Classic Crumb Buns Recipe
Description: Just like you used to get in the New York Style Bakery’s. Just terrific and worth every bit of the effort.
Recipe Category: Yeast Breads
Keywords: Breads, Breakfast, Weeknight, For Large Groups, Oven, < 4 Hours
Servings: 14 buns
Cook Time: 40 minutes
Prep Time: 1 hour
Total Time: 1 hour and 40 minutes
Ingredients:
| Ingredient | Quantity |
|---|---|
| Unsalted butter | 10 tbsp |
| Granulated sugar | 1/2 cup |
| Light brown sugar | 1/2 cup |
| Salt | 1/4 tsp |
| Pure vanilla extract | 1 tsp |
| All-purpose flour | 1 3/4 cups |
| Ground cinnamon | 1 1/2 tsp |
| Water | 1/2 cup |
| Active dry yeast | 2 1/4 tsp |
| Eggs | 1 |
| Cake flour | 3/4 cup |
| Confectioners’ sugar | For dusting |
Instructions:
-
Prepare the yeast dough:
- Place water in the bowl of your electric mixer, sprinkle with yeast and add sugar, stir until yeast is dissolved.
- Set aside for 10 minutes or until foam and a few bubbles start to form on the surface.
- In a small saucepan, over low heat, warm the milk and butter until butter just melts. The temperature of the mixture should not be more than 105°F.
- Add the 105°F butter/milk into the proofed yeast mixture, stir.
- Add eggs and vanilla and mix to combine.
- Add 1 cup of all-purpose flour, the cake flour, 1/4 cup of sugar, and the 1/2 tsp salt.
- Beat on low speed until smooth and well blended.
- Add 2 cups of the remaining flour and, with your mixer on slow, blend it into the mixture.
- Slowly add the remaining flour in 1/4 cup increments until the dough forms a smooth, soft (not sticky) ball that comes away from the sides of the bowl.
- Transfer the dough to a well-buttered bowl, cover with plastic wrap, and set aside in a warm place to rise until it’s about doubled in size.
-
Prepare the crumbs:
- While your dough is rising, about 20 minutes before it’s done, prepare the crumbs.
- In a large bowl with an electric mixer on low speed, beat the butter, sugars, salt, and vanilla until the mixture is well combined, about one minute.
- Add the flour and sprinkle the cinnamon over the top. Combine until the mixture just forms a crust.
-
Form the buns:
- After punching down the dough, divide it into two portions.
- On a lightly floured surface, roll out one portion of the dough until it forms an 8×14 inch rectangle about 1/4-inch thick.
- Brush the dough lightly with some melted butter and evenly sprinkle 3/4 cup of the crumb mixture over the buttered surface.
- Starting at the long side furthest away from you, fold 1/3rd of the dough over on itself, brush this surface with melted butter, fold the double layer of dough over again to cover the remaining 1/3rd of the dough that’s closest to you.
- You will now have a 3 layered dough that’s 14 inches long and 2 1/2 inches wide.
- Press gently on the dough so the layers adhere and pinch around the edges to seal.
- Cut the rectangle into 7, 2-inch portions. Repeat with the second half of the dough.
- Butter a 9x13x2-inch baking pan, place the buns 1/2 inch apart in the pan.
- Brush the top of each bun with melted butter and sprinkle the remaining crumbs over the mixture allowing some to fall between.
- Gently press the crumbs into the top of the buns.
- Cover the pan with plastic wrap and set in a warm place to rise for about 30 minutes or until the dough looks puffy. The buns should NOT be touching.
-
Bake:
- Preheat the oven to 325°F.
- Remove the plastic wrap from the buns and bake for about 40 minutes, until the tops are golden brown and the crumbs are slightly firm.
- The buns will have spread into one large pull-apart pan of buns.
- Allow to cool on a rack for about 10 minutes.
- With a small sharp knife, cut along the sides of the pan and carefully remove buns so as not to disturb crumbs.
- Transfer to a rack to cool, just before serving dust with confectioners sugar.
- Cover and store at room temperature for 2 days. To freshen, wrap in foil and heat in a 300°F oven until just warm.
