Scratch Croissant Donuts
featured in Hacked Vs. Scratch Cronuts
Layers upon layers of buttery croissant are packaged into a familiar donut shape and topped with a decadent vanilla bean glaze.
Tasty Team
87% would make again
Total Time
14 hr 25 min
14 hr 25 min
Prep Time
14 hr
14 hr
Cook Time
15 minutes
15 min
Total Time
14 hr 25 min
14 hr 25 min
Prep Time
14 hr
14 hr
Cook Time
15 minutes
15 min
Ingredients
for 12 donuts
Dough
- 1 cup cold water (240 mL)
- 1 large egg
- 3 ¾ cups bread flour (465 g), plus mor for dusting
- 1 ½ teaspoons kosher salt
- ¼ cup light brown sugar (50 g)
- 1 tablespoon instant yeast
- 8 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened
- nonstick cooking spray, for greasing
Butter Block
- 18 tablespoons unsalted butter, chilled
For Frying
- 2 qt vegetable oil (2 L)
Icing
- 1 cup powdered sugar (110 g)
- 1 vanilla bean, seeds scraped
- 1 tablespoon buttermilk
Preparation
- 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!
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