Bakery-worthy Delight (Print Version)

# Ingredients:

→ Cronut dough

01 - 190g milk or water
02 - 250g all-purpose flour
03 - 12g kosher salt
04 - 250g bread flour
05 - 65g egg whites (roughly 2)
06 - 40g white sugar
07 - 15g instant or active yeast
08 - 100g butter, cubed, at room temperature

→ Tourage step (butter layers)

09 - 125g salted or unsalted butter, softened

→ Strawberry jam mixture

10 - A batch of strawberry jam made at home

→ Vanilla pastry cream

11 - 250g whole milk
12 - 20g (1) egg yolk
13 - 3g vanilla flavor extract or paste
14 - 50g sugar (granulated)
15 - 15g cornstarch
16 - 15g regular flour
17 - 50g (1) whole large egg

→ Strawberry sugar coat

18 - 50g freeze-dried strawberries, crushed finely
19 - 67g white sugar

→ Frying step

20 - Oil for frying (choose grapeseed, canola, or palm oil)

# Instructions:

01 - Stir together yeast, flours, sugar, and salt in a stand mixer bowl (keep salt and yeast apart). Pour in milk or water and mix slowly. Add cubes of soft butter one at a time and knead for 5-10 minutes until smooth and elastic. Stretch a small piece to check elasticity—it shouldn't tear easily. Keep dough temperature between 75-80°F (25-27°C).
02 - Roll dough into a ball and lightly coat with oil. Cover tightly and let rest in a warm place for about an hour and a half or until it doubles in size.
03 - Deflate dough by pressing gently. Shape it into a rectangle, fold edges toward the middle, then roll into a log. Set this on a tray, cover and chill in the freezer for 15 minutes per side. Move to fridge for at least 1 hour (or keep up to 12 hours).
04 - Roll your cooled dough into a long rectangle about 7'' by 22''. Spread butter evenly across the surface, then fold into thirds like a paper letter. Chill 30 minutes to firm it up. Repeat the rolling and folding two more times, chilling 30 minutes between each turn. After the third turn, let dough rest in the fridge for an hour.
05 - Flatten the dough into a rectangle measuring about 16 inches long, 8.5 inches wide, and half an inch thick. Cover and let it rest in the fridge overnight.
06 - Toss sliced strawberries with sugar in a small saucepan and let them macerate for 15 minutes to draw out liquid. Drain, leaving just a little liquid. Heat on medium-low, stir until bubbling, smash fruit with a spoon, and cook 5-7 minutes until it thickens. Cool and strain if needed to remove seeds.
07 - Whisk the sugar, yolks, egg, flour, and cornstarch until smooth. Warm the milk and vanilla until just boiling. Pour a small amount of hot milk into the egg mixture, whisking fast, then transfer everything back to the pot, stirring constantly. Cook on medium-low for a couple of minutes until it thickens. Cover surface with plastic wrap and cool.
08 - Use a circular cutter (3.5 inches) to make 8 rounds from the dough. Make smaller center holes with a 1.2-inch cutter. Place on mats, cover loosely, and proof for roughly 90 minutes until they've puffed up to about 1.4 inches tall. Chill them for half an hour before frying for easier handling.
09 - In a large bowl, stir together crushed strawberries and the granulated sugar until fully combined.
10 - Whisk the cold pastry cream until it's stiff. Load it into a piping bag with a long tip (Bismarck tip). Fill a second bag equipped with a tip for the jam.
11 - Heat frying oil in a pot to about 375°F (190°C). Carefully lower dough pieces one at a time into the oil. Fry each side for a few minutes until golden. Cool on a tray lined with paper towels.
12 - Once slightly warm, roll fried cronuts in the strawberry sugar. Pipe filling in four spots and top each with strawberry jam so it pools. Add extra pastry cream or sliced berries on top if you'd like. Devour while fresh!

# Notes:

01 - These are crunchiest when eaten the same day you make them.
02 - Cream filling and jam stay fresh for 2 days, so make them ahead!
03 - Skip homemade dough by using frozen puff pastry if you prefer.

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