Hot Cross Buns � Mother Goose Would Love These

Pretty much all I know about hot cross buns, I learned from the nursery rhyme, but thanks to a recipe I found on Anson Mills, I was still able to make a fairly decent batch. Including real crosses, not to be confused with dinner rolls on which an icing cross has been piped.

In addition to its eye-catching appearance, the dough-based �cross� provides an interesting textual contrast, as it gets sort of chewy, and crispy edged.

Like I said in the video, any sweet dough will work with this easy technique, especially rich, and fragrant examples, like our Italian Easter Bread dough. Times may vary, but regardless of the dough, simply wait for the dough to double in size, and proceed.

If you want to get all your buns the same size, weight your dough in grams before dividing, and then divide by 16. Then, weight each of your dough balls to that exact amount, and boom, your tray of buns will look like the ones you saw on that magazine cover. Or, just eyeball it and take your chances. Either way, I really hope you give this a try soon. Enjoy!

Ingredients for 15 or 16 Hot Cross Buns:

Recipe slightly adapted from this one from Anson Mills

1/4 cup currants, soaked in hot rum for an hour or two

3/4 cup milk warmed to 100 F.

1 package dry active yeast

1 tablespoon each orange and lemon zest

7 tablespoons melted butter

1/4 cup plus 1 tablespoon sugar

1 large egg, beaten

1/2 teaspoon ground cardamom

1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg

3/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1/2 teaspoon fine salt

3 cups bread *flour, plus more if needed

* hold back a little of the flour until you sure you need it. You can always add, but can�t remove!

For the crosses:

1/4 cup water

1/3 cup all-purpose flour, plus more to make a thin, pipe-able dough

- Bake at 425 F. for about 15 minutes

For the glaze:

1/4 cup sugar

3 tablespoons water

- Cook syrup to 225 F., and brush over warm

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Irish Cheddar Spring Onion Biscuits - They Only Sound Irish

I�ve received many food wishes for cheddar biscuits over the years, which I used to think was odd, until I learned about a certain version served in America�s most famous chain of lobster restaurants. I eventually got to try this casual dining delicacy, and while it really wasn�t that bad, it wasn�t great either, and I pledged to take the idea, and create a new and improved cheddar biscuit. That was like five years ago.

So, why all of a sudden the newfound interest? Two simple reasons. First, I had some gorgeous Irish cheddar in the fridge. Secondly, it�s almost St. Patrick�s Day, and the search engines demand something Irish, or at least something that sounds Irish. So, I combined those two facts, and decided it was time to make cheddar biscuits that would rival those at the aforementioned crustacean sensation. I know, a very high bar.

All kidding aside, these really did come out quite well, and I think that�s because we didn�t just mix the cheese into the dough. By layering and folding the cheese in, a la puff pastry, we get all the cheesy flavor, without making the biscuit too dense. Sure takes a few extra minutes, but I thought it was worth the effort. So, whether you�re going to make these for St. Patrick�s Day, or not, I really do hope you give them a try soon. Enjoy!

Ingredients for 12 Irish Cheddar Spring Onion Biscuits:

*2 cups self-rising flour, plus more if needed

1/4 teaspoon baking soda
7 tablespoons very cold butter

3/4 cup buttermilk

1/2 cup shredded Irish cheddar, or other sharp cheddar cheese

1/4 cup sliced green onions (I used mostly the tender, light green parts)

-Bake at 400 F. for about 20 minutes

* To make your own self-rising flour for this recipe, sift together 2 cups all-purpose flour, 2 teaspoons baking powder, and 1 teaspoon fine salt.

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Cuban Bread � Commence Operation Cubano Sandwich

I didn�t think I liked Cuban sandwiches, and even went so far as to publicly call them overrated, but it turns out I was eating them on the wrong bread. 

You can�t just use any old sandwich roll, and this fact was lost on me until I had one on the real deal. Shortly after finishing, I recanted every negative comment I�d previously made.

By the way, if you�ve never heard of a Cuban sandwich, stay tuned, because that will be the star of our next video. If you want to get a head start, besides practicing the bread, you�ll need some type of roasted, or pulled pork; and I�m happy to report we have many recipes that would work, including our famous paper pork, pulled pork, or carnitas.

One thing that makes this bread unique, besides the addition of lard, is the double-hit of yeast. We use dry yeast to start the dough, as usual, but also add a starter that we let ferment overnight. I assume that�s to provide a little extra flavor, as well as a some additional lift, but I didn�t want to do too much research, since I do enjoy a little mystery with these types of things.

Traditionally, some of the starter is saved, with a little fresh water and flour added, and kept in the fridge to make more bread. Not a bad idea, otherwise you can probably just add all of it to the dough. You�ll probably need a bit more flour, but as I stressed in the video, we�re going to be feeling for that anyway. So, stay tuned for the Cubano sandwich video, and in the meantime, I really hope you givethis bread a try soon. Enjoy!

For the starter:

1/2 cup warm water

1/2 cup flour

1/2 teaspoon dry active yeast

- mix well and refrigerate overnight

For the dough:

1 package active dry yeast
2 teaspoons sugar
3/4 cup warm water

- mix and let stand 15 minutes

- add starter from day before (reserve 1/4 cup if you want to keep your starter going), plus:

3 tablespoons lard
2 teaspoons fine salt

about 3 cups flour, or as needed (I used 1 1/2 cup all-purpose flour

and 1 1/2 cups bread flour)
water to spray tops of loaves

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Coconut Cream French Toast � It Only Sounds Like Pie

I try not to do recipe names that sound way better than they taste, but I went with coconut cream French toast anyway. I didn�t think �coconut French toast� did this justice, and while certainly not pie-like, the flavor profile was kind of close, and I was very pleased with the results.

I was debating whether to coat the soaked bread with raw coconut, and toast it while the slices were frying in the butter, but decided it would be smarter to do it separately. That way we get perfect golden-brown flakes, without having to risk it getting too dark in the pan.

By the way, I can� t stress how important it is to not use fresh bread. The drier the bread, the better the French toast, since you�ll be absorbing the maximum amount of our creamy coconut batter. So, the next time you have half a loaf of bread leftover from a dinner, slice it up, and leave it out overnight to dry.

If you want to cheat, you can lightly toast fresh bread beforehand, which, after cooling, will sort of simulate stale bread. Either way, I really hope you give this coconut cream French toast recipe a try soon. Enjoy!

Ingredients for two portions of 3 half-slices of bread:

3 thick slices very stale French or Italian bread (cut in half to make 6 pieces)

1 large egg

1 large egg yolk

1/3 cup coconut milk (do not use low-fat)

1 teaspoon sugar

1/4 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

pinch freshly grated nutmeg

3 tablespoons butter for frying

2 tablespoons toasted coconut flakes

maple syrup, fresh mango, and lime to garnish

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How to Make Fancy Crackers � Also Know as Crispy Rosemary Sea Salt Flatbreads

Making your own �fancy� crackers at home is a fairly basic operation, and not only will they be less expensive, but you can customize them anyway you want. Whether those reasons are good enough is for you to decide, but if they are, your efforts will be rewarded� with crackers just as good as the ones from the store.

As I mentioned in the video, there are two types of �crackers;� the crispy, delicate, flaky, biscuit-style; and the flatbread-style we�re making here. These are much more like a fried pita chip, than a saltine, which is perfect for pairing with cheese. There�s nothing worse than trying to cheese a too-brittle cracker, three drinks in, and having it explode in your hand.

The recipe and technique are very simple, but please pay attention to your baking time. My �12-15 minutes,� is just a rough guess, and it will depend on the thickness of your dough. I would start checking at 10 minutes, and go from there. Other than that, not much can go wrong. With prime cheese and cracker season upon us, I really hope you give these a try soon. Enjoy!

Ingredients for about 48-60 crackers, depending on the size

1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour

1 teaspoon sugar

1 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt

3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

1/2 cup cold water

1/2 cup freshly grated Parmigiano-Reggiano

1 tablespoon minced fresh rosemary

- Bake at 400 F. for 12-15 minutes, or until browned and crisp.

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Pizza Dough Pretzels or Bavarian Bagels?

When you�re shopping, and get a sudden craving for homemade soft pretzels, there�s not a lot you can do to satisfy that yearning immediately. Sure, you can set some dough when you get home, and wait for it to rise, but by the time that�s done, how do you even know your still going to want pretzels?

Well, the solution to this probably not very common problem is store-bought pizza dough. While I don�t necessarily recommend it for making world-class pizza, if you�re willing to eat something that looks like a bagel, it works very well for making pretzels.

By the way, if you�re wondering exactly, specifically, and precisely what the difference is between bagels and pretzels, I�m not sure I�m the one to ask. I believe the doughs are slightly different, as well as the solution they�re boiled in, but above and beyond that, you should hit the search engines up for more details.

Normally, I would�ve done that before writing the post, but did I mention the pretzels and beer? Like I said in the video, if you do want to make your own pretzel dough, go for it, since the technique will work the same no matter where you�re dough comes from. Regardless of what you use, I really hope you give these a try soon. Enjoy!

Ingredients for 6 homemade soft pretzels:

1 pound prepared pizza dough, plus all-purpose flour as needed, divided into six balls

6 cups water

1/3 cup baking soda

coarse salt

- Bake at 400 F. for about 20 minutes, or until beautifully browned, and stretch marks have formed. Exact times will depend the specific size and shape of your pretzel.

- Tip:  if you�re making rings, be sure to stretch them out, so your pretzels are not too thick. You don�t want them any fatter than I made, otherwise they become too bready. Larger, thinner dough rings we�ll give you a chewier pretzel, closer to the ones you get at the mall.

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Salami Bread � Fourteen Inches of Delicious Pizza-Related Serendipity

What started out as a frustrating attempt to test some pizza dough, turned into what we�re calling salami bread. This 14-inch long loaf of delicious serendipity was a revelation, and I didn�t even get to use it for it�s most obvious purpose�to make the world�s greatest Italian submarine sandwich.

As I mention in the video, I�m not even sure I�d do a meat sub with this, but instead may just load it up with lots of Italian cheeses, as well as fresh and pickled vegetables. Then I�d find a picnic, where I could sit back to soak in the sun, and the compliments.

There are hundreds of possible variations, so that�s going to be your homework. Why wait until the unlikely scenario of having pizza dough, but no toppings? Let�s be proactive. But no matter how you roll, and I really do hope you give this a try soon. Enjoy!

Ingredients for one salami bread:

12 to 16 ounce ball of pre-made pizza dough

8-10 slices salami or other similar meat

1/4 cup tomato sauce, or other crushed tomato product

freshly grated Parmigiano-Reggiano to cover

scattering of freshly chopped herbs, to taste

olive oil, as needed

- Bake at 400 F. for 25 to 30 minutes until browned and cooked through.

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Whole Wheat Ciabatta � Not Bad, Which is Great!

I�ve never had much of a taste for whole wheat bread, which is not surprising if you grew up during the Wonder Bread years. Whole wheat flour is significantly stronger tasting, and its earthy, bitter aftertaste is the reason white flour is the much preferred choice for, well, everything.

Besides the taste, it�s also a little harder to work with, and fairly easy to turn out something with a density that would make a brick blush. But, thanks to many years of requests, I decided to give the old no-knead ciabatta a higher-fiber makeover. Since I don�t have much whole wheat baking experience, I did what any good chef would do�I didn�t do any research, and just tried to figure it out.

I was quite happy with the taste and texture, and going 50/50 with the all-purpose flour provided just enough of that crusty, chewy �normal� bread experience, and we still get a decent amount of whole grain.

The procedure is straightforward, but as I point out in the video, pay attention to when you start. I recommend doing the sponge in the afternoon, mixing the dough at night, and baking it in the morning. Speaking of which, be sure to dust your dough with flour before covering. I didn�t, and had a little sticking problem.

I know many of you have made and enjoyed the traditional ciabatta bread we posted, so I�m looking forward to hearing from those of you who give this whole wheat version a try. Please let me know, and as always, enjoy!

Ingredients:

For the sponge:

1 cup tepid water

1/4 tsp dry active yeast

1 oz (1/4 cup) rye flour (you can sub wheat flour)

2.25 oz (about 1/2 cup) all-purpose flour

2.25 oz (about 1/2 cup) whole wheat flour

let sit until very bubbly, about 5 hours

Then add:

1/2 cup room temp water

1 3/4 tsp fine salt

1 1/2 tsp honey

1 tbsp polenta

1 tbsp ground flax seed

2 tbsp shelled sunflower seeds

4.5 oz (about 1 cup) all-purpose flour

4.5 oz (about 1 cup) whole wheat flour
-Bake at 450 F. for 30-35 minutes

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Focaccia di Recco � Treating Myself

When I treat myself to a personal �food wish,� it�s usually something I�ve eaten out and become obsessed over, and this episode is a classic case. There�s a Ligurian restaurant called Farina near us, and I�ve become a full-blown focaccia di Recco stalker. 

After watching them make it in front of me so many times, I had to give it a try. It doesn�t look like the focaccia most of us are used to, but come to find out, �focaccia� simply means any flatbread cooked in a hearth, and varies region to region.

This particular example hails from Recco, and is nothing more than some Stracchino cheese trapped in between two, super-thin layers of dough. The dough is nothing more than flour, water, olive oil, and salt; but thanks to a very hot oven, and this probably ancient technique, some serious flatbread magic happens.

As I confess in the video, I was scared to use too much cheese, but I�ll use more next time. At Farina, you can see a thin layer of the molten Stracchino oozing out between the layers. My Crescenza cheesewas basically absorbed, but while you couldn�t see it, you could certainly taste it, and it was amazing.

The obvious question is, can you add other fillings to this? Yes, but don�t. It�s perfect�as long as you find the cheese. Please, find the cheese (no substitutions will be offered #toughlove). 

 By the way, I�m officially recommending the quarter sheet pan seen herein, which is what they use in the restaurant, but I think a round tart pan would work as well. In fact, from what I see online, the round pan seems to be the standard. I can�t wait to try this again, and sincerely hope you give it go as well. Enjoy!

Ingredients for 2 small or 1 large Focaccia di Recco (Tip for first timers: Make a double batch of dough so you have plenty to work with!)

*2 cups all-purpose flour (9.5 by weight)

1/2 cup plus 2 tbsp water           

1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil

3/4 tsp fine salt

*use enough flour to form a soft, but not too sticky dough. Knead for about 5-6 minutes to from a smooth, elastic dough. Let rest 1 hour at room temp.

12 oz Crescenza or Stracchino cheese (6 oz for each focaccia) 
extra virgin olive oil and sea salt, to taste for the top

Bake at 500 degrees F.for about 6-7 minutes, or until well-browned

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Cream Biscuits � The Best Biscuit to Risk It

Every year, you dream about putting out fresh, homemade biscuits on the holiday table; but fear of failure, and the convenience of those popping fresh tubes, makes it nothing more than an annual fantasy. Then, you found out about these cream biscuits.

Instead of cutting butter into the flour, we�re using butterfat-laced heavy cream, which not only makes the recipe fast and easy, but also produces a biscuit that�s light, moist, and flaky. To that end, try and get some self-rising flour. You can make your own (see below), but for whatever reason, the pre-mixed stuff seems to work better. 

As far as cutting goes, I don�t like to roll the dough too thin just to get more cuts. I do it about 5/8-inch thick, cut six nice biscuits, and then use the trimmings to get 4 or 5 more. You can get 12, but that depends on the exact size of your cutter. The nice thing about this dough is that re-rolling doesn�t seem to damage the texture.

If you do decide to raise your biscuit game this holiday season, maybe think about adding some chopped rosemary or sage to the melted butter. That would add some extra aromatic savoriness, not to mention make your kitchen smell really good. I hope you give these easy cream biscuits a try soon. Enjoy!

Ingredients for 10-12 Cream Biscuits:

2 cups self-rising flour (You can make you own by sifting together 2 cups of all-purpose flour with 1 tablespoon baking powder, and 1 teaspoon fine salt)

1 tbsp sugar

1 1/2 cups heavy cream
2-3 tbsp melted butter
Bake at 500 F. for 10 to 12 minutes, or until well-browned

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Farinata � Why Didn�t You Wish for This Sooner!

The third best part of this job, after the fame and fortune, is learning about unique, new foods; and this farinata video is a perfect example! Until it was requested by a Vlad Kiperman (if that is his real name), I had no idea this tasty, and dead simple recipe even existed. It�s so good, I�m kind of sad the discovery came so late in life.

Farinata is nothing more than a simple garbanzo bean flour batter, which is spiked with olive oil and salt, and baked in a very hot oven. The surface gets crusty, the edges get crispy, and yet the inside stays moist and sort of creamy. The texture is easy to explain, but the taste, not so much.

This is so simple and subtly flavored that it�s a kind of hard to describe. You may be familiar with the taste of garbanzo (aka chickpeas) in things like hummus and falafel, but here it�s not combined with other strongly flavored ingredients, and so you�re getting pure, un-cut bean. It�s going to be easier for me if you just make it and taste for yourself.

Like I said in the video, if you�ve never made this before, you should probably try a plain version to get an idea of what this stuff is all about, but after that, the sky's the limit. The options for add-ons to the batter, as well as potential toppings are virtually limitless. I hope you give this a try soon. Enjoy!

Pan Note: I know many will ask, so I�ll just say it now; yes, you can use any oven-safe 10-inch pan to make this, but I have a tough time believing it will come out as wonderfully textured as it would if you use a cast-iron skillet. Putting the batter into a smoking hot pan seems to be one of the big keys here.

Ingredients for 6 portions (one 10-inch cast iron pan):

2 cups lukewarm water

1 1/2 cups garbanzo bean flour (aka chickpea flour)

1 1/2 tsp kosher salt (about 1 tsp fine table salt)

1/2 tsp finely minced rosemary leaves, optional

5 tbsp olive oil, divided (use 3 tablespoons for the batter, and 2 tablespoons for the pan)

freshly ground black pepper to taste

Gluten-Free and Loving It

By the way, since this is made from a legume-based flour, farinata is 100% gluten-free, which should make a small, but very passionate group of foodwishers happy. My usually modus operandi when it comes to such requests and questions is a referral to Allrecipe.com�s impressive, and extensive gluten-free recipe collection, or one of my many talented GF food blogger friends. 

Speaking of which, Shauna and Danny from Gluten-Free Girl (the Beyonce and Jay-Z of GF bloggers), have a new cookbook out called, Gluten-Free Girl Every Day. If you happen to swing that way, check it out. The recipes sound wonderful, the photos are gorgeous, and the book�s getting rave reviews.

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Building a Bigger Baguette

People are asking if you can make larger loaves, and the answer is a definite yes. Here you see a batch of dough made into two larger baguettes, which took about 20 minutes to bake, I think. I should have timed it for you, but I was mesmerized by their beauty as I kept peeking to see if they were done, and never checked the clock. It's hardly my fault.

You can also make one giant loaf, but may want to reduce the temperature to 450 F., since the baking time is going to be longer, maybe 35-40 minutes or so. By the way, you can always test with a thermometer, and pull the bread at an internal temperature of 190-200 F. Enjoy!

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Perfect French Baguette at Home � Only Impossible If You Don�t Try It

Whenever someone asked me why I hadn�t done a baguette video yet, I�d tell them because you just can�t recreate an authentic loaf of French bread at home. 

I�d explain about the water, the flour, the centuries old starters, and the steam-injected ovens. I told them what I�d been told; that it was simply impossible, or as the French say, "impossible!"

That was, until I actually tried to make some. Much to my amazement, not only was it possible, it was really pretty simple. The key is water. That goes for the dough, and the baking environment. The dough must be very sticky, as in hard-to-work-with sticky. This is nothing well-floured fingers can�t conquer, but I did want to give you a heads-up.

Besides the water content in the dough, the oven must also be moist. This humidity, in addition to some occasional misting will give the crusty baguettes their signature look. How does this work? You know how when someone pours water on the rocks in a dry sauna, and suddenly it feels way hotter? It probably has something to do with that.

Anyway, who cares why it works, the important thing here is that real, authentic, freshly-baked baguette is now an everyday reality. One thing worth noting; I adapted this no-knead version from a recipe I found herelast year. The original is in metric, so I�ve converted it, but also included the original flour and water units in case you want to get it exact. I hope you give this easy, and so not impossible baguette recipe a try soon. Enjoy!

For 4 smaller or 2 large baguette:

1/4 tsp dry active yeast (I used Fleischmann's Rapid Rise Yeast)
(Note: if you want to use a traditional bread technique, add the whole package of yeast (2 1/4 tsp) and proceed as usual)

1 1/2 cups water (325 grams)

1 3/4 tsp salt

18 oz by weight all-purpose flour (500 grams), about 4 cups

- Mix dough and let rise 12-14 hours or until doubled

- Punch down and shape loaves, let rise covered with floured plastic 1 to 1 1/2 hr or until almost doubled

- Bake at 550 F. about 15 minutes or until well-browned

- Spray with water before baking, at 5 minutes, and at 10 minutes during cooking time

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Cheesy Crackers � The Simple Joy of Homemade Crackers

Making homemade cheese crackers has never been very high on my must-do baking list, but with entertaining season rapidly approaching, I decided to give it a try to see just how vastly superior they are to their store-bought cousins.

I�m happy to report that they are better anything I�ve ever had out of a factory-sealed package. They have a much better texture with more crunch, and way more real, cheesy flavor. The only thing they have less of is ingredients; like by 45 to 5.

By the way, these cheesy crackers are based on a recipe I found on my friend, Joy the Baker�s blog. If you�re not familiar with her fine work, I encourage you to go check her out. She�s one of my favorites!

As far as the cheese goes, I went with three parts sharp cheddar to one part Parmigiano-Reggiano. I�m giving the cheese measurements below in weight, as the proportions to the rest of the ingredients are critical, and as you�ll see in the clip, measuring by cup is highly inaccurate. Since I used a fine grater on the very dry, hard cheese, it looks like well over a half-cup of cheese, but in fact was only one ounce.

This is why when recipes call for a cup of Parmesan cheese, some people will be adding 2-oz of cheese, and others 4-oz, simply depending on how they grated the cheese and packed the cup. But, when portioning cheese by weight, one ounce is always one ounce. 

Okay, I feel better. I hope you give these delicious homemade cheese crackers a try soon. Enjoy!

Ingredients for about 36 crackers:

(Note: This is a half recipe, you should double to make enough for a party)

Based on this recipe from Joy the Baker

2 tablespoons room temperature unsalted butter

3 ounces sharp cheddar cheese, grated (about 3/4 cup lightly packed)

1 ounce Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese, finely grated (about 1/3 cup lightly packed)

1/2 tsp paprika

pinch of cayenne

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/2 cup all-purpose flour (2.25 oz by weight)

1 tablespoon cold water

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Cronuts! Part 2: The Sights and Sounds

As promised, here�s the finale to our two-part cronut extravaganza! The series concludes with me frying the two batches � the first half fried as prepared in the last video, but the second half of the dough received an additional tri-fold, which resulted in a much higher, but less crispy cronuts.

Both were very good, and the second batch was more impressive looking, but I�m thinking that for a true croissant/doughnut hybrid, thinner and with less layers may be the way to go. 

Of course, if you�re going to fill yours with vanilla custard, as is the custom in NYC, then the taller, airier cronut is probably a better delivery system. Rest assured, further exploration is inevitable.

In case you�re wondering, the second half of the dough was frozen overnight, and then thawed in the fridge until soft enough to work with, so it seems as though making and freezing this would not be problem. I hope you give this a try soon. Enjoy!

Note: These cronuts were fried in grapeseed oil, at 350 degrees F. for about 1 1/2 to 2 minutes per side. Click here to watch Part 1.

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Cronuts! The Doughnuts That Make People Go Nuts! Part 1: The Dough

I�m assuming that since you�re on a food blog you've probably heard about �cronuts,� but just in case, here�s a quick review. 

This croissant/doughnut hybrid was invented by Dominique Ansel at the Dominique Ansel Bakery in New York City. It became an overnight sensation, and now people stand in line for hours just for a chance at getting one of the precious few that are made each day.

Why all the hype? Very simple � it has the shape and flavor of a doughnut, yet features the crispy, flaky texture of a buttery croissant. What�s not to hype? Anyway, after seeing like two dozen new reports on the craze, and receiving a scary number of food wishes for it, I decided to give it a go, if for no other reason than to save a few of my NYC friends the humiliation of being Instagrammed standing in that line.

Since I�ve never tasted a cronut, what follows is purely an educated guess, but I think I got pretty close. Maybe one of you New Yorkers will mail me one, so I know for sure? My game plan was simple. Make a slightly sweet, yeasty, doughnut-esque dough, which I�d then layer with butter, using the classic croissant technique.

It�s a procedure I do all the time, as in once, back in culinary school, thirty years ago. So, instead of going by the book, or even looking in a book, I winged it, and not only that, I streamlined things too. Instead painstakingly pounding out perfectly sized slabs of cold butter, I decided to try simply spreading softened butter instead. I also threw caution to the wind, and pulled off the rare and terrifying �double fold and turn,� and lived to tell the tale.

Like I said in the video, we�ll cover the final results in Part 2, but spoiler alert�these were awesome. I did two different versions, one regular, and one with an extra �fold and turn� which resulted in a taller, and even more impressive cronut. Stay tuned!

Ingredients for 16 Cronuts:

1 package dry active yeast (2 1/4 tsp)

1/2 cup warm water (105 degrees F.)

1 teaspoon fine salt

2 rounded tablespoons white sugar (add an extra if you want a sweeter 'nut)

1/2 cup milk

2 tablespoons melted butter

1 teaspoon of vanilla extract

1 large egg

1/8 teaspoon ground nutmeg

1 pound all-purpose flour, more as needed

6 ounces soft, unsalted, "European-style" butter (12 tablespoons)

Fist steps:

- Combine yeast and warm water, and let sit five minutes.

- Add the rest of the ingredients, except for the flour and the European-style butter, and whisk to combine.

- Add the flour, and knead for about three minutes or until a soft sticky dough ball forms.

- Wrap dough in plastic, and refrigerate for 20 minutes.

- Roll dough out into roughly a 18 x 9-inch rectangle.

- Proceed with butter as shown!

View the complete recipe

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