Kronuts

Kronut is the newest entry in the world of confection. Created by Chef Dominique Ansel in New York city, this pastry has went viral with people literally lining up in front of the shop. Dominique Ansel Bakery is the only place that sells the Cronut™, a specific product that is not to be confused with just any other croissant-doughnut hybrid. The Cronut™ brand and product is trademarked by Dominique Ansel Bakery both in the US and internationally. It took him 2 months and over 10 recipes to create this unique pastry which was introduced in May 2013. Made fresh everyday as it has a short shelf life, there is only one flavour every month.

We at Baking Partner's were challenged to make this amazing pastry by the creator of this group Swathi. Needless to mention most of us were very intimidated with its 3 day long process. The doughnut dough needs to be made on day 1, butter incorporated into dough (as in croissants) on day 2 and finally fried on day 3. It took me the whole month to gather courage to start with it and the hot and humid weather of Kolkata made things more difficult for me. The lamination of butter into the dough is the most important step as it will give the pastry its layered look. For me, because of the weather, the butter kept leaking from the dough which in turn made it difficult to roll and fold. Nevertheless, I tried and got an amazing bunch of kronuts. They were chewy inside with a slight crunch outside. 

This post is also for the monthy sweet entry in my 'Sweet day' list cherishing the ultra sweet presence of our daughter Vaanya.

Recipe adapted from BootLeg cronut

Ingredients : I reduced the recipe to 1/3 and used 3/4 of the dough to make 5 kronuts. I freezed the leftover 1/4 dough.

• 1 cup all purpose flour
• 1/3 tsp salt
• 3 tbsp sugar, powdered
• 3 tbsp milk
• 3/4 tsp instant yeast
• 1 egg, beaten
• 1 tbsp unsalted butter 
• 1/4 cup + 3 tbsp unsalted butter, cold (for incorporating in the dough)
• oil for frying
• 1/4 cup dark chocolate, chopped
• 1 tbsp cream  

Procedure:

Day 1(start in the evening)

Combine flour, salt, sugar and yeast in a bowl.

Heat milk in the microwave for 30 seconds and add 1 tbsp butter. Mix till butter melts.

Add milk to the flour mixture and mix.

Add spoonfuls of the beaten egg till the mixture comes together. (Too much egg will make the dough very sticky and difficult to knead) 

Knead for 10 minutes and form the dough into a ball.

Keep in a well oiled bowl and turn to coat all sides.

Cover the dough with a damp muslin cloth and allow

to double in size for an hour and then refrigerate overnight.

Day 2

Take a piece of butter paper and mark 3" square. Cut the butter and place to fit on the marked area. Top with another piece of butter paper and pound the butter lightly with a rolling pin. Trim edges, if required. Refrigerate for 2 hours.

Roll the overnight refrigerated dough on a lightly floured surface roughly to 5x8" rectangle. 

Remove cold butter and place on the rolled dough.

 

Turn the dough to face the length and fold the dough over the butter.

 Repeat with the other sides.

1st turn  Lightly flour the top and bottom of dough and firmly roll to make it into a rectangle roughly 10X6"

 Fold the top 1/3  onto the dough.

  Now fold the bottom 1/3 over it.

Cover dough with a plastic wrap and refrigerate for an hour.

Repeat this step 3 more times with an hour of refrigeration after each rolling and folding. 

After the 4th turn, refrigerate the dough overnight wrapped in a plastic wrap.

(If the butter leaks while rolling, put it in the freezer for 5 mins and roll again.)

Day 3

Roll the dough to 1/2" thickness and cut a 3" outer circle and a 1" inner circle. Remember to punch while the dough is cold.

I made 5 such shapes and kept the leftover dough in the freezer. 

 

Place them on a lined baking sheet and allow to rest for 30 minutes by covering with a damp muslin cloth to prevent drying up.

 

Keep them in the fridge for an hour or in the freezer for 15 minutes before frying.

Heat oil and fry one by one on low heat till they brown well. Drain on an absorbent paper and cool.

You may toss them in cinnamon-sugar mixture (1:4) or dip in a chocolate glaze. 

Take chopped chocolate in a micro-oven proof bowl and melt it at 15 seconds interval for a minute. Keep checking in between to prevent burning.

Add 1 tbsp of hot cream and mix well. 

Dip each Kronut in the glaze and leave to cool.

Enjoyed best the same day as they have short shelf life. 

Happy Kronut Eating

Amrita