) is right. You need it to be about the identical temperature because the refrigerated dough. If in case you have an instant-read thermometer, you may insert it in each the butter and the dough to test.
With a mixer, beat the butter with a Tablespoon of flour. I discovered this from Zoe at Zoe Bakes. (Please go comply with Zoe, she is the best possible!) Begin with softened butter and beat it with flour so it has some stability, which makes laminating simpler.
1st lamination: Take away the dough from the fridge and unfold the overwhelmed butter down the center third of the dough with a sturdy knife, leaving a ½-inch border on the high and backside:
Fold the perimeters of the dough over the butter, such as you’re folding a letter into thirds:
Pinch the highest and backside ends to seal the butter inside. Flip the dough 90 levels, so the longer aspect is horizontal in entrance of you. Sprinkle with flour. Roll out to 9×12 inches.
Fold in thirds once more:
Cowl and refrigerate for 20 minutes.
2nd lamination: Flip the dough horizontally in entrance of you, and roll it out to 9×12 inches once more. Fold in thirds. Flip 90 levels. Roll out to 9×12 inches once more. Fold in thirds. Cowl and refrigerate for 20 minutes.
third lamination: Repeat the identical steps because the 2nd lamination. Cowl and refrigerate for 20 minutes.
3 Lamination Success Ideas
- Don’t lengthen the time between laminations, or it is going to change into too stiff and troublesome to roll out.
- It’s OK if there are air bubbles within the dough; your rolling pin will pop them.
- If the butter begins coming via the dough in spots, sprinkle some flour over it and proceed to roll. It’s possible you’ll have to flip the dough the other way up and sprinkle extra flour on the underside to maintain it from sticking to the baking mat/your work floor.
Shaping the Cruffins
Reduce the chilled dough into 3 roughly equal parts. They need to every weigh round 300–340g, give or take. Take one dough portion and roll it out to eight×12 inches; it is going to hold shrinking again and never attain these dimensions but. Set it apart to relaxation whilst you roll out the following piece. Set that one apart. Roll out the final piece and set it apart.
Take the primary piece you rolled out and roll it out once more. After its brief relaxation, it needs to be a lot simpler now to roll it out to be 8×12 inches. Re-flour and flip the dough over as wanted to maintain it from sticking to the floor or rolling pin:
Sprinkle the floor with cinnamon-sugar.
With a pizza cutter or sharp knife, minimize 1-inch strips of dough.
Working with 3 strips at a time, layer them on high of each other. Roll them up collectively in a spiral cinnamon-roll form:
Place in a single properly of a greased muffin pan. Repeat with the remaining strips to get 4 cruffins.
HAVE NO WORRIES: Remember that your cruffins might look barely completely different from these photographs, and from one another. That’s OK! Due to the best way we’re shaping them, every cruffin bakes up a little bit in a different way. When you roll the baked cruffins in sparkly cinnamon-sugar on the finish, they one way or the other all look uniquely lovely, regardless of how they seemed within the muffin pan.
Now repeat this shaping course of with the remaining 2 parts of dough—you’ll find yourself with 12 cruffins. Frivolously cowl the cruffins and allow them to rise for 1 hour.
The cruffins take about 25–28 minutes to bake. Should you test one with an instant-read thermometer, they’re executed when the inner temperature reaches 200°F (93°C).
Let the cruffins cool barely within the pan, nearly 10 minutes. As soon as they’re cool sufficient to deal with however nonetheless heat, roll them within the remaining cinnamon-sugar. (Be at liberty to make some additional cinnamon-sugar if you wish to be beneficiant together with your coating!)
Optionally available Filling
These cruffins are excellent as is, however if you wish to take them one step additional, you may fill them. These cinnamon-sugar cruffins style completely fabulous with Nutella, and different fillings equivalent to jam, lemon curd, or pastry cream are equally scrumptious.
Like once we fill cupcakes, a protracted skinny piping tip is nice for this activity. I exploit Wilton #230 to fill cruffins. Poke a gap within the heart of a cruffin with a skewer, insert the piping tip into the outlet, and squeeze the piping bag till the filling reaches the highest of the cruffin.
Take a look at these layers:
I hope you get pleasure from diving into this glorious layered, laminated world of buttery pastry!
Useful Instruments for Making Cruffins
Description
Buttery and flaky croissant dough will get tousled with a beneficiant dose of cinnamon-sugar and baked in a muffin pan, combining two tasty treats into one unimaginable hybrid: croissants + muffins = cruffins. Bakery cruffins are often taller than this home made model as a result of they’re baked in deeper pans, equivalent to popover pans. Since many residence bakers don’t have popover pans, this recipe is designed for the standard muffin pan.
Dough
Lamination
Filling & Coating
- Preliminary notes: Use the step-by-step photographs as visuals earlier than you start. Learn the recipe directions and notes earlier than starting. Make room within the fridge to your baking sheet for steps 6–10.
- Put together the dough: Whisk the nice and cozy milk, yeast, and sugar collectively within the bowl of your stand mixer fitted with a dough hook attachment. Cowl and permit combination to sit down for about 5 minutes or till foamy on high. *If you don’t personal a mixer, you are able to do this in a big mixing bowl and within the subsequent step, combine the dough along with a big picket spoon/silicone spatula. A hand mixer works, however the sticky dough repeatedly will get caught within the beaters. Mixing by hand with a picket spoon or silicone spatula is a better option.*
- Add the butter, 2 cups (250g) of flour, and the salt. Beat on medium pace for two minutes, stopping and scraping down the bowl as wanted to assist the combination mix. There should still be chunks of butter—that’s okay. Add the remaining 1 cup (125g) of flour, scrape down the bowl as wanted, and beat on low pace till a tender dough varieties and pulls away from the perimeters of the bowl. Dough shall be tender, however not overly sticky. Beat in 2 extra Tablespoons of flour if dough appears very sticky. Keep away from including extra flour than you want.
- Knead the dough: Maintain the dough within the mixer and beat for an extra 5 full minutes, or knead by hand on a calmly floured floor for five full minutes. (Should you’re new to bread-baking, my Knead Dough video tutorial will help right here.) If the dough turns into too sticky through the kneading course of, sprinkle 1 teaspoon of flour at a time on the dough or on the work floor/within the bowl to make a tender, barely cheesy dough. Don’t add extra flour than you want as a result of you do not need a dry dough. After kneading, the dough ought to nonetheless really feel a little bit tender. Poke it together with your finger—if it slowly bounces again, your dough is able to rise. You too can do a “windowpane take a look at” to see in case your dough has been kneaded lengthy sufficient: tear off a small (roughly golfball-size) piece of dough and gently stretch it out till it’s skinny sufficient for mild to cross via it. Maintain it as much as a window or mild. Does mild cross via the stretched dough with out the dough tearing first? In that case, your dough has been kneaded lengthy sufficient and is able to rise. If not, hold kneading till it passes the windowpane take a look at.
- 1st rise: Frivolously grease a big bowl with oil or use nonstick spray. Place the dough within the bowl, turning it to coat all sides of the dough within the oil. Tightly cowl the bowl and permit the dough to rise in a comparatively heat atmosphere for round 2 hours or till almost double in dimension. (For a tiny discount in rise time, see my reply to The place Ought to Dough Rise? in my Baking with Yeast Information.)
- Flatten dough: Gently punch down the dough to launch the air. Place dough on a silicone baking mat-lined, parchment paper-lined, or calmly floured baking sheet. (I extremely advocate a silicone baking mat as a result of you may roll the dough out within the subsequent steps straight on high and it received’t slide everywhere in the counter.) Gently flatten the dough out into a ten×14-inch (25x35cm) rectangle utilizing calmly floured arms to rigorously stretch, however not tear, the dough. Frivolously cowl and place the complete baking sheet within the fridge, and permit the coated dough to relaxation and chill for 20 minutes. Don’t lengthen this time.
- In the meantime, put together for lamination: Ensure the butter is barely softened however nonetheless cool, between 60–64°F (15–18°C) is right. Utilizing a hand mixer or a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, beat the butter and 1 Tablespoon flour collectively till fully mixed. It’s essential to notice the next 3 suggestions earlier than you start laminating: (1) Have a bowl of flour at hand to repeatedly flour your floor and rolling pin as wanted. If the dough tears and butter is uncovered, sprinkle the uncovered butter with flour. (2) If the dough is inconceivable to roll, attempt flipping it over. If it’s nonetheless inconceivable to roll, cowl and let it relaxation for five minutes earlier than making an attempt once more, to let the gluten calm down. And (3) Don’t lengthen the refrigeration instances, as a result of the folded dough will start to over-expand, and it’ll additionally change into very troublesome to roll out.
- 1st lamination: Take away dough from the fridge and set the baking sheet apart. I prefer to hold the dough on the silicone baking mat once I’m rolling it as a result of the mat is nonstick. Working with the longer (14-inch) edge in entrance of you, unfold the overwhelmed butter down the middle of the dough, masking the middle third of the dough. Fold one dough edge over on high of butter, and fold different edge on high of that (like folding a enterprise letter). Pinch/seal the 2 brief ends to surround butter inside. Rotate dough so the lengthy edge is horizontally in entrance of you. Frivolously flour the highest of the folded dough and, utilizing a calmly floured rolling pin, roll out to a 9×12-inch (23x30cm) rectangle. Fold dough edges over on high like folding a enterprise letter. Cowl dough, place again on baking sheet, and refrigerate 20 minutes. Don’t lengthen this time.
- 2nd lamination: Take away dough from the fridge and set baking sheet apart. Rotate dough so the lengthy edge is horizontally in entrance of you. Frivolously flour the highest of the folded dough and, utilizing a calmly floured rolling pin, roll out to a 9×12-inch rectangle. Fold dough edges over on high like folding a enterprise letter. Rotate dough horizontally and repeat rolling out to 9×12 inches and folding like a enterprise letter. Cowl dough, place again on baking sheet, and refrigerate 20 minutes.
- third lamination: Take away dough from the fridge and set baking sheet apart. Rotate dough so the lengthy edge is horizontally in entrance of you. Frivolously flour the highest of the folded dough and, utilizing a calmly floured rolling pin, roll out to a 9×12-inch rectangle. Fold dough edges over on high like folding a enterprise letter. Rotate dough horizontally and repeat rolling out to 9×12 inches and folding like a enterprise letter. Cowl dough, place again on baking sheet, and refrigerate 20 minutes.
- Form & fill: Frivolously grease a normal 12-cup muffin pan. In a medium bowl, combine collectively the sugar and cinnamon. Take away dough from the fridge and set baking sheet apart. Place the chilled dough on a reducing board and minimize into 3 even rolls. (You too can minimize the dough into thirds proper on the silicone baking mat, however be sure to are usually not utilizing an excellent sharp knife in your baking mat—I exploit a bench scraper.)
- (Observe: this step can get messy!) Frivolously flour your work floor and rolling pin. Working with one portion of dough at a time, roll out to an 8×12-inch rectangle. If it retains shrinking again as you attempt to roll it out, let it relaxation for five minutes after which attempt once more. It should ultimately calm down sufficient to get to 12 inches in size. Sprinkle evenly with 2 Tablespoons of cinnamon-sugar, and use the again of a spoon or a spatula to press it down into the dough. With a pizza cutter or sharp knife, minimize 12 1-inch strips of dough. You may mark them out first with a ruler/measuring tape and a knife. Working with 3 strips at a time, layer them on high of each other. Roll them up collectively in a spiral and tuck the ends beneath. Place in a single cup of the ready muffin pan. Repeat this step with the remaining 2 parts of dough to get 12 cruffins.
- Cowl cruffins calmly and permit to rise for 1 hour, till puffy.
- Preheat the oven to 350°F (177°C).
- Bake for 25–28 minutes, or till the inner temperature reaches 200°F (93°C). Take away from the oven and let the cruffins barely cool within the pan set on a cooling rack.
- Coat the cruffins and fill, if desired: As soon as cool sufficient to deal with, roll every cruffin within the remaining cinnamon-sugar. At this level you may benefit from the cruffins plain, or fill them together with your filling of alternative. Fill a piping bag (reusable or disposable) fitted with a protracted, skinny filling tip, equivalent to Wilton 230, with the filling. Poke a gap 3/4 of the best way down into the cruffin with a skewer (or simply insert the lengthy piping tip) and squeeze to fill the cruffin.
- Cowl and retailer leftover cruffins coated at room temperature for as much as 3 days.
Notes
- In a single day Dough Directions: After step 12, tightly cowl the formed cruffins within the pan and refrigerate for as much as about 12 hours. A minimum of 2 hours earlier than you want the cruffins the following day, take away from the fridge, hold coated, and permit to rise on the counter for about 1 hour earlier than baking. Alternatively, you may let the dough have its 1st rise (step 5) within the fridge in a single day. Cowl the dough tightly and place within the fridge for as much as 12 hours. Take away from the fridge and permit the dough to completely rise for two extra hours. Proceed with step 6.
- Freezing Directions: After the coated cruffins cool fully, wrap every individually in plastic wrap and place in a freezer-friendly container. Freeze as much as 3 months. Thaw at room temperature. I don’t advocate freezing this dough earlier than lamination as a result of it makes laminating troublesome. I additionally don’t advocate freezing the formed unbaked cruffins, as they are going to merely not puff up within the oven.
- Particular Instruments (affiliate hyperlinks): Stand Mixer (most popular), Hand Mixer, or Glass Mixing Bowl with Wood Spoon / Silicone Spatula | Silicone Baking Mat or Parchment Paper | Baking Sheet | On the spot-read Thermometer | Rolling Pin | Bench Scraper | Pizza Cutter | 12-count Muffin Pan | Cooling Rack | Piping Bag (Reusable or Disposable) | Lengthy, skinny piping tip equivalent to Wilton #230
- Milk: Complete milk is right, however you may swap a lower-fat or non-dairy milk. Keep away from nonfat milk.
- Yeast: You should use energetic dry or on the spot yeast on this recipe. Comply with all the identical directions. If utilizing energetic dry yeast, the rise instances are often *barely* longer, however not a lot. Reference my Baking with Yeast Information for solutions to frequent yeast FAQs.
- Butter: I strongly advocate European-style butter right here, and you should use salted or unsalted within the dough. I strongly advocate salted butter for the lamination course of. I exploit Kerrygold model butter. It has the next fats content material than American-style butter, giving it a richer taste. Not solely did my group and I discover higher taste, the dough was simpler to roll out when laminating with European-style butter. Moreover, it’s essential to be sure your lamination butter is just not too chilly/onerous and also you don’t need it too greasy/tender both, as a result of it must be about as pliable because the dough to include into it. To be exact, it’s superb each the dough and lamination are between 60–64°F (15–18°C).
- Popover Pan Directions For Taller Cruffins: Reduce 2-inch strips as an alternative of 1-inch strips and swirl 2 strips collectively as an alternative of three. The bake time is about the identical, or a minuet or 2 longer.
- Egg Wash: Although I don’t sometimes apply one, you may brush the formed cruffins after rising (after step 13) with an egg wash for a golden, shiny end. Egg wash = 1 egg blended with 1 Tablespoon milk.
Cruffins had been first created in Melbourne, Australia, by Lune Croissanterie and made standard within the U.S., due to Australian pastry chef Ry Stephen. Dough recipe developed from croissant loaf.
