Buttery Pastry Delight (Print Version)

# Ingredients:

→ Dough for cronuts

01 - 65g egg whites (about 2 eggs worth)
02 - 100g unsalted butter, softened cubes
03 - 12g kosher salt
04 - 250g bread flour
05 - 40g white sugar
06 - 250g all-purpose flour
07 - 190g milk or water
08 - 15g yeast (instant or active kind)

→ Butter layer (lamination process)

09 - 125g softened unsalted butter

→ Jam ingredients

10 - A batch of homemade strawberry jam

→ Vanilla cream filling

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

→ Strawberry coating

18 - 67g regular sugar
19 - 50g freeze-dried strawberries turned into powder

→ For frying

20 - Oil for deep-frying (canola, palm, or grapeseed work well)

# Instructions:

01 - In a stand mixer, toss in both flours, sugar, yeast (avoiding contact with salt), and salt. Pour water or milk in while mixing on low. Once everything’s mixed, pop in the butter cubes one by one. Let it knead for 5-10 minutes until the dough doesn’t stick to the mixing bowl. Stretch a bit of dough thinly (a gluten test) to check elasticity—it shouldn't tear. The ideal dough temp is around 75°F-80°F (25°C-27°C).
02 - Shape the dough into a neat ball and set it in an oiled bowl. Cover the top snugly with a damp towel or plastic wrap and leave in a warm spot for about 90 minutes or until the dough doubles in size.
03 - Press dough down gently to deflate. Shape it into an oval, fold edges in toward the center, and roll it until you've got a log with the seam on the bottom. Flatten it slightly, cover it, and freeze it for 15 minutes on each side. Move to the fridge and leave it chilled for anywhere from 1 to 12 hours.
04 - Roll your cold dough out to a large rectangle (7x22 inches). Spread butter over evenly, fold into thirds, and seal the edges. Chill it for 30 minutes. Rotate the dough 90°, roll it out again to the same size, fold into thirds and chill again. Repeat this fold-and-chill process three times total. After the last fold, refrigerate for at least an hour.
05 - Roll the dough into a rectangle measuring 16" long, 8.5" wide, and 0.5" thick. Cover it and let it chill overnight in the fridge.
06 - Toss sliced strawberries in sugar inside a cooking pot. Let them sit for 15 minutes to draw out liquid. Remove most of the liquid, keeping about 2 tablespoons. Heat on medium-low until it bubbles, stirring occasionally. Break up the berries and let it cook for about 5-7 minutes until thick. Cool it, strain out seeds if desired, and refrigerate until needed.
07 - Beat egg yolks, an egg, sugar, flour, and cornstarch together well. Boil milk and vanilla lightly in a pot. Pour about 25% of the hot milk into your egg mixture, mix, then pour everything back into the pot. Cook on medium-low for 2 minutes while stirring until thick. Put cream in a bowl, press plastic wrap directly on top, and chill before use.
08 - Cut circular shapes out of your dough using a 3.5-inch cutter, then make smaller center holes with a 1.2-inch cutter. Arrange them on a baking tray lined with silicone mats. Cover slightly and let them rise for about 90 minutes until 1.4-inch tall. Pop them in the fridge for 30 minutes so they’re easier to handle.
09 - Blend fine powdered freeze-dried strawberries with sugar in a mixing bowl.
10 - Beat chilled pastry cream to stiff peaks. Scoop into a piping bag fitted with a filling tip. Do the same for your strawberry jam in a second bag.
11 - Heat your frying oil to 375°F (190°C) in a sturdy pot. Gently fry one dough piece at a time, letting it turn golden on each side. Once done, place onto a tray lined with paper towels.
12 - Roll the freshly fried cronuts in strawberry sugar. Pipe vanilla cream into four spots on each one and top each spot with strawberry jam so it slightly overflows. Want extra flair? Add a bit more cream and fresh berry slices on top. Devour while still warm!

# Notes:

01 - The cronuts taste the best on the day they’re fried—super crunchy!
02 - You can prepare the jam and cream fillings up to 48 hours ahead.
03 - Want an easier option? Pre-made puff pastry dough works too.

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