Homemade Croissant Donut Food

HOW TO MAKE CRONUTS, PART I (THE DOUGH)

Steps:

• Place yeast into the mixing bowl of a large stand mixer. Whisk in warm water and let stand until a creamy foam forms on top, about 5 minutes. Add salt, sugar, milk, 2 tablespoons melted butter, vanilla extract, egg, and nutmeg. Whisk mixture thoroughly. Pour flour on top of liquid ingredients. Place mixing bowl onto mixer.
• Attach dough hook to mixer and knead on low speed until dough comes together in a ball and becomes soft and sticky, about 3 minutes. Dough will stick to the hook and pull away from the side of the bowl.
• Transfer dough to a floured work surface, knead 2 or 3 times, and shape into a ball. Wrap dough in plastic and refrigerate for 20 minutes to let gluten relax.
• Remove dough from refrigerator, unwrap, and dust lightly with flour. Roll out into a 9x18-inch rectangle about 1/4-inch thick. Evenly spread 1/2 of the softened butter onto the middle third of the dough. Fold one unbuttered third over the buttered third and press lightly; spread remaining butter on top of that third. Fold remaining third over the first (buttered) third. Transfer dough onto a sheet pan, cover lightly with plastic wrap and a kitchen towel, and refrigerate 20 to 30 more minutes for butter to become firm. Sprinkle dough lightly with flour as you work if it becomes sticky.
• Return dough to floured work surface and pat very gently into an 8x14-inch rectangle about 1/2-inch thick. Fold outer thirds over center third as before; roll out into an 8x14-inch rectangle again, keeping the edges as straight as possible. Fold in thirds as before. Cover dough lightly with a kitchen towel, and refrigerate for 2 hours.
• Roll the dough out to about 3/8-inch thick. Cut dough in half crosswise. Leave half on a lightly floured work surface; refrigerate other half of dough until needed.
• Use a sharp 3-inch round cutter to cut 8 circles of dough from the piece on the work surface. Use a 1-inch round cutter to cut the donut holes out of the dough circles.
• Line a baking sheet with waxed paper and sprinkle lightly with flour. Arrange cronuts and holes onto the prepared baking sheet. Let rise in a draft-free, warm place (such as an unheated oven) until doubled in size, about 1 hour.
• See part II of this recipe to make the cronuts.

GRILLED CHEESE CROISSANT DONUT (CHEESY BACON CROISSONUT)

Steps:

• Open one tube of dough and unroll onto a lightly floured clean work surface. Lightly dust the top of the dough and a rolling pin with flour and roll the dough to a 12-by-14-inch rectangle, about 1/8 inch thick. Roll out the second tube of dough to the same size and thickness.
• Place the cheese slices in a single layer over one rectangle of dough. Put the second rectangle of dough on top of the cheese slices and roll with the rolling pin to seal. Fold the right side of the dough over one-third of the way to the center, and do the same with the left side to tri-fold the dough. Roll the dough back out to a 6-by-10-inch rectangle about 3/8 inch thick. Using a 3-inch donut cutter or 3-inch round cutter with a 1-inch round hole, cut out 4 donut shapes from the dough.
• Pour enough oil in a heavy-bottomed Dutch oven to come 3 inches up the sides. Heat over medium-high heat until a deep-fry thermometer inserted in the oil registers 340 degrees F. Fry the donuts in batches until golden brown, about 1 minute per side. Drain on a wire rack-lined baking sheet.
• In a small bowl, mix together the Dijon mustard and honey until well combined. Use a pastry brush to brush the tops of the donuts with the honey mustard and sprinkle with the chopped bacon. Serve immediately.

FRO CRO-DOUGH

Steps:

• Fill a deep, wide pot halfway with neutral flavored oil and heat to 350 degrees F.
• Place the croissant dough on a gel board or over bench flour to keep from sticking.
• Cut out doughnut shapes using the round cutters. Keep the dough from the holes and scraps, you can fry these too.
• Refrigerate the dough for 10 to 15 minutes so that it is firmer and easier to work with.
• Gently drop the chilled fro cro-doughs and scraps into the hot oil, making sure that you don't crowd the pot. Fry until cooked through and golden, 3 to 4 minutes per side. The scraps will take less time.
• Once the doughnuts are cooked, place them on a paper-towel-lined plate to drain the oil. Allow to cool. Then dip the top part in the glaze.
• Place the thin pastry tip in a plastic or pastry bag. Then fill with pastry cream and snip the tip with some scissors. Fill the fro cro-dough's with pastry cream in 3 spots, rotating to get an even fill. Glaze and fill the scraps as desired.

HACKED CROISSANT DONUTS RECIPE BY TASTY

Steps:

• Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
• Lay a puff pastry sheet flat on a lightly floured surface. Use a pastry brush to cover the sheet completely with the beaten egg. Fold the sheet into thirds along the creases, like a letter, and place on the prepared baking sheet. Repeat with the remaining 3 sheets of puff pastry. Refrigerate until stiff and completely chilled, about 1 hour.
• Preheat the air fryer to 350°F (180°C) for 20 minutes. Set a wire rack over a baking sheet.
• Remove the puff pastry from the refrigerator and use a 3-inch round cutter to cut out 12 rounds, 3 per sheet. Use a 1-inch round cutter to cut out the center of each pastry round. Remove and discard the scraps, or air fry for chef's snacks.
• Working in batches, place the donuts in the air fryer, spacing 1 inch apart, and cook until the donuts have puffed completely and are golden brown all over, about 15 minutes. Transfer to the wire rack.
• Make the icing: In a medium bowl, stir together the frosting and milk until smooth. Transfer the mixture to a small piping bag and cut a hole in the tip. Pipe the icing on the top of the donuts.
• Enjoy!

SCRATCH CROISSANT DONUTS RECIPE BY TASTY

Steps:

• Make the dough: In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the dough hook attachment, combine the cold water, egg, bread flour, salt, brown sugar, yeast, and butter. Mix on medium speed until the dough comes together in a ball and begins to pull away from the sides of the bowl, about 5 minutes.
• Use wet hands to wipe the dough from the hook and cover the bowl with a kitchen towel. Place the dough in a warm place and let rise until doubled in size, about 2 hours.
• Line a 9 x 13-inch baking sheet with parchment paper and lightly grease with nonstick spray.
• Uncover the bowl and transfer the dough to the prepared baking sheet. Use your hands to gently press the dough to the edges of the pan. Refrigerate until the dough is completely chilled all the way through, at least 1 hour, or up to 8 hours. If refrigerating for more than 1 hour, cover with plastic wrap to prevent the dough from drying out.
• Make the butter block: Cut a sheet of parchment paper to measure 12 x 16 inches. Fold the edges inward to create a 7-inch square, then unfold the parchment.
• Slice the butter lengthwise into ¼-inch-thick pieces and arrange the butter tiles in a single layer to fill the center 7-inch square of the parchment. Fold the parchment over to fully enclose the butter and let the packet sit at room temperature until slightly softened, about 30 minutes. When the butter is malleable, use a rolling pin to distribute the butter in an even layer to the edges and corners of the packet. If the butter is too soft, refrigerate the packet until it firms up, about 20 minutes. You want the butter and the dough to have the same texture.
• Laminate the dough: Remove the dough from the refrigerator and place on a very lightly floured work surface (too much flour will break the lamination, so use just enough to keep the dough from sticking to the work surface). Use a rolling pin to roll the dough into a rectangle that is a little more than twice as long as the butter block, about 8 x 15 inches. Place the butter block in the center of the dough and fold the sides of the dough over the butter to completely encase the block, gently pressing the dough together to seal.
• Very lightly dust the rolling pin with flour and roll the dough into a square, about ¼ inch thick. Use a pastry wheel or long, sharp knife to trim the edges so the butter is just barely exposed on all sides (trimming the edges will help make clean and even layers when folding the dough). Fold the dough in half horizontally, then fold in half vertically, making sure to line up the edges. Place the dough square back on the baking sheet and let the dough rest in the refrigerator for 20 minutes.
• Remove the dough from the refrigerator and repeat rolling out to ¼-inch-thick square, trimming the edges, and folding one more time. Return the dough to the baking sheet and wrap tightly with plastic wrap. Place the dough in the refrigerator and let rest overnight.
• Shape the donuts: Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper.
• Remove the dough from the refrigerator and let sit at room temperature until it is soft enough to roll without applying too much pressure, about 10 minutes. Transfer the dough to a very lightly floured surface and roll into a 14-inch square. Let the dough rest for about 5 minutes to let the gluten relax.
• Using a 3½-inch round cutter, cut out 12 rounds from the dough. Use a 1-inch round cutter to cut out the center of each dough round. Place the donuts on the prepared baking sheet, spacing about 2 inches apart. Lightly grease a piece of plastic wrap with nonstick spray and gently cover the pan. Let the donuts proof at room temperature until doubled in size, about 2 hours.
• Fry the donuts: Heat the vegetable oil in a large, heavy-bottomed pot fitted with a deep fry thermometer over medium-high heat until the temperature reaches 350°F (180°C). Set a wire rack over a baking sheet.
• Working in batches of 3-4 at a time, fry the donuts in the hot oil, flipping once halfway through, until golden brown all over, about 3 minutes. Use a spider or slotted spoon to transfer the donuts to the wire rack to cool slightly, about 10 minutes.
• Make the icing: In a medium bowl, whisk together the powdered sugar, vanilla bean seeds, and buttermilk until smooth. Transfer the icing to a small piping bag and cut a hole in the tip.
• Pipe the icing on the top of the donuts.
• Enjoy!