Homemade Cronuts Recipes

HOMEMADE CRONUTS

Steps:

• In a large bowl, stir together milk and yeast, then sugar, eggs, and vanilla. Add 1 cup flour and salt. Gradually add 2-1/4 cups more flour, stirring, then kneading, until dough is smooth. Transfer to a baking sheet, cover with plastic wrap, and refrigerate 30 minutes.
• Beat butter and 1/4 cup flour with a mixer until smooth. Place chilled dough on a lightly floured surface and roll into a 1-4/-inch rectangle about 13x8 inches. Spread butter mixture evenly over dough. Fold dough in thirds, like a letter; cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate 30 minutes more.
• Remove dough, roll it into a rectangle again, then fold both edges ot to the middle. Refrigerate 30 minutes, then repeat folding and chilling sequence twice more, finally chilling the dough at least an hour.
• In a heavy pot, heat 2 or 3 inches oil to 350°. Roll out dough to 1- to 2-inch thickness and cut into rings. Cook cronuts in batches, flipping as needed, until golden. Transfer to a paper towel.
• Whisk together powdered sugar, syrup, and whipping cream to make a glaze. Drizzle glaze over the cronuts while they're still warm.

HOMEMADE CROISSANTS

Steps:

• Combine the flour, milk, sugar, yeast, salt, 3 tablespoons room-temperature butter and 1/2 cup cold water in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the dough hook. Mix on low speed until the dough starts to come together, about 2 minutes. Increase the speed to medium and continue to mix until completely combined and gathered into a ball that is no longer sticky to the touch, about 5 minutes. Transfer the dough to a lightly floured baking sheet, dust the top with flour and wrap in plastic wrap. Refrigerate overnight.
• The following day, put the remaining cold butter pieces (2 1/2 sticks) in the middle of a piece of parchment and dust with a generous pinch of flour. Top with another piece of parchment. With a rolling pin, pound the butter to form a 7-inch square, using a bench scraper or ruler to help even out the sides. Refrigerate while you roll out the dough.
• To roll and fold the dough: Unwrap the dough and lay it on a lightly floured work surface. Roll into a 12-inch square, dusting with flour as needed. Peel the parchment off the butter square and position the butter in the middle of the dough. Fold the top flap of dough over the butter towards you, stretching it slightly so that it reaches just past the center of the butter. Repeat with the opposite flap so they overlap by a couple inches. Turn the dough so that one of the open ends is closest to you.
• Using the rolling pin, gently pound the dough so the butter is spread out evenly in the middle of the dough. Then, roll the dough to an 8-by-24-inch rectangle. Pick up one short end of the dough and fold it back over the dough, leaving one-third of the other end of dough exposed. Then fold the exposed dough over the folded side (like folding a letter). Put the dough back on the baking sheet, cover with plastic wrap and chill so the dough relaxes and the butter firms slightly, 20 to 30 minutes.
• Lay the dough on a lightly floured work surface folded-side down. Roll in the direction of the 2 open ends, until the dough is about an 8-by-24-inch rectangle. Fold the dough in thirds again like a letter, put back on the baking sheet, cover and chill for another 20 minutes.
• Give the dough a third rolling, then fold one side to the middle of the dough and fold the other side to meet it in the middle. Fold the dough in half so it resembles a book. Put the dough on the baking sheet and cover with plastic wrap, tucking the plastic under all sides. Refrigerate for 2 hours and up to overnight.
• To divide the dough: Unwrap the dough and lightly flour the top and bottom. Roll the dough into a 10-by-35-inch rectangle. Lay the dough in front of you so the long sides are horizontal. Position a ruler lengthwise along the bottom side of the dough (the side closest to you) and mark with a paring knife every 5 inches along the length of the dough. Move the ruler to the top side of the dough (the side farthest from you) and make a mark on the dough at 2 1/2 inches. Move the ruler to the 2 1/2-inch mark, then make marks every 5 inches along the length of the dough from that point.
• Using a pizza cutter or long sharp knife, make a diagonal cut from the bottom left corner to the first mark on the top edge (at 2 1/2 inches), then cut diagonally down from that mark to the first 5-inch mark on the bottom edge of the dough, to make a triangle. Continue cutting diagonally from bottom mark to top mark and back again to create 15 triangles total (2 will be from the ends and a little smaller but still useable).
• Line 2 baking sheets with parchment. Lay one triangle on the work surface with the short side closest to you. Gently pull to extend the tip at the top. With one hand on each side of the short end of the triangle, start to roll the dough away from you towards the pointed end. Press down on the dough with enough force to make the layers stick together. Arrange the croissant on one of the lined baking sheets with the tip of the dough on the bottom. Repeat with the remaining dough triangles.
• Whisk the egg with a splash of water in a small bowl until combined. Lightly brush some of the egg wash on each croissant. (Refrigerate the remaining egg wash for later.) Put the croissants in a warm spot to proof, until puffy looking and about 1 1/2 times larger, about 2 hours.
• Position oven racks in the upper and lower thirds of the oven and preheat to 425 degrees F.
• Brush the croissants again with the egg wash. Bake for 10 minutes, then rotate the sheets from front to back and top to bottom. Continue baking until dark golden, another 8 to 10 minutes. Let cool on the baking sheets on wire racks.

HOW TO MAKE CRONUTS, PART I (THE DOUGH)

Steps:

• Place yeast into the mixing bowl of a large stand mixer. Whisk in warm water and let stand until a creamy foam forms on top, about 5 minutes. Add salt, sugar, milk, 2 tablespoons melted butter, vanilla extract, egg, and nutmeg. Whisk mixture thoroughly. Pour flour on top of liquid ingredients. Place mixing bowl onto mixer.
• Attach dough hook to mixer and knead on low speed until dough comes together in a ball and becomes soft and sticky, about 3 minutes. Dough will stick to the hook and pull away from the side of the bowl.
• Transfer dough to a floured work surface, knead 2 or 3 times, and shape into a ball. Wrap dough in plastic and refrigerate for 20 minutes to let gluten relax.
• Remove dough from refrigerator, unwrap, and dust lightly with flour. Roll out into a 9x18-inch rectangle about 1/4-inch thick. Evenly spread 1/2 of the softened butter onto the middle third of the dough. Fold one unbuttered third over the buttered third and press lightly; spread remaining butter on top of that third. Fold remaining third over the first (buttered) third. Transfer dough onto a sheet pan, cover lightly with plastic wrap and a kitchen towel, and refrigerate 20 to 30 more minutes for butter to become firm. Sprinkle dough lightly with flour as you work if it becomes sticky.
• Return dough to floured work surface and pat very gently into an 8x14-inch rectangle about 1/2-inch thick. Fold outer thirds over center third as before; roll out into an 8x14-inch rectangle again, keeping the edges as straight as possible. Fold in thirds as before. Cover dough lightly with a kitchen towel, and refrigerate for 2 hours.
• Roll the dough out to about 3/8-inch thick. Cut dough in half crosswise. Leave half on a lightly floured work surface; refrigerate other half of dough until needed.
• Use a sharp 3-inch round cutter to cut 8 circles of dough from the piece on the work surface. Use a 1-inch round cutter to cut the donut holes out of the dough circles.
• Line a baking sheet with waxed paper and sprinkle lightly with flour. Arrange cronuts and holes onto the prepared baking sheet. Let rise in a draft-free, warm place (such as an unheated oven) until doubled in size, about 1 hour.
• See part II of this recipe to make the cronuts.

HOW TO MAKE CRONUTS, PART II

Steps:

• Once dough has been made, cut, and dough has risen (see How to Make Cronuts, Part I), continue on to fry and glaze your homemade cronuts.
• Heat vegetable oil in a deep fryer or a deep saucepan over medium heat to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
• Carefully lift a cronut and gently drop into oil. Fry 2 at a time until golden brown, 1 1/2 to 2 minutes per side. Cronuts will puff up as they cook. Drain on racks over paper towels; let cool.
• Whisk confectioners' sugar, milk, and vanilla extract in a shallow bowl until glaze is smooth and slightly runny.
• Pick up a fried cronut and gently dip the top in glaze; return to rack and let stand until glaze has set, about 15 minutes.
• Alternate version: For higher-rising cronuts, roll out finished dough (see Part I) into an 8x12 inch rectangle. Fold dough in thirds and roll out into a rectangle about 3/4 inch thick. Cut out 6 cronuts and holes, using a 3-inch round cutter and a 1-inch small hole cutter.
• Line baking sheet with waxed paper and dust paper lightly with flour. Place cronuts and holes onto prepared baking sheet and let rise in a draft-free place until doubled, about 1 hour.
• Carefully pick up and gently drop cronuts, 2 at a time, into the preheated oil. Fry 1 1/2 to 2 minutes per side. The extra fold and making the dough thicker will result in taller cronuts than before. Let fried cronuts drain on racks.
• Dip tops of cronuts in glaze as described above, and let cool on racks to let glaze set up.

CRONUTS

Steps:

• In deep fryer or 2-quart heavy saucepan, heat oil over medium heat to 350°F.
• Separate crescent dough into 4 rectangles. Firmly press perforations to seal. Stack 2 rectangles on top of one another. Fold in half widthwise to make tall stack. Repeat with remaining 2 rectangles.
• To make 2 doughnuts, use 3-inch biscuit cutter to cut 1 round from each stack; use 1/2-inch biscuit cutter to cut small hole in center of each round. Reroll remaining dough to cut third doughnut.
• Fry doughnuts in hot oil 1 1/2 minutes on each side or until deep golden brown and cooked through. Drain on paper towels. Cool 5 minutes.
• Carefully split doughnuts in half. Place pudding in decorating bag fitted with tip, and pipe some of the pudding onto bottom half of each doughnut. Top each with some of the caramel sauce; sprinkle with salt. Cover each with top of doughnut.
• In small bowl, mix powdered sugar and enough milk for spreading consistency. Spread on tops of doughnuts. Drizzle with additional caramel sauce.