Cruffins (Croissant Muffins)

Before you start

A cruffin is croissant dough baked in a muffin tin. The dough is laminated just like croissant dough, rolled thin, rolled into a log and split down its length to expose the layers. Each piece is then coiled into a muffin cup with the cut layers facing out, so the pastry bakes into a tall, flaky, spiraled cup that is crisp on the outside and soft inside. Once cooled, cruffins are rolled in sugar and filled through the top with pastry cream, curd or jam.

The recipe uses a small dough batch with a 140 g butter block, enough for 12 cruffins. Plan on two days: the dough rests overnight before lamination, and the shaped pastries need a long, warm proof. Keep the butter and dough at a similar, cool temperature during lamination; if the butter cracks or melts, the layers merge. Proof until the cruffins are about doubled and jiggle slightly when you shake the tin.

Ingredients

• Dough250 g (2 cups) bread flour
• 30 g (2½ tbsp) granulated sugar
• 5 g (1 tsp) fine salt
• 5 g (1½ tsp) instant yeast
• 75 ml (5 tbsp) cold water
• 70 ml (4½ tbsp) cold whole milk
• 20 g (1½ tbsp) unsalted butter — softened
• Lamination140 g (10 tbsp) cold unsalted butter, preferably European-style — for the butter block
• Shaping and finishing20 g (1½ tbsp) unsalted butter, melted — plus more for the tin
• 100 g (½ cup) granulated sugar — for rolling
• 300 g (1¼ cups) pastry cream or lemon curd — homemade or store-bought, chilled

Method

1. Day 1: Mix the flour, sugar, salt, yeast, water, milk and softened butter on low speed for 4 to 5 minutes, until smooth but not fully elastic. Shape into a 15 cm (6 in) square, wrap and leave at room temperature for 1 hour, then refrigerate overnight (8 to 12 hours).
2. Day 2: Pound the cold butter between parchment into a 13 cm (5 in) square about 8 mm thick. Refrigerate until firm but bendable, about 15 minutes.
3. Roll the dough into a 20 cm (8 in) square. Set the butter on it turned 45 degrees like a diamond, and fold the dough corners over to enclose it completely, pinching the seams.
4. Roll into a 20 × 45 cm (8 × 18 in) rectangle. Fold both short ends to meet in the center, then fold in half (a book fold). Wrap and chill for 30 minutes.
5. Roll again into a 20 × 45 cm rectangle and fold in thirds like a letter. Wrap and chill for 30 minutes.
6. Roll the dough into a 40 × 50 cm (16 × 20 in) rectangle about 3 mm thick. Brush with melted butter and sprinkle with 1 tablespoon of the sugar. Roll up tightly from a long side into a 50 cm (20 in) log.
7. Slice the log in half lengthwise with a sharp knife to expose the layers, then cut each half into 6 pieces about 8 cm (3 in) long. Coil each piece into a buttered muffin cup with the cut layers facing out and up.
8. Cover loosely and proof at 24–26°C (75–79°F) for 2 to 2½ hours, until about doubled, puffy and jiggly. Heat the oven to 190°C (375°F) 20 minutes before baking.
9. Bake for 22 to 25 minutes, until deep golden brown and crisp; rotate the tin halfway. Cool 5 minutes, then lift the cruffins out and roll them in the remaining sugar while warm.
10. When cool, poke a hole in the top of each with a chopstick and pipe in about 25 g of chilled pastry cream or curd.

Tips for success

• If the butter cracks while rolling, let the dough sit at room temperature for 5 minutes. If it feels greasy or soft, chill it for 15 minutes.
• Proof in a warm spot but not hot. Above about 28°C (82°F) the butter softens and leaks out in the oven.
• Use a ruler at every stage. Even rectangles give even layers and same-sized cruffins.

Substitutions

Pastry cream or lemon curd

Fill with jam, Nutella or whipped mascarpone cream; or leave them unfilled and roll them in cinnamon sugar.

European-style butter

Regular unsalted butter works but has more water and less pliability; keep it very cold and work quickly.

Whole milk

Use all water. The dough will be a little leaner and less tender, with lighter browning.

Variations

Cinnamon sugar cruffins

Sprinkle 2 tsp cinnamon mixed with 2 tbsp sugar over the buttered sheet before rolling, and roll the baked cruffins in cinnamon sugar.

Passion fruit cruffins

Fill with passion fruit curd and roll in sugar mixed with a little finely grated lime zest.

Troubleshooting

Butter leaked out in the oven

The cruffins were underproofed or proofed too warm. Proof until doubled and jiggly, at no more than 26°C (79°F).

Layers merged into a bready texture

The butter melted into the dough during lamination. Chill more often and keep the dough and butter equally cool.

Cruffins are pale and soft

They came out too early. Bake until deep golden; the sides should feel crisp when you lift them from the tin.

Storage

Unfilled cruffins keep at room temperature in a loosely covered container for 1 day. Once filled with pastry cream or curd, refrigerate them and eat within 24 hours. Freeze unfilled baked cruffins for up to 1 month; reheat at 180°C (350°F) for 5 minutes, then roll in sugar and fill.

Safety notes

Do not taste the raw dough, which contains raw flour. Cruffins filled with pastry cream or curd must be refrigerated. Contains wheat, egg (in the filling) and milk.