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    Home > Pastry

    Published: Jan 15, 2015 · Modified: Dec 6, 2024 by Helen S Fletcher · This post may contain affiliate links · 11 Comments

    Blitz Cronuts

    Finished CronutWhen I first heard about Cronuts, quite frankly, I thought they were obscene.  Having made several batches of them, I can tell you they are!!

    Using Dominique Ansel's recipe, which I cut in half, I applied the same technique I came up with years ago for Croissants and Puff Pastry. in record time. Where he takes 3 days, this method makes them in less than a third of that time.   As you can see from the photo to the left, the flakiness is beyond anything iI have ever seen.  The are crispy on the outside and soft on the inside.  While his recipe for home cooks as he refers to it, takes 3 days and a lot of elbow grease, this version of cronuts can be made in a day.  Much of that time is just resting the dough.  The actual work is minimal and spread out.  To make these easier, you can refrigerate the cronuts at various stages if you want.

    The dough is like no other yeast dough I have ever made. Although soft and smooth, it has a craggy look and an almost aerated texture.

    how to bake better custard
    Baking gets better when you subscribe

    Baking gets better when you subscribe to receive this PDF on getting the most out of baking including information on equipment, ingredients and baking equipment.

    While  New York cronuts  are filled and iced, my preference is simply rolling them in sugar.  It seems like gilding the lily to do more to these.  But feel free to fill and frost if desired.

    CronutsCronut Ingredients½ cup + 1 tablespoon water, warm
    2 ¼ teaspoon yeast (7 gram package)
    1 ⅞ cups bread flour (260 grams or 9 ¼ ounces)
    2 tablespoons sugar
    ¾ teaspoon salt (he uses 2 ½ teaspoons)
    4 tablespoons butter, cold and cut into small pieces (60 grams or 2 ounces)
    1 tablespoon egg white*

    *Beat the egg white until foamy and broken down. Measure ½ of it.

    9 tablespoons butter, cold and cut into small pieces (135 grams or 4 ¾ ounces)

    Combine the water and yeast.Yeast in water

    Place the flour, sugar and salt in the processor bowl. Dry ingred. in processor bowlProcess to mix. Dry ingred. processedAdd the cold butterButter in and process until the butter is indistinguishable. Butter processedAdd the egg white to the water/yeast mixture. Egg white in yeast waterPour the water mixture over the dry ingredients. Water over dry ingredients Process until the dough balls up. Process for 30 seconds more.Dough balled up

    Remove from the processor bowl and knead several times to make a smooth ball.  Dough on tableDough kneadedplace in a bowl that has been spray with releasing agent.  Cover with film and mark the time on it.Dough filmed with timeLet rise until doubled in bulk, about 2 hours.

    Flour the work surface lightly. Deflate the dough and press it into a round about 1 inch thick. I do this in one step by turning it out over the floured surface

    Risen dough on table and just flattening it with the palm of your hand.Flattened on table Wrap in plastic wrap and place it in the freezer.Wrapped on table Allow the outer edge of the dough to freeze about ½ to ¾ inch in from the edge.  The time will vary depending upon how cold the freezer is but should take about 1 to ½ hours.

    Cut the stick of butter in half lengthwise. Turn it one quarter turn and cut again lengthwise making 4 long pieces. Cut these every half inch or so to make small cubes.  Cut the one tablespoon into 4 cubes. Freeze along with the dough.Butter cut

    Remove the dough from the freezer and cut into four pieces. Cut each of those into 3 pieces making a total of 12 pieces.Frozen doughCut in half

    Cut in 4A quarter cut into thirdsDough cut into 12 piecesPlace 4 pieces of dough in the processor bowl Frozen dough in processoralong with ⅓ of the butter. Dough/btr in processorPulse until the dough and butter are cut into small pieces. Dough/bt cut togetherPour out onto a work surface.Dough-butter cut upRepeat 2 more times. Push the dough/butter into a rectangle.Pushed into a rectangle Roll out into a 6x15 inch rectangle.  Chunks of butter should be visible.

    Rolled out

    Fold the two ends to the center of the dough Fold number 1and then fold them together like a book.2nd fold

    Turn the pastry so the folded edge is toward your right. Folded to rightRoll out again into a 6x15 inch rectangle and fold as above. Refrigerate for 1 hour. Repeat twice more as above. Allow the dough to rest in the refrigerator  at least 3 hours or better overnight.

    Roll the dough out into a 7x11 inch rectangle. Rolled to cutCut 6 rounds out with a 3 ⅓ inch round doughnut cutter. First cutSix cut outRe-roll  the scraps into a 6 ½"x 3 ¼ inch rectangle.  Cut out two more.  Take the scraps and form them into any shape you want to use it up.  With a 1 inch cutter, cut the center out of each round.  Center hole Place on a parchment lined baking pan, cover lightly with a towel and let rise until tripled.Finished trayRisen cronutRisen Cronut 2

    Before you start frying, make sure you have all your equipment handy.  Here I have my thermometer, a large fork for turning the cornets, a paper towel lined cooling rack and sugar in which to roll the hot cronuts.Tools for deep fryingHeat ½" of oil to 350°F. Clip on a thermometer.  Thermometer at 350 degrees Place as many cronuts in the pan as will fit with room around them.  I used a small casserole and fried two at a time so I didn't have to use a lot oil.  Frying cronuts 1Frying 2Fry until golden brown on one side, about 90 seconds,Golden doughnuts in oilflip and fry on the other side another 90 seconds.  If they fry faster, the oil is too hot, if slower the oil is too cool.  It is important to keep the oil at 350°F throughout the frying.  The temperature will go up and down so you have to moniter it by raising or lowering the heat.

    Fill, glaze or roll in sugar.  You can see the layering in the uncut Layering of cornetand cut cronuts.

    Cut cornet

    I particularly love the holes.  They are so dramatic.  Holes in oilYou can see the layering when you pull one apart. Fried hole layering Yield: 8 cronuts with holes.

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    1. Shelly says

      December 05, 2024 at 7:22 pm

      It looks great, however I am confused when it comes to the sectioning into the processor the three sections of dough with the butter. Are you keeping each section once completed as it's own dough or are you putting all three individually processed components together? I does not say, and the picture shows two rolled out portions with one cut and another looking like it was next to be cut, yet their should be three sections if they were not all eventually put together. Please clarify.

      Reply
      • Helen S Fletcher says

        December 06, 2024 at 9:24 am

        Hi Shelly - that post is one of the older ones that was transferred when the site was redesigned. Unfortunately, the transfers didn't always go as intended. I saw the problem and removed one of the photos which should solve your confusion. All three portions of dough become one and are pushed together then rolled as called for.

        Reply
    2. Leah Brown says

      January 21, 2015 at 11:23 pm

      Hi Helen,
      I would call this "blitz cronuts", I think. Blitz puff pastry is done on the bench rather than in a food processor, but the results are the same - great flaky layers in a fraction of the time, yummmmm.
      Thanks! Leah

      Reply
      • hfletcher says

        January 22, 2015 at 7:56 am

        Hi Leah - What a great suggestion and title. I written and taught Blitz Croissant, Puff Pastry and Brioche and I agree they are quick and yield a great pastry in a little time. Thanks for bringing this to my attention.

        Reply
      • hfletcher says

        January 22, 2015 at 8:08 am

        Leah - I liked your suggestion so much, I just changed the title. So much better - thanks again!

        Reply
    3. kkinga says

      January 15, 2015 at 9:39 am

      Hi, I am wondering could you bake these like a croissants in the oven? They look so amazing and your recipe looks so doable. I really want to try.

      Reply
      • hfletcher says

        January 15, 2015 at 11:19 am

        I don't honestly know. I didn't try that. If you try it be sure to double pan (put the pan with the cornets on top of an empty pan) so they won't burn. My guess would be 400 degrees F for about 5 minutes to get them started then immediately turn them down to 350 degrees. Put them on a rimmed pan as I think some of the butter may leach out.

        Do let me know if you bake them. I would be very interested in the outcome. If you're not sure, just bake one or two to see what happens before committing the entire batch to the oven.

        Reply
    4. Efrain Vargas-Hernandez says

      January 15, 2015 at 8:48 am

      Great job. Thats what I like about you. There is always an easier way to make recipes usable. Thanks, I can't wait to try them and bring them to Church.

      Reply
      • hfletcher says

        January 15, 2015 at 11:14 am

        Thank you so much Efrain. I a great believer in scratch baking and cooking but I like to make it easier if possible.

        Reply
    5. manisha says

      January 15, 2015 at 5:13 am

      Hi Helen,

      The pic looks irresistible. ...I am salivating on their crunchy texture, butter flavour, rolled in sugar...YUMMMMM

      Thanx again!!!

      Reply
      • hfletcher says

        January 17, 2015 at 8:28 am

        Hi Manisha: Wish I had some now - really tired of unpacking. Wonder if I will ever get back to normal Back to work!!!

        Reply

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