Cruffin
Think making your own laminated cruffin/croissant dough from scratch is a brilliant idea? You're probably right, but it's going to test you. It takes a massive amount of Canarian paciencia, endless folding, and an absurd amount of waiting. But the payoff? A buttery, flaky, hazelnut-stuffed cruffin that will make you feel like a French pastry god.
INGREDIENTS
For the croissant dough
375 gr of pastry flour (T45) — we are in baker territory, so please weigh this properly.
125 gr of wheat flour
225 gr of almond or soy milk — unsweetened, always.
10 gr of salt5 gr of dry yeast — or 15 gr of fresh baker's yeast if you want to get fancy.
60 gr of sugar40 gr of vegan butter — for the dough.
285 gr of extra vegan butter — cold, for the layering. We're going all in.
For the filling
150 gr of hazelnuts
60 gr of brown sugar
For the glaze
40 ml of plant-based milk
1 tbsp of agave syrup
PREPARATION
the dough
Toss the pastry flour, wheat flour, milk, salt, sugar, and yeast into the bowl of a food processor with a dough hook. Knead it for 5 minutes on the lowest setting, and then 5 minutes on the medium setting.
Add the 40 gr of vegan butter and mix everything on the lowest setting until well combined.
Now, we make a compact ball. Place the dough piece seam-side down on a floured work surface. Gently press your right index finger into the dough without pressing too hard. With your left hand, fold the four sides towards the center of the ball. Hold the corners with your right index finger, turn the ball over, and cup the bottom to tighten the top. Turn it a quarter turn and repeat three times. Yes, this sounds like a weird hand-yoga routine, but trust the process.
Wrap your dough baby in plastic wrap and let it rest in the fridge for 1 hour.
let’s get buttering
Take a large piece of baking paper (35x40 cm) and fold it into a neat 15x15 cm pouch.
Cut your 285 gr of cold vegan butter into pieces, place them inside the baking paper, and aggressively roll them out with a rolling pin until you have a perfect 15x15 cm sheet.
the folding (aka the waiting game)
Roll out your chilled dough into a rectangle that is exactly the same width as your butter block (15 cm) and twice as long (30 cm).
Place the butter sheet in the center of the dough and fold the two dough sides over it so a seam is created in the middle. Seal that butter in like a precious secret.
Time for the first turn: lay the dough down in front of you with the seam vertical. Roll it out with a rolling pin to a length of 30 cm, then fold it into thirds to form a square.
Wrap it tightly in plastic wrap and banish it to the fridge for 30 minutes.
Repeat this rolling, folding, and chilling process two more times. Chant "roll it, fold it, chill it" while you question your life choices.
After the final fold, wrap the dough in plastic wrap and let it rest in the fridge for another hour before use. (Insider tip: Wrapped in plastic wrap, the dough will keep for 24 hours in the refrigerator if you need a break).
the filling and assembly
Dust off your most powerful blender. Toss in the hazelnuts and chop them until you get an oily mixture. Mix in the brown sugar.
Roll out your laminated dough into a flat rectangle 1 cm thick. Roll it out and cut out 4 squares.
Spread the hazelnut filling generously over the squares. Roll them up tightly, cut the squares in half, and proudly place them into a muffin tin.
the bake
Prepare your glaze: whisk the 40 ml of plant-based milk and 1 tbsp of agave together until smooth. Brush the cruffins with the glaze using a pastry brush.
Let them rise uncovered in a warm spot (around 25°C) for 2 hours and 30 minutes. More waiting. Canarian paciencia strikes again.
Preheat your oven to 180°C (fan oven). Give the cruffins one last brush of glaze for good measure.
Place them on a parchment-lined baking sheet in the oven for approximately 15 minutes. They should rise nicely and turn a glorious golden brown. Let them cool slightly, devour, and enjoy the applause.