Cruffin

published Apr 18, 2022
a browned, round, croissant in the shape of a muffin (known as a cruffin) as seen from side
Credit: Photo: Eric Kleinberg; Food Stylist: Kristina Vanni

The cruffin's yeasted pastry dough is filled with a deliciously ridiculous amount of butter, folded into lots of layers, resulting in a delicious flaky bite.

Makes24 cruffins

Prep1 hour

Cook25 minutes to 30 minutes

Jump to Recipe
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a browned, round, croissant in the shape of a muffin (known as a cruffin) as seen from side
Credit: Photo: Eric Kleinberg; Food Stylist: Kristina Vanni

If you have ever stood in front of a bakery case and really wanted a croissant but the muffins were also calling your name, the cruffin is here to satisfy all your baked good cravings. It all begins with the same buttery, flaky dough that is used to make croissants. Yeasted pastry dough is filled with a deliciously ridiculous amount of butter and rolled and folded again and again until layer after layer of dough is infused with butter. Instead of rolling this dough into a classic croissant shape, the dough is sprinkled with cinnamon and sugar, formed into a spiral, and baked in a muffin tin.

The sweet dough rises and fills each well in the tin to mimic muffins. What’s even better is that the cinnamon and sugar rolled into the pastry become delightfully crisp and caramelized, adding another incredible layer of caramelized texture in contrast to the soft interior of the muffin. This is a fun weekend project that will pay dividends when you finally get to enjoy the fruits of your labor.

What is a Cruffin?

A cruffin is a pastry hybrid of a croissant and a muffin. It uses the same dough as you would use to make a classic croissant. But the dough is cut into strips, sprinkled with cinnamon and sugar, rolled into a spiral, and baked in a muffin tin.

Credit: Photo: Eric Kleinberg; Food Stylist: Kristina Vanni

What Does a Cruffin Taste Like?

A cruffin tastes like everything you love and adore in a croissant, a cinnamon roll, and a muffin, all in one. The process to make them from scratch may be time consuming, but after that first bite it is all worth it.

Cruffins Versus Cronuts

A cruffin is a hybrid of a croissant and a muffin, while a cronut is a croissant crossed with a donut.

Cruffin Recipe

The cruffin's yeasted pastry dough is filled with a deliciously ridiculous amount of butter, folded into lots of layers, resulting in a delicious flaky bite.

Prep time 1 hour

Cook time 25 minutes to 30 minutes

Makes 24 cruffins

Nutritional Info

Ingredients

For the dough:

  • 5 tablespoons

    unsalted butter

  • 4 3/4 cups

    bread flour

  • 1/2 cup

    granulated sugar

  • 2 (1/4-ounce) packets

    active dry yeast (4 1/2 teaspoons)

  • 1 1/2 teaspoons

    kosher salt

  • 1 2/3 cups

    whole milk

  • Cooking spray

For the butter block:

  • 1 pound

    unsalted butter

  • 2/3 cup

    bread flour

For assembly:

  • Bread flour, for rolling out the dough

  • Unsalted butter

  • 1 3/4 cups

    granulated sugar

  • 2 tablespoons

    ground cinnamon

  • 1

    large egg

Instructions

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Make the dough:

  1. Cut 5 tablespoons unsalted butter into 5 pieces. Let sit out at room temperature until softened. If you plan to make the butter block the same day, let 1 pound unsalted butter sit out at room temperature until softened.

  2. Place 4 3/4 cups bread flour, 1/2 cup granulated sugar, 2 (1/4-ounce) packets active dry yeast, and 1 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the dough hook and whisk to combine. Turn the mixer on to low speed. Add the softened butter 1 tablespoon at a time, waiting until each is well distributed into the flour mixture before adding the next, about 2 minutes total.

  3. Heat 1 2/3 cups whole milk in the microwave until 85ºF, 30 to 45 seconds. (Alternatively, heat on the stovetop.) Add the warm milk to the flour and butter mixture and mix on low speed for 3 minutes. Scrape down the sides of the bowl. Mix on medium-high speed for 3 minutes more. The dough will be sticky and slightly elastic.

  4. Lightly coat a large bowl with cooking spray. Transfer the dough into the bowl, then flip the dough so it's coated all over with cooking spray. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and refrigerate for 10 to 12 hours. For fresh cruffins the next day, I suggest preparing the dough the night before you plan to bake the cruffins so that it can proof overnight in the refrigerator. Make the butter block either the night before or the morning you plan to bake the cruffins.

Make the butter block:

  1. Place 1 pound unsalted butter in the clean and dried bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment and let sit at room temperature until softened. Add 2/3 cup bread flour and beat on medium-low speed until well combined, about 1 minute.

  2. Place a large sheet of parchment paper on a work surface. Scrape the butter mixture onto one half of the parchment paper and spread into a 6x9-inch that's about 1/2-inch thick. Fold the other half of the parchment over the butter rectangle and wrap tightly. Refrigerate until ready to assemble.

Assemble and bake the cruffins:

  1. Let the butter block sit at room temperature about 20 minutes before rolling out the dough so that it is pliable but not not too soft to roll out.

  2. Lighly dust a work surface with flour. Transfer the dough onto the flour and roll out into a 10x12-inch rectangle with a long side closer to you. Unwrap the butter block and place on one half of the dough, lining up the 10-inch side of the dough with the 9-inch side of the butter block, leaving a 1/2-inch border at the top and bottom. Carefully fold the other half of dough over the butter block and pinch the excess dough around the butter block to completely seal and encase it in the dough.

  3. Do the first fold: Lightly dust the work surface and a rolling pin with flour. Roll out the butter-filled dough into a 13x18-inch rectangle with a shorter side closer to you. Fold the dough into thirds like a letter: Fold the top 1/3 down, then fold the bottom 1/3 up. Wrap the dough with plastic wrap and refrigerate for 30 minutes.

  4. Do the second fold: Repeat rolling out the dough into a 13x18-inch rectangle and fold into thirds again. Re-wrap in the plastic wrap and refrigerate for 30 minutes.

  5. Do three more folds: Repeat rolling, folding, and refrigerating three more times, for a total of 5 folds. After the fifth and final fold, while the dough is chilling for the last 30 minutes, generously coat 2 standard (12-well) muffin pans with butter. Place 1 3/4 cups granulated sugar and 2 tablespoons ground cinnamon in a small bowl and stir to combine. Beat 1 large egg in a second small bowl.

  6. Divide the dough in half and re-wrap and refrigerate one half. Place the other half on a lightly dusted work surface and roll out into a 12x20-inch rectangle with a shorter side closer to you. Lightly brush the dough with the beaten egg. Sprinkle with half of the cinnamon sugar mixture, going all the way to the edges. Using a knife or pizza cutter, cut the dough vertically into 12 (1-inch wide) strips.

  7. Starting at the bottom end, roll up each strip into a tight coil. Place a coil seam-side down in each muffin well. To make sure the cruffins grow into a nice cone shape, but not too high out of the muffin tin, make sure the coil is flat and hasn’t come to a “point” in the center when you roll it and place it in the muffin tin; if you have a point, press down lightly on it to flatten.

  8. Repeat rolling out and assembling the remaining cruffins. Cover the muffin tins with lightly greased plastic wrap and let rise in a warm place until the cruffins begin to puff and fill the wells, about 45 minutes. About 20 minutes before they are ready, arrange 2 racks to divide the oven into thirds and heat the oven to 375°F.

  9. Uncover and bake for 15 minutes. Rotate the muffin tins from top to bottom and front to back. Bake until golden-brown, 12 to 17 minutes more. Let cool for a few minutes in the tins before transferring to wire racks. Let cool for at least 10 minutes before serving.

Recipe Notes

Storage: Leftovers can be stored in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days.