Wednesday 18 September 2013

Crouu-doughnuts | Kronuts - Baking Partner Challenge #14



 You know what is the latest sensation in the pastry or bakery world?? It's none other than the 'Cronut™' which is one of the most viral desserts of all time ! Developed by chef Dominique Ansel for Dominique Ansel Bakery in New York City & launched in May 2013, this dessert has fans all over the world & the imitation versions are being tried all over US & Australia. So what is this dessert actually? You can say in simple words that it is a hybrid of a croissant & donut, but let's listen to what the inventor says about the delicacy (from the Dominique Ansel Bakery website)


Taking 2 months and more than 10 recipes, Chef Dominique Ansel’s creation is not to be mistaken as simply croissant dough that has been fried. Made with a laminated dough which has been likened to a croissant (but uses a proprietary recipe), the Cronut™ is first proofed and then fried in grapeseed oil at a specific temperature. Once cooked, each Cronut™ is flavored in three ways: 1. rolled in sugar; 2. filled with cream; and 3. topped with glaze. Cronuts™ are made fresh daily, and completely done in house. The entire process takes up to 3 days.


So when Swathi decided to challenge us with making Kronuts this month, I was very excited. Since I could not get to eat this delicacy from any bakeries here, I wanted to make it at home & see how it tastes :) I must admit it is a long process & has a lot of work to do, but it was fun learning something new & getting to see the end result. I would never dare to say that I nailed it. There were a lot of hiccups like wet dough & oozy butter & separated layers while frying. But each failure taught me something new, thanks to the guidance of Swathi, Archana, Suja (whose notes on the method helped me) & my fellow bakers :) And I know that next time, I would definitely make a better one :) 


So this is what I treated myself to, frying & eating kronuts when I turned a year older again yesterday ;) So let's see how it is made, do not get scared seeing the long steps & process & also do not omit reading any line, coz the tips & precautions are also listed along with the method :D Taste wise, they were great, crispy & flaky, but I did not use any filling or glaze to make them soft. And also I baked a few to see how it would turn out, but they were nowhere near the fried ones. They could not retain the shape & were falling apart & was also soft & tasted very doughy. So it is best to fry them to enjoy them :D






Recipe Source: Bootleg Cronut

I Took: 3 days/3-4 hours

Makes: 16 kronuts


I Used:


For Dough
All purpose flour - 510 gm | 3.75 cups
Salt - 7 gm | 1 tsp
Sugar - 100 gm | ½ cup
Milk - 150 gm | ½ cup+2 tbsp
Yeast - 2 ¼ tsp
Eggs - 2 jumbo | 3 large
Unsalted Butter - 50 gm | 3.5 tbsp

For Butter Layer
Butter - 295 gm | 1 ¼ cup+ ½ tbsp

For Frying
Canola Oil - 2-4 cups
Water - 200 gm
Cinnamon Sugar - 400 gm sugar + 100 gm cinnamon


The Way:


Day 1: Prep the dough
  1. Take out butter & eggs from the refrigerator half an hour before the dough preparation. This is to allow them to reach room temperature
  2. Prep-ing the yeast                                                                                                                                                                            Fresh Yeast  - Mix with milk (at room temperature) beforehand to activate the yeast                                                                    Active Yeast - Heat half milk to lukewarm (around 110F / 43C) & add yeast. Set aside for 5-7 minutes to proof
  3. Heat milk in microwave for about 30 seconds & add butter to it. This is for butter to melt easily. Keep aside
  4. Combine all the dry ingredients - flour, sugar, salt & instant yeast (if using) in a bowl of a stand mixer
  5. Add the butter-milk mixture to the dry ingredients. Add yeast (if not instant) & eggs
  6. Mix on low speed for 3 minutes or until everything is incorporated. Mix on high speed for another 8 minutes. If kneading by hand, as I did, knead well for about 10-15 minutes until you get a smooth shiny dough ! Do not over knead the dough
  7. Remove the dough & tuck under edges to form a ball. Grease a bowl with oil or cooking spray & place the dough in the bowl with seams down. Cut a cross across the top of the dough with a knife to help the dough relax
  8. Cover the bowl tightly with clear plastic wrap & make sure it is not in contact with the dough. Place the dough in a warm area & allow it to double in size, which would take about 60 minutes
  9. Once the dough has proofed to double, refrigerate it overnight

Day 2: Incorporating butter to dough

Prepping butter
  1. Cut the cold butter lengthwise into ½ inch thick slabs. Arrange the slabs on a piece of parchment/waxed paper to form a 5 or 6 inch square, cutting the butter crosswise as necessary to fit. Cover it with another piece of parchment paper
  2. Using a rolling pin, pound the butter with light even strokes. As the pieces begin to adhere, use more force
  3. Pound them until it's about a 4x6 inch rectangle. Then trim the edges & place the trimmings on top of the rectangle & pound again lightly. When done, place the butter in refrigerator for 2 hours
  4. Do not over work with butter. If the butter starts to leak, try to put it back in the refrigerator
Laminating the dough
  1. Unwrap & place the dough on a lightly floured work surface. Roll into a 10 inch square. Brush excess flour off the dough
  2. Unwrap & place the butter at the centre of the rolled dough square
  3. Fold one flap of the dough over the butter, stretching it slightly that the flap just reaches the centre of the butter. Repeat the same with the 3 other flaps to form an envelope
  4. Press the edges together to completely seal the butter inside the dough
First turn
  1. Lightly flour the top & bottom of the dough. With a rolling pin, firmly press the dough to elongate it slightly & then start rolling to lengthen the dough and keep the edges straight
  2. Now turn the dough so that the shorter end faces you. Roll again to expand the length of the dough. Make sure the dough does not stick to the work surface. Add flour if needed
  3. When the rolling yield you a rectangle of 21x9 inches, mark the rectangle into 3 equal columns. Fold the right third of the rectangle into the centre third. Fold the left third of the rectangle into the centre third like a business letter. This is the first turn
Second Turn
  1. Try to do this right away after the first turn, but if the dough is too warm, wrap in film (aluminium foil) & place in refrigerator
  2. Repeat rolling just like the First Turn and make sure to lock the unsealed edges of the dough & roll over the dough to form a rectangular shape
  3. Again, as in first turn, mark the rectangle into 3 equal columns. Fold the right third of the rectangle into the centre third. Fold the left third of the rectangle into the centre third
  4. Marking the dough allows you to track your progress, and ensure that the orientation of the dough is correct when you remove it from the refrigerator
  5. Cover the dough in parchment paper & refrigerate for at least an hour
Third Turn
  1. The dough will be hard, so gently pound the dough to warm the butter. If it is too cold the butter will separate and not spread as it should
  2. Repeat the previous steps, and turn again, marking the corner with three fingerprints
  3. Cover dough with parchment paper and plastic wrap and refrigerate for 1 hour
Fourth Turn

Make the final turn, repeating the steps from turns 1-3. Refrigerate overnight


Day 3 - Kronuts frying day:

Rolling out the dough

  1. Lightly dust a work surface with flour and roll out the dough to approximately the size of a sheet pan, ½ inch thick
  2. The dough should stay cold, without sticking to the surface. If it starts to stick, place in the refrigerator and roll again when cool
  3. Transfer to a sheet pan with parchment paper and chill before use
Punching out Kronuts
  1. Prepare a sheet pan with parchment paper & greased with oil  
  2. Remove dough from fridge and take two ring moulds, with the larger mould around 3½ inch and inner around 1½ inch 
  3. Make sure that the dough is really cold while you punch out the holes. Or else the kronuts will not fry straight
  4. Transfer the punched kronuts to the sheet pan, leaving enough space between them to allow them to proof. Brush the top of the kronuts with water and set aside  
  5. Leave in a warm area until they have proofed which would take about 30 min
  6. Once it is proofed keep it in the refrigerator for 1 hour or in the freezer for 15 minutes before frying
Frying the Kronuts
  1. Heat canola oil in a pot over medium temperature. about 3 inches high
  2. Once the oil is ready for deep frying, turn heat to low and place Kronuts in oil to fry (1-2 at a time to avoid overcrowding) 
  3. Turn and flip the kronuts often so that they brown evenly. Fry them in a low temperature otherwise outside become too dark soon and also the inside will not cook properly. Also if the temperature is very low, the layers would start to separate out in the oil & you would not get a full kronut
  4. Once golden brown throughout, remove from oil and strain them on paper towels
    Once it is no longer shiny transfer to a container with sugar and cinnamon and toss. Enjoy with some icing sugar dusting or with a glaze of your choice.

    Notes:

    • Eat them immediately as they have a short shelf life 
    • Do not refrigerate them as the humidity from the refrigerator will cause them to go stale and soggy 
    • If filled with cream or glazing, avoid serving them warm

    Cheers,
    Chitz

    51 comments:

    1. wat a luvly texture.... i think i shud defenitely try this
      Ongoing Event-Back 2 School

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    2. Wow, I am just speechless dear, wonderfully baked and love the beautiful layers...

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    3. is there any shortcut ,can we use pastry dough.it looks so incredible.

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    4. I tired this sometime back but was disaster. My Yeast was dead. You have done it perfectly..:-)

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    5. Simply amazing technic and very trilling to see. Definitely Its 100% perfect but for me, just look and admire. I don't think I dare put my hands into it.

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    6. the first pic is amazing... love the layers... so u fed urself with calories on ur special day, yeah... not bad!!! ;)

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    7. U have made it very well. feel like tasting it ;)

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    8. Made with so much perfection.love the layers

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    9. Omg, they looks absolutely incredible, very flaky and delicious.

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    10. Very tempting and perfectly made kronuts Chitz.. Feel like biting them :-)

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    11. Omg perfectly made Kronuts dear looks fabulous and delicious .. so flaxy texture :) love the first pic a lot !!

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    12. Beautiful you made it very well. love it.

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    13. need more patience to bake this,three days too long.u have done it excellent,i admire ur shots more

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    14. looks so Fabulous and delicious...

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    15. Looks divine...Loved the texture and the clicks....perfect all the way! great job dear :)

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    16. I've been debating on whether I should try a cronut or not and your lovely photographs are pushing me in the direction of yes, I need to!

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    17. Perfectly done kronuts.. Looks inviting and delicious .. Great job..

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    18. very yummy luking kronuts n well expalnied...nice post..

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    19. OMG...that has puffed up so crisp and sweet...yummy delights that cannot be stopped by one...loving these and you have made to perfection

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    20. It is beautiful Chitz, flaky and perfectly made.

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    21. wow that looks perfect!!! the layers have come out beautifully and I can feel the crunch just by looking at your pics...you have nailed it!! :)

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    22. wow that looks perfect!!! the layers have come out beautifully and I can feel the crunch just by looking at your pics...you have nailed it!! :)

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    23. Amazing Chitz, great work! Layers have come out well

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    24. Kronuts look amazing! Perfectly done.

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    25. Perfectly made Kronuts with beautiful layers.......with beautifull snaps....Itz really awesome :)

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    26. Kudos for making kronuts with so much of patience. Thye look wonderful!

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    27. Beautifully made. Tempting me to eat this now

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    28. Beautifully made. Tempting me to eat this now

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    29. this looks simply amazing ! clicks are wonderful too ! I wouldn't dare try something this complicated !

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    30. Chitra ,u mailed it perfectly.the layers are so visible.lovely.

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    31. 3 days to make and finally only 4 kronuts !!:) Just kidding love the layers and the pics good job dear.

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    32. wow!good job!they look so delicious!
      You have much patience to try these...

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    33. such a lengthy procedure..I should appreciate your patience towards baking..great job..kronuts looks yum..yum..

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    34. Great recipe and great work. Loved the step by step procedure.

      Aysha

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    35. Una realización perfecta se ve muy rico y tentador,abrazos.

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    36. perfectly done and well captured dear...

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    37. with such adorable clicks,process and results we can't wait to try out these kronuts...they have come out perfectly clean and look adorable...Bravo!! on making them so beautiful :-)

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    38. Just mouthwatering...looks delicious!

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    39. First Happy Birthday! Thanks for teh mention. And the kronuts are amazingly beautiful. They were hard work were they not but once done my sense of achievement was Milehigh and the appreciation my family gave ws amazing. and mine were no where close to what you have made.

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    40. Hi Chitz,

      I just saw Amrita making her kronuts... You gals at the baking partner challenge are so amazing making these difficult treats!

      Zoe

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    41. Love that second click - It is perfect! Seems to be a lot of work though - I'd rather watch you doing it ;)

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    42. That sectional view says it all. So puffy and light (and yummy)

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    43. Wow, looks great, really worth a try seems, mouthwatering now!

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    44. Superb Loved this recipe of layers....awesome

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    Thank you for stopping by !! I am really happy that you take time to let me know how you feel :-)