Flaky Buttery Cruffin Variations (Printable)
Buttery croissant-muffin hybrids with customizable sweet fillings and flaky golden layers.
# What You’ll Need:
→ Dough
01 - 4 cups all-purpose flour (500 g)
02 - ¼ cup granulated sugar (60 g)
03 - 1 envelope instant dry yeast (10 g)
04 - 2 tsp fine sea salt (10 g)
05 - 1 cup warm milk (250 ml)
06 - 1 large egg
07 - 3½ tbsp unsalted butter, softened (50 g)
→ Butter Layer
08 - ¾ cup plus 5 tbsp unsalted butter, room temperature (200 g)
→ Optional Fillings & Toppings
09 - ½ cup sugar mixed with 2 tsp ground cinnamon (100 g total), for rolling
10 - ½ cup chocolate spread (120 g)
11 - ½ cup fruit preserves or jam (100 g)
12 - Lemon curd, Nutella, or pastry cream, as desired
# How To Make It:
01 - In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the flour, sugar, yeast, and salt. In a separate container, blend the warm milk with the egg, then pour the wet mixture into the dry ingredients. Stir until a shaggy dough begins to form, then add the softened butter. Knead by hand or with a stand mixer fitted with a dough hook for 8 to 10 minutes until the dough is smooth, elastic, and slightly tacky. Cover the bowl with a damp towel or plastic wrap and let the dough rise in a warm spot for 1 hour, or until doubled in volume.
02 - Place 200 g of room-temperature butter on a sheet of parchment paper. Using a rolling pin, shape the butter into a rectangle approximately 8x10 inches (20x25 cm), keeping the edges as even as possible. Transfer the butter slab to the refrigerator and chill until firm yet still pliable, about 15 to 20 minutes.
03 - On a lightly floured surface, roll the risen dough into a large rectangle roughly 16x12 inches (40x30 cm). Lay the chilled butter slab over one half of the dough, then fold the other half on top to enclose the butter completely. Gently roll the dough out again to its original size and perform a letter fold — fold one third over the center, then the opposite third on top. Wrap in plastic and refrigerate for 20 minutes. Repeat this rolling and folding process two more times, chilling the dough for 20 minutes between each fold to keep the butter cold and the layers distinct.
04 - Roll the laminated dough out once more into a rectangle approximately 16x12 inches (40x30 cm). Trim the edges with a sharp knife or pizza cutter for clean, even lines. Cut the dough vertically into 12 equal strips, each about 1¼ inches (3 cm) wide. If using a filling, spread a thin, even layer of chocolate spread, jam, or your chosen filling along the length of each strip.
05 - Tightly roll each strip into a compact spiral, working from one end to the other. Using a sharp knife, slice each spiral in half lengthwise to reveal the flaky interior layers. Twist each half into a loose knot and place it cut-side up into a generously greased 12-cavity muffin tin.
06 - Loosely cover the muffin tin with plastic wrap or a damp kitchen towel. Allow the shaped cruffins to proof in a warm, draft-free area for 45 to 60 minutes until visibly puffed and nearly doubled in size.
07 - Preheat the oven to 400°F (200°C). Bake the cruffins on the center rack for 20 to 25 minutes, rotating the tin halfway through, until the tops are a deep golden brown and the layers have puffed dramatically. Remove from the oven and let cool in the tin for 3 to 5 minutes.
08 - While still warm, brush the cruffins lightly with melted butter, then roll them in the cinnamon-sugar mixture if desired. Transfer to a wire cooling rack. Serve as is, or for extra indulgence, pipe lemon curd, Nutella, or pastry cream into the center using a piping bag fitted with a long nozzle.
# Expert Tips:
01 -
- The layers pull apart like a croissant but the muffin shape makes them feel whimsical and fun for any gathering.
- You can fill them with almost anything sweet you have in your pantry, from jam to chocolate spread to lemon curd.
02 -
- If the butter softens too much during lamination, stop immediately and chill everything for 15 minutes before continuing.
- The dough will fight you on the first fold but relaxes beautifully after chilling, so trust the process and be patient.
03 -
- Use European style butter with at least 82 percent fat content for the lamination because it stays pliable at colder temperatures.
- Lightly flour your work surface between each fold but brush off excess flour with a pastry brush so the layers seal properly to each other.