Description
Combine the flaky, buttery layers of croissants with the convenience and shape of muffins in these delicious homemade cruffins. This recipe features croissant dough twisted with a generous cinnamon-sugar filling and baked in a standard muffin pan, yielding tender, flaky pastries perfect for breakfast or a special treat.
Ingredients
Scale
Dough
- 1 cup (240ml) whole milk, warmed to about 110°F (43°C)
- 2 and 1/4 teaspoons (7g) instant or active dry yeast (1 standard packet)
- 3 Tablespoons (38g) granulated sugar
- 3 Tablespoons (43g) unsalted or salted butter, softened to room temperature and cut into 3 pieces
- 3 cups (375g) all-purpose flour (spooned & leveled), plus more as needed
- 1 and 1/4 teaspoons salt
Lamination
- 1 cup (16 Tbsp; 226g) salted butter, slightly softened (see Note)
- 1 Tablespoon all-purpose flour
Filling & Coating
- 3/4 cup (150g) granulated sugar
- 1 Tablespoon ground cinnamon
- Optional fillings: 6 Tablespoons Nutella, jam, lemon curd, or pastry cream
Instructions
- Prepare the dough: Whisk warm milk, yeast, and sugar in a stand mixer’s bowl fitted with a dough hook. Let sit 5 minutes until foamy. Add butter, 2 cups flour, and salt; beat on medium for 2 minutes, scraping as needed. Add remaining flour and beat on low until a soft dough forms that pulls from bowl sides.
- Knead the dough: Knead dough with mixer or by hand for 5 minutes until soft and elastic but slightly tacky. Add small amounts of flour if dough is too sticky, but avoid over-flouring. Perform windowpane test for readiness.
- 1st rise: Lightly grease a large bowl. Place dough inside, turning to coat in oil. Cover tightly and let rise about 2 hours or until nearly doubled.
- Flatten and rest dough: Punch down dough gently. Place on floured silicone mat or parchment on baking sheet and flatten into a 10×14″ rectangle. Cover and refrigerate for 20 minutes to rest.
- Prepare lamination butter: Beat softened salted butter with flour until fully combined. Keep butter between 60–64°F (15–18°C) for pliability.
- 1st lamination: Spread butter on center third of chilled dough. Fold dough edges over butter like a letter and pinch ends to seal. Rotate dough horizontally, roll into 9×12″ rectangle, then fold edges like a letter again. Cover and refrigerate 20 minutes.
- 2nd lamination: Remove dough, roll to 9×12″, fold edges, rotate, roll and fold again like a letter. Cover and refrigerate 20 minutes.
- 3rd lamination: Repeat rolling and folding (as above) a third time. Cover and refrigerate 20 minutes.
- Shape & fill: Lightly grease a 12-cup muffin pan. Mix sugar and cinnamon in a bowl. Cut dough into 3 equal portions. Roll each to 8×12″, sprinkle with cinnamon-sugar, press it in, then cut into twelve 1-inch strips. Stack 3 strips at a time, roll into spirals, and tuck ends under. Place each spiral into a muffin cup. Repeat for all dough portions.
- Final rise: Cover cruffins lightly and let rise for 1 hour until puffy.
- Bake: Preheat oven to 350°F (177°C). Bake cruffins for 25–28 minutes until internal temp reaches 200°F (93°C). Cool in pan on a rack briefly.
- Coat and fill: Roll cruffins in remaining cinnamon-sugar once cool enough. Optionally fill using a piping bag and long tip by poking 3/4 down the cruffin and squeezing in filling.
- Store: Keep leftovers covered at room temperature for up to 3 days.
Notes
- Overnight Dough: After shaping, cover cruffins and refrigerate up to 12 hours. Remove 2 hours before baking; let rise 1 hour covered.
- Alternative Overnight: Do first rise in refrigerator overnight (up to 12 hours). Remove and allow fully rise 2 hours before continuing.
- Freezing: Freeze baked, coated cruffins wrapped individually for up to 3 months. Thaw at room temperature. Do not freeze dough before lamination or shaped unbaked cruffins.
- Butter Tips: Use European-style salted butter for lamination for best flavor and workability. Butter should be pliable, not cold or greasy.
- Milk Swap: Whole milk ideal; can substitute lower-fat or non-dairy milk, but avoid nonfat milk.
- Yeast: Both active dry and instant yeast work; active dry may need slightly longer rise.