Cronuts

Bread, Brunch, Desserts

Ingredients

  • 3 3/4 c unbleached flour
  • 3 TBSP plus 1 tsp granulated sugar
  • 1 TBSP quick-rise yeast
  • 1 1/2 tsp salt
  • 1/8 tsp ground nutmeg
  • 1 c milk, heated to 115 F
  • 1 large egg
  • 2 TBSP unsalted butter, softened
  • 1 tsp vanilla
  • 1 1/4 c cold unsalted butter
  • vegetable oil
  • nutmeg sugar (1/4 c sugar, 2 TBSP coarse natural cane sugar, 1/4 tsp nutmeg)

Directions

  1. In a stand mixer with a dough hook: stir together flour, sugar, yeast, salt and nutmeg.
  2. Add warm milk, egg, softened butter and vanilla. Beat on medium-low speed until combined, about 2 1/2 minutes.
  3. Increase speed to medium and beat about 3 1/2 minutes more for a total of 6 minutes.
  4. Turn out onto a lightly floured baking sheet. Cover with plastic wrap and a tea towel; chill in refrigerator for 30 minutes.

Flattening Butter

  1. Fold a 16 in length of parchment or wax paper in half.
  2. Cut butter sticks in half lengthwise and place them in a square centered on half the paper.
  3. Cover butter with the other half of the paper and pound lightly with a rolling pin.
  4. Fold paper edges under to form a 7 inch packet. Roll butter evenly to fill packet at a thickness of about 1/4 inch.
  5. Chill in refrigerator at least 15 minutes.

Laminating the dough

  1. Uncover dough, place on a lightly floured surface, rub lightly with flour and roll into an 11 inch square.
  2. Remove butter square from refrigerator, unwrap and place over dough with corners positioned midway along dough sides.
  3. Lift on flap of dough over butter, stretching it slightly to reach center of butter square.
  4. Repeat with other flaps, overlapping slightly and pressing edges to seal butter inside.
  5. Sprinkle dough lightly with flour and rub in gently.
  6. With rolling pin, use up-and-down movements from front to back of dough to flatten butter inside dough slightly, then roll into a 9×18 inch rectangle.
  7. Lift one short end of dough and fold over  to cover middle third of dough. brush any flour from folded dough. Fold remining dough over folded side.
  8. Place on a lightly floured baking sheet, cover with plastic wrap and tea towel and freeze for about 20 minutes.
  9. Repeat rolling and folding, rolling toard open ends and keeping layers aligned.
  10. Cover and freeze about 20 minutes more.
  11. For a 3rd time, roll and fold dough. Wrap securely to keep air out but not too tightly to restrict minimal rising.
  12. Place on baking sheet. Chill in refrigerator 2 to 24 hours.

Shaping Cronuts

  1. Cut dough in half. (At this point, dough can be wrapped an frozen for future use; thaw 2 hrs before proceeding)
  2. Roll each half into a 6×9 inch rectangle about 1/2 inch thick
  3. With a floured 3 inch cookie cutter, cut out 6 dough rounds from each dough rectangle.
  4. Use a floured 1 inch cutter to cut holes in the center of each.
  5. Place circles and holes on a lightly floured surface; let rise in a draft-free place at room temp until doubled in size – about 30-60 minutes.

Frying

  1. Heat 2 in oil to 350. Fry circles and holes until golden, about 1 min each side.
  2. Drain and cool on paper towels.
  3. Roll in nutmeg sugar.
  4. Pipe in fillings or frost as desired.