Cruffins

Social media platform Instagram has amplified food trends over the years. From putting twists on local recipes to broadening fusion cuisine, Chefs and culinary trendsetters have been racing to keep up with emerging food trends.

 

The cruffin is a marriage between a croissant and a muffin. It is the late bloomer cousin of Dominique Ansel’s cronuts. Both cruffins and cronuts share the same pastry dough base and have similar crispy and flaky interiors. People were seduced by Its decadent flavors. It is truly a whirlwind romance for one’s dessert palate.

Cruffin Trivia

 

• The Cruffin was invented by Aaron Caddel, founder of Mr. Holmes Bakehouse. In 2018, Aaron Cadel was included in the 30 under 30 food and drink list maker.

 

• Holmes Bakehouse has two locations in California and has franchises in Singapore, the Middle East, and South Korea.

 

• British Luxury brand Marks & Spencer released their own line of cruffins. They are the first luxury brand to join the hybrid food craze.

Cruffin Buying Guide

Cruffins can be freshly bought at any French bakeries or artisan bakers. These handmade pastries are the best option if you want to taste authentic French bread.

 

Some people purchase frozen cruffins that require a couple of minutes in the microwave to be baked and enjoyed. Moreover, other people purchase frozen puff pastry to make their own cruffins. However, commercially-produced puff pastries lack the  lightness, flakiness, and butteriness of the handmade ones.

Cruffin Production & Farming in Texas

When hybrid cuisine was all over the place, Texas did not miss the event. Artisan bakeries began to produce the hybrid croissant-muffin pastry to entice customers. Top bakeries in Dallas produce several pastries such as croissants, scones, pies, cakes, and of course cruffins.

 

While pastry is a much more forgiving dessert, breads (especially the French types) are unforgiving and highly technical. A single mistake in measurement or even inferior ingredients could result to low-end products. Most artisan bakers in Texas have honed their skills over years of baking experience while some have even trained under the most respective bread bakers and pastry chefs abroad or within the US.

 

Preservatives and Chemicals

French breads rarely contain preservatives and chemicals because the French people take pride in using only the best and freshest ingredients. Cruffins are meant to be eaten warm after they are baked so bakers don’t have to mix preservatives and chemicals to lengthen shelf-life.

 

Some additional fillings such as jams, cream, and marmalade may contain high amounts of sugar to extend their shelf-life. Consuming too much may lead to stomach aches, dizziness, and diabetes.

 

Packaging

Cruffins can be individually wrapped in a plastic, pastry bag to preserve their freshness. However, they can also be placed in a paper box much like cupcakes or muffins. Don’t forget to let them cool down to room temperature after baking, as moisture evaporating from enclosed spaces will result to a soggy pastry.

Enjoying Cruffins

Like any pastries made with laminated dough or puff pastry, cruffins should be eaten the day they are baked. Nothing beats the experience of pulling apart flaky dough while eating buttery bread, and inhaling the soft and rich aroma from all its fresh ingredients.

 

Cruffins are best eaten plain. You don’t need anything to enhance its flavors but you can also eat it as a dessert topped with cream, jams, or add savory flavors like pesto, sun-dried tomatoes, pastrami, and ham.

 

Storage

Freshly baked, plain cruffins must be kept away from direct sunlight and can be stored at room temperature for up to 2 days. Preserve the freshness of cruffins by individually wrapping them in a plastic bag or a cling wrap and keep them refrigerated for 5-7 days. Some can last longer from 7-10 days but the crispy, buttery, and flaky bread structure will no longer be in its prime condition and flavors.

 

 

Cooking

 

Cruffins

You can now make delicious, buttery, and flaky Cruffins in your home kitchen.

Ingredients

1 1/2 cups (12 oz/339 g) whole milk

1/4 cup (50 g) white sugar

1 Tbsp. + 1 tsp. (11 g) yeast

2 1/2 tsp. (15 g) sea salt

4 1/4 cups (510 g) all-purpose flour, plus more for the butter block and rolling

1 cup + 6 Tbsp. (310 grams) butter

white sugar for rolling

 

Procedure:

 

For the Dough:

1. In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a dough hook, combine the flour, sugar, yeast, and salt. Whisk them together to combine, then pour in the milk while the mixer runs on slow. Continue to mix until all of the flour is incorporated, then turn it up to medium speed and mix until the dough is smooth and elastic, about 5 minutes.
2. Place the dough in a clean bowl, cover with a kitchen towel and let it rise for about an hour, or until it is slightly puffy and soft. Place it in the fridge for at least an hour, or overnight if you can.

 

For the butter block:

1. Prepare two pieces of parchment paper. Lay one on your work surface and sprinkle it generously with flour. Lay out your butter on the floured parchment– it should be cold but not completely firm, or it will just break up into chunks. If you’re using sticks, cut them in half lengthwise and lay them side by side.
2. Sprinkle the top of the butter generously with flour, lay the other sheet of parchment on top, and gently bash it/roll out with a rolling until it is about 8″x8.” Set it in the refrigerator until the dough is ready.

 

To Laminate the Dough:

1. On a floured surface, roll out the dough into a square about 10″x10″, then lay your butter block on top at an angle, so that you have a diamond on top of a square. Pull the edges of the dough up and around the butter, pinching at the seams to seal it in.
2. Next, take your rolling pin and gently tap up and down along the dough, beginning to spread out the butter and pushing it out into a more rectangular shape. Gently roll the dough in one direction strokes (not going back and forth over it) until you have a rectangle measuring 18″x10″. Fold one-third of the end of the rectangle over the center, then follow with the other end. The dough will be folded like a letter. Wrap it well in plastic wrap, then place it in the refrigerator for about 30 minutes.
3. Remove the rolling/folding/refrigerating process 3 times, then your dough is ready to shape.

 

To Shape the Cruffins:

1. Begin by cutting the dough in half. Instead of shaping like a traditional croissant, roll each half of the dough into rectangles a bit larger than 8″x15″, keeping the edges as straight as possible. Trim off any uneven edges, then cut them into 1″ strips lengthwise so that you have 8 1″ wide strips that are 15″ long.
2. Roll each strip into a spiral, wrapping the end over the top and then securing it underneath (see pictures above). Place each roll into a muffin tin, then place it in a clean plastic bag to rise, tucking the ends of the bag under to protect the dough from drafts. Allow them to rise for 1 1/2 – 2 hours, or until the dough is soft and puffy.
3. Bake at 425F for about 5-8 minutes, then turn it down to 375F and continue to bake for another 20-22 minutes, or until the edges are a deep golden brown. Remove them from the oven, and allow them to cool so that you can handle them without burning your fingers. Roll the warm cruffins in white sugar, then fill or top if desired. These are best the day they’re baked.