A cruffin is a cross between a croissant and a muffin. It takes the texture from the croissant and the shape from the muffin.
The result is a flaky and buttery pastry that stays very moist and smell divine. The cinnamon gives the cruffins a warm and cosy aroma that fills the entire home while baking. The sugar adds a lovely crunchy texture.
There are two method to prepare the cruffins: you can use croissant dough (homemade or ready-made), cut it into strips and shape them into cruffins sprinkled with sugar and cinnamon or, like me, prepare a dough from scratch and create all the beautiful layers of butter and cinnamon with a little more patience, rolling out the dough into thin and long strips, brush with butter and sprinkle with sugar and cinnamon.
This time I won’t say it’s an easy recipe because it takes time and you need to be precise but you will love the final result, I promise!
I made this recipe in collaboration with my lovely friend Monica that has a beautiful food blog. Few days ago she sent me a text saying she was baking some cruffins and because I’m a sweet tooth I decided with her to prepare them too. Together we decided to do the 2 different methods: she made the croissant recipe (she is a pastry chefso she prepares a perfect croissant dough)and I used the other cruffin method. So if you fancy trying also her recipe please visit her blog Aroma di mandorle .
Cinnamon cruffins
Ingredients
- plain flour: 250 grams
- strong bread flour: 250 grams
- unsalted butter softened: 50 grams
- salt: 10 grams
- caster sugar: 50 grams
- water: 175 grams
- medium eggs , about 1 and a half egg*: 90 grams
- dry yeast or 25 grams fresh yeast: 7 grams
- ground cinnamon , as needed
- granulated sugar: 100 grams
- unsalted butter softened, plus some extra for greasing: 120/150 grams
Instructions
- Put flour, salt, sugar, butter, eggs and fast rising yeast (see the notes for the yeast) in the bowl of a stand mixer with the hook attachment. Start the mixer at medium speed and slowly add the water. Knead until you have a soft and smooth dough.
- Stop the mixer, transfer the dough on the table and form a ball. Put it into a slightly floured bowl and cover with cling film. Allow to rise for 1 hour or until it doubles its volume.
- When ready dust the working surface with a little flour and place the dough on it. Divide it into 6 equal sized pieces (about 140 grams each, I suggest to weigh them ) and cover with a towel.
- Roll out a piece of dough into a long thin strip measuring about 50x15 cm. Grease a 12-hole muffin tin with butter.Spread with about 30 grams of softened butter using a silicone brush (or your fingertips, DO NOT use a knife otherwise you will damage the dough). Sprinkle with granulated sugar and cinnamon then roll the strip very tight.
- Cut the roll in half lengthwise and roll the two pieces into a rose-shape spiral, keeping it cut-side up and pinching the bottom with your fingertips. Put each cruffins in a hole of the muffin tin and repeat the process with the remaining pieces of dough. (See the step by step picture in the gallery at the bottom of the recipe)
- Cover the muffin tin with a kitchen towel and let the cruffins rise in a warm place for about 45 minutes.
- Bake into the preheated oven at 180°C for 15/20 minutes or until golden.
Notes
* to weigh the eggs break 2 eggs in small bowl, beat them a little then weigh 90 grams.
** you can use regular active dry yeast or fast-rising dry yeast (also know as easy-bake, quick-rice, bread machine yeast). If you use the regular one follow the instruction on the package to active it.
If you use the fast-rising yeast just add it to the dry ingredients when you start preparing the dough
