HOW TO MAKE CRUFFIN WITH PASTA MACHINE – Lady and Pups

Step 1

2 hours before starting the dough, leave 165 grams (11 1/2 tbsp) unsalted butter on the counter for it to completely come to room-temperature.

Step 2

In a stand-mixer bowl with dough-hook (or large bowl with hand-held mixer with dough-hooks), whisk together bread flour, all-purpose flour, instant dry yeast and salt until even. Add 130 grams of luke-warm water (around 95F/35C) and knead on low speed for 3 min. The dough should be slightly shaggy and stiff, but if it has difficulty coming together, add the additional 30 grams (2 tbsp) of water and knead again. Then add 50 grams of cubed, unsalted butter and knead on low speed for 5 min until completely incorporated. Then increase to medium speed and knead for another 10 ~ 15 min until the dough is extremely smooth and elastic. Cover with plastic wrap and let rest for 40 ~ 45 min at room-temperature. It should expand slightly.

Step 3

Transfer the dough to a lightly floured surface, and divide into 4 equal portions. Work with 1 portion at a time and cover the rest loosely with plastic wrap. Dust the dough with just enough flour so it doesn't stick, then roll it into 1/3" (1 cm) thickness. With a pasta machine at its thickest increment, feed the dough through the machine once, then feed it back again but this time, overlap 1 end of the dough over the other and run the seam through the machine so it sticks/connects tightly together. You should have a continuous ring of dough going through the pasta machine like a conveyor belt. This saves you the trouble/time of re-feeding the dough back into the machine after each increment.

Step 4

Now dust both the inner/outer side of the dough with a bit of flour, then start running the dough through the machine, continuously, until you reach the thinnest increment (should be paper-thin). Gently avoid any crinkling or folding of the dough during this process, laying it neat and flat on the counter. Now cut the dough loose where it's close to the machine, then run to release the dough from the machine.

Step 5

The dough will be very long, so you may need to cut it in half, and keep it unfolded and laid flat on the counter. Now with your fingers, gently rub a thin layer of the room-temperature butter (has to be very soft but NOT MELTED) evenly across the dough, extending all the way to the edges. Do this to both sections of the dough if you had to cut it in half. Just keep in mind that this is a 1/4 of the entire dough and you should use up 1/4 of the butter. Once finished, start rolling the dough from one end to the other, as tightly as you can, into a firm log. Place the log on one end of the other buttered section of dough, and roll it up again. Now, cut the log in half length-wise with a floured knife, then with the cut-side facing outward, twirl it into a semi-knot and tuck the ends underneath itself (*do not make them too tight, because they need a bit of room to expand*). Place the knots inside buttered muffin-pan. Repeat the process with the other 3 portions of the doughs and butter.

Step 6

If you are doing this the day before, you can wrap the entire muffin-pan with plastic wrap and leave it in the fridge at this point. If not, cover the pan loosely with plastic wrap and let proof at room-temperature for 2 ~3 hours until fully doubled in size (it may need a couple hours more if it was chilled before hand). Bake in a preheated oven at 400F/200C, for 25 min until puffed and golden browned (I didn't bother with egg-wash because they are gonna be dusted with powdered sugar, but you can if you want). Let cool slightly on a cooling-rack, then dust with powdered sugar.