Cruffin Recipe from scratch (2024)

/ By Dikla Frances

Home » Recipes » Pastry » Homemade Cruffins Recipe From Scratch: A Delicious Pastry Adventure

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Last updated on January 17th, 2024.

If you’re a pastry enthusiast, you’ve probably heard of croissants and muffins, but have you ever naked a Cruffin recipe? This delectable pastry hybrid combines the buttery, flaky layers of a croissant with the sweet, moist crumb of a muffin, so in short, it’s croissant muffins.

Cruffin Recipe from scratch (1)

Contents hide

1 What is a Cruffin?

2 Ingredients

3 How to Make This Cruffin Recipe

4 Filling and Coating Ideas

5 Storing

6 Expert Tips

8 More Recipes You Might Enjoy

9 Cruffin Recipe

What is a Cruffin?

A Cruffin is a delightful, flaky pastry that combines the best of both worlds: a croissant’s laminated dough and a muffin’s soft, cake-like texture. But instead of shaping the dough into a crescent roll dough, like when we made Cornetti or a Pain Au Raisin Swirl, we shape it into a cinnamon roll-like swirl and bake it in a muffin pan. This unique combination results in a flaky, buttery, and sweet treat, making it a favorite among pastry lovers.

If you are a fan of morning pastries, check out these amazing Italian Almond croissants.

Ingredients

For the Laminated Dough

For an easy Cruffin recipe, use store-bought puff pastry sheets. Skip to the shape and bake parts.

  • All-purpose flour
  • Granulated sugar
  • Salt
  • Instant yeast
  • Warm milk
  • Unsalted butter, both for the dough and the butter block
Cruffin Recipe from scratch (2)

For the Filling and Coating

  • Sugar
  • Your choice of fillings, optional (e.g., chocolate chips, fruit preserves, nuts)

How to Make This Cruffin Recipe

Make the Dough

I highly recommend that you visit my post about How To Make Laminated Dough for more detailed instructions.

  1. Place the soft butter in a large plastic bag and use your rolling pin to roll it into a 10×9-inch block. Refrigerate.
  2. In a bowl of a stand mixer, pour the milk and yeast, stir, and let sit for five minutes.
  3. Add the dry ingredients (flour, sugar, salt) and butter and mix using the dough hook for about 2-3 minutes.
  4. Place the dough in a greased bowl, cover with plastic wrap, and refrigerate for 8-10 hours.
  5. Roll the dough into a 9×15-inch rectangle and place the butter block over on one side making sure it is parallel to the edges of the dough. Fold the excess dough over the butter then place the other end over the center. Refrigerate for 10 minutes.
  6. Tap the dough to a 1-inch thick then roll it into a 21×10-inch rectangle. Fold the left third side of the rectangle over the center part, then the last right part over the center. Repeat this three times, and refrigerate for 20 minutes between each fold.
Cruffin Recipe from scratch (3)
Cruffin Recipe from scratch (4)
Cruffin Recipe from scratch (5)

Shape and Bake

  1. Divide the dough into two parts. Roll the first part over a lightly floured surface to an 8×18-inch rectangle.
  2. Use a sharp knife or a pizza cutter to cut the dough into 1-inch strips.
  3. Line one stripe and place another one about 1/2 lower from its top,
  4. Gently roll the two stripes into a swirl.
  5. Tuck the edges at the bottom of the pastry and use your fingers to pinch it.
  6. Place the pastry in a prepared muffin tin. Repeat with the rest of the stripes then do the same with the second part.
  7. Brush with egg wash, and place the pan in a warm place for about 60 minutes. Bake until golden brown.
Cruffin Recipe from scratch (6)
Cruffin Recipe from scratch (7)

Coat and Fill (optional)

  1. Let the Cruffin cool for about 5 minutes, then roll them in the sugar
  2. Fill a piping bag fitted with the filling tip with your choice of filling (I used pastry cream), then fill from the top of the pastry.
Cruffin Recipe from scratch (8)
Cruffin Recipe from scratch (9)

Filling and Coating Ideas

  • Chocolate Cruffin: Sprinkle the dough with chocolate chips or chopped chocolate before rolling.
  • Berry Bliss: Fill berry preserves and dust with powdered sugar.
  • Cinnamon Sugar Swirl: Spread cinnamon and sugar inside, then roll the pastries with cinnamon sugar.
  • Citrus Zest: Add lemon or orange zest to the dough and fill with citrus curd.
  • Nutella. Fill the pastries with Nutella and sprinkle some chopped hazelnut on top.
  • Pastry cream. Fill with classic French Creme patisserie, or its various like Creme Legere, Creme Mousseline.
  • Crema Pasticcera. An Italian pastry cream, slightly thicker and creamier.

Storing

​This Cruffin recipe is the best when eaten the same day, or fresh from the oven. Leftovers should be stored at room temperature, and covered for up to three days. Stale pastries can be used to make this French Toast Cassarole.

To freeze, place the leftovers in a freeze bag and freeze for up to four weeks. When ready to eat, place in a 300F preheated oven until warm and crispy (about 10 minutes).

Expert Tips

  • Keep It Cold: Cold butter is essential for creating those flaky layers in the dough, so keep it chilled throughout the process.
  • Patience Is Key: Don’t rush the rising process. Let the dough rise until it’s visibly puffy to ensure a light and airy cruffin.
  • ​Between each dough fold, lightly cover the dough with cling wrap over a baking pan lined with parchment paper.
  • Get Creative: Experiment with different fillings and coatings to customize your cruffins to your liking.
  • Store Properly: Cruffins are best enjoyed fresh but can be stored in an airtight container for a day or two.

FAQs

Can I make cruffins in advance?

You can prepare the dough and refrigerate it overnight. Shape and bake them the next morning for a fresh breakfast treat.

My cruffins are misshaped why?

That’s ok. The dough puffs rise a lot because of the yeast and butter and the limited muffin tin space might make it rise into a funny shape. That’s ok.

Cruffin Recipe from scratch (10)

More Recipes You Might Enjoy

Chocolate Puff Pastry Croissants, Cream Cheese Pastries, Brioche Bread

Cruffin Recipe from scratch (11)

Print

Cruffin Recipe

Muffins made with buttery and flaky croissants dough

CourseBreakfast

CuisineFrench

Keywordcruffins recipe

Prep Time 45 minutes

Cook Time 22 minutes

Servings 15 cruffins

Author Dikla

Ingredients

For The Dough

  • 1 1/2CupsUnsalted butter soft (for butter block)(350g)
  • 1 1/2CupsRoom temperature milk(360ml)
  • 2 1/4teaspoonsInstant yeast(10g)
  • 4 1/2CupsUnbleached all-purpose flour(560g)
  • 1/4CupSugar(50g)
  • 2tablespoonsUnsalted butter soft(25g)
  • 1tablespoonSea salt(14g)

For Coasting

  • 2CupsSugar

Instructions

  1. Place the butter in a large ziplock bag and use a rolling pin to roll it into a 10×9-inch block. (the bag is 10-inch wide, use a ruller to measure 9-inch with a marker)

Make the dough

  1. In a bowl of a standing mixer, pour the milk and stir in the yeast. Let sit for five minutes.

  2. Add the flour, sugar, salt and butter and use the dough hook to mix until a dough forms than mix for 2-3 minutes longer. (do not over mix)

  3. Place the dough in a greased bowl, cover with a plastic wrap and refrigerate 8-10 hours.

Laminate

  1. About 20 minutes before lamination removet he butter block from the refrigerator.

  2. Punch the dough, and roll to 15×9 inch rectangle.

  3. Place the butter block (you'll have to cut the bag around it) and place it on one side of the dough, making sure the dough and butter are parallel (meaning on the same line).

  4. Fold the excess dough over the butter, then fold the other side (with the butter) over the center. Refrigerate for 10 minutes.

  5. Lightly flour your work surface and use your rolling pin to tap the dough to one inch thick.

  6. Roll your dough into a 21×10 inch rectangle.

  7. Fold the left third of the rectangle over the center, and then fold the right third over the center as well. Refrigerate for 15-20 minutes and repeat this step twice more.

  8. After the last fold, allow the dough to rest in the refrigerator for one hour.

Shaping and baking

  1. Divide the dough into two, and roll one part over a lightly floured surface to an 8×18 rectangle.

  2. Cut the dough into one inch stripes.

  3. Using two lines at a time, line of piece of dough over another, about 1/2 inch from the top, and use your fingers to roll it into a swirl.

  4. Tuck the ends at the bottom and use your fingers to pinch them to the edges of the roll.

  5. Place the roll in a greased muffin tin and continue with the rest of the dough and the other part.

  6. Allow the rolls to rise in the muffin tins for about 60 minutes.

  7. Preheat oven to 400F (200C). Bake for 12 minutes then reduce heat to 350F and bake for additional 12 minutes.

  8. Remove from the oven and carefully roll each cruffin in the sugar.

Recipe Notes

  • Keep Your Work Surface Floured: Prevent the dough from sticking to your work surface by dusting it generously with flour while rolling and folding. This helps maintain the integrity of the layers.

  • If the butter is coming out of the dough, sprinkle some flour over it and refrigerate if needed.
  • You can use store-bought puff pastry instead of making the dough.

Cruffin Recipe from scratch (12)

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Hi there! Welcome to One Sarcastic Baker! I'm Dee and I love making fabulous desserts. My goal is to teach you how to make delicious desserts from scratch to impress your guests, friends, and family!

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Cruffin Recipe from scratch (2024)

FAQs

What is cruffin made of? ›

A cruffin (sometimes spelled croffin) is a hybrid of a croissant and a muffin. The pastry is made by proofing (also called proving) and baking laminated dough in a muffin mould. The cruffin is then filled with a variety of creams, jams, crème pâtissières or curds, and then garnished.

What is the best hydration for croissant dough? ›

Very wet doughs are all the rage these days, but croissants laminate better with a relatively dry dough, our recipe calls for only 52% hydration.

What is the best temperature and humidity for proofing croissants? ›

Place in proofer approx. 30-32°C at 75% humidity for approx. 60-90 min. Hint: for no proofer: leave for an extended rest period until ideal pre-bake product size is attained approx.

What percentage of butter is in croissant dough? ›

Butter: 0-20% in the dough, 50-60% as laminant by baker's percentage. Not all butter is the same. For croissants, you'll have to choose the butter you use carefully - it has to be pliable and not crumbly.

What is the croissant dough? ›

Croissants are made of yeasted laminated dough, and F&W Food Editor Paige Grandjean's time-tested lamination technique makes a base recipe that you can use for flaky layers in many other baked goods, like Kouign-Amann, biscuits, and anything made with puff pastry, like palmier cookies.

Where did cruffin originate? ›

Origin. The cruffin is a pastry creation originally created by Lune Croissanterie in Melbourne, Australia in July 2013. In the US the cruffin was popularised by Australian pastry chef Ry Stephen and co-owner Aaron Caddel of Mr. Holmes Bakehouse in November 2014.

What is the best improver for croissant? ›

A natural improver for pastry and croissant

LB Improver enhances consistency of the puff pastry in a pleasant balance between crunchiness and softness. This enzymatic improver also intensifies the croissant taste with lactic notes.

Does butter count as hydration in dough? ›

Ingredients such as eggs and butter will also contribute to the overall hydration of the dough so they have been included in the table.

How many layers should croissant dough have? ›

A classic French croissant has 55 layers (27 layers of butter), achieved with a French fold followed by 3 letter folds. Less layers will mean a different texture (less tender, more chewy, with more defined layers).

What happens if you don't let croissants proof? ›

When under-proofed the butter tends to leak out from in between the layers and you end up with a butter puddle. There's so much butter in these croissants!

How long should croissant dough proof? ›

The proofing should take about 2 hours. You should be able to tell if they are ready by carefully shaking the baking sheet and see if the croissants slightly wiggle. You should also be able to see the layers of dough when looking at your croissants from the side.

What is the best flour to use for croissants? ›

Although you can produce excellent croissants from all-purpose flour, bread flour, or frozen packaged white dough, the high gluten content makes for hard and rubbery rolling out. A mixture of 2 parts unbleached pastry flour and 1 part unbleached all-purpose flour gives a dough that is much easier to handle.

Why is butter oozing out of my croissant dough? ›

Failing to proof your croissant dough for long enough is a common mistake that most commonly results in croissants leaking butter while baking, a tight crumb, and a flat, undeveloped flavor. Inversely, over-proofing croissant dough presents its own set of problems.

Why is my butter breaking in croissant dough? ›

What if my dough looks like it has little lumps of butter in it, or the butter looks like it has broken up under the détrempe? This happens when the pâton has been rolled out when the butter was too cold.

What is a croissant What is it made of? ›

A croissant is typically made of yeast-risen dough. The dough is first layered with butter and then rolled. It is folded many times in a process called lamination. Then the dough is cut into triangles, rolled to form a crescent shape and baked.

What are croissants mostly made of? ›

A croissant (UK: /ˈkrwʌsɒ̃, ˈkrwæsɒ̃/, US: /krəˈsɒnt, krwɑːˈsɒ̃/; French: [kʁwasɑ̃]) is a French pastry made from puff pastry in a crescent shape. It is a buttery, flaky, viennoiserie pastry inspired by the shape of the Austrian kipferl, but using the French yeast-leavened laminated dough.

What does a cruffin taste like? ›

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.

Are croissants made with lard? ›

Butter, at the time, was very difficult to come by, so people used lard from their small family farms. In fact, rumor has it that many restaurants use lard instead of butter, as it's much cheaper, makes dough super flaky and cannot be spotted within the food as far as taste goes.

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