Homemade Cruffins Recipe From Scratch: A Delicious Pastry Adventure

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.

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

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.

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.

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.

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

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Print

Cruffin Recipe

Muffins made with buttery and flaky croissants dough

Course Breakfast

Cuisine French

Keyword cruffins recipe

Prep Time 45 minutes

Cook Time 22 minutes

Servings 15 cruffins

Author Dikla

Ingredients

For The Dough

• 1 1/2 Cups Unsalted butter soft (for butter block) (350g)
• 1 1/2 Cups Room temperature milk (360ml)
• 2 1/4 teaspoons Instant yeast (10g)
• 4 1/2 Cups Unbleached all-purpose flour (560g)
• 1/4 Cup Sugar (50g)
• 2 tablespoons Unsalted butter soft (25g)
• 1 tablespoon Sea salt (14g)

For Coasting

• 2 Cups Sugar

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.