If you love the flaky layers of a croissant but want something a little easier and more fun to bake, these Sourdough Cruffins are worth trying. They have crisp, golden edges, soft buttery layers, and a beautiful spiral shape. The muffin-tin shape helps the pastry rise tall while keeping all those thin layers tucked together.
This recipe is especially good if you already keep a sourdough starter at home. The starter gives the dough a mild tang and adds extra flavor that you just don’t get from regular yeast dough. You can add raisins, chocolate chips, cinnamon sugar, or even leave them plain.
Why You’ll Love These Sourdough Cruffins
Cruffins are basically a fun mix of croissants and muffins. The dough is rolled very thin, layered with butter, rolled into a log, twisted, and baked in a muffin pan.
The result is a pastry with a crunchy outside and lots of soft, buttery layers inside.
They’re perfect for:
- Breakfast
- Weekend baking
- Brunch
- Holiday mornings
- Coffee or tea
- A sweet afternoon snack
The best part? You don’t need a fancy pastry mold. A regular muffin pan works great.
Ingredients
For the Dough
- 100g active sourdough starter
- 500g bread flour
- 250g whole milk
- 50g water
- 50g granulated sugar
- 1 large egg
- 8g salt
- 40g unsalted butter, softened
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
For the Butter Layers
- 150g unsalted butter, very soft but not melted
- ½ cup raisins
- 2 tablespoons brown sugar
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon, optional
For Finishing
- Powdered sugar, optional
- Melted butter, optional
Make the Sourdough Dough
Start by making sure your sourdough starter is active and bubbly. A starter that has recently peaked will give you the best rise and flavor.
Add the sourdough starter, milk, water, sugar, egg, and vanilla to a large mixing bowl. Whisk everything together until well combined.
Add the bread flour and salt. Mix with a wooden spoon or your hands until a rough dough forms. Don’t worry if it looks a little messy at this point.
Let the dough rest for about 20–30 minutes. This short rest gives the flour time to absorb the liquid and makes the dough easier to work with.
Next, add the softened butter. Knead the dough until the butter is fully incorporated and the dough becomes smoother and more elastic.
You can knead by hand or use a stand mixer with a dough hook.
Bulk Fermentation
Place the dough in a lightly greased bowl and cover it with plastic wrap, a lid, or a clean kitchen towel.
Let it ferment at room temperature for about 4–6 hours, depending on the temperature of your kitchen and the strength of your starter.
You’re looking for the dough to become noticeably puffy and slightly larger. It doesn’t always need to double in size.
If your kitchen is cool, fermentation may take longer.
Chill the Dough
Once the dough has finished its first rise, place it in the refrigerator for at least 1–2 hours.
You can also leave it refrigerated overnight.
Chilling the dough makes it much easier to roll thin and helps keep the butter from melting while you laminate the dough.
Roll and Layer the Dough
Divide the chilled dough into 6 equal pieces.
Take one piece and roll it into a very thin rectangle. Try to make it as long and thin as possible without tearing the dough.
Spread a thin layer of very soft butter over the entire surface.
Sprinkle with a little brown sugar, cinnamon, and raisins.
Repeat the process with the remaining pieces of dough, stacking the buttered layers as you go.
Once you’ve finished layering, roll the stacked dough into a tight log.
Cut the log lengthwise down the middle. You’ll now have two long strips showing all those beautiful layers.
Shape the Cruffins
Take one strip and gently twist it. Then roll it into a spiral, keeping the layered side facing outward as much as possible.
Place the shaped dough into a lightly greased muffin pan.
Repeat with the remaining dough.
Don’t pack the dough too tightly into the muffin cups. The cruffins need room to expand as they proof.
Second Rise
Cover the muffin pan loosely and let the cruffins proof at room temperature for about 2–4 hours.
The exact time will depend on your starter and room temperature.
They should look noticeably puffy and soft before baking.
Don’t rush this step. If the dough hasn’t proofed enough, the finished cruffins can turn out dense instead of light and flaky.
Bake the Cruffins
Preheat your oven to 375°F (190°C).
Once the cruffins are nicely puffed, place the muffin pan in the oven.
Bake for about 20–25 minutes, or until the pastries are deeply golden brown and cooked through.
Keep an eye on them toward the end. Because of the butter and sugar, the outside can brown quickly.
If the tops are getting too dark before the centers are finished, loosely cover the pan with foil for the last few minutes.
Cool and Serve
Let the cruffins cool in the pan for about 5–10 minutes.
Carefully remove them and place them on a cooling rack.
For an extra sweet finish, dust them with powdered sugar once they’re cool enough to handle.
You can also brush the tops with a little melted butter and sprinkle them with cinnamon sugar.
These are best served slightly warm when the layers are crisp and buttery.
Tips for Perfect Sourdough Cruffins
Use active starter: Your starter should be bubbly and strong enough to rise dough. A weak starter can make the cruffins take much longer to proof.
Don’t melt the butter: Soft butter is perfect for spreading. Melted butter can soak into the dough and make it harder to create distinct layers.
Roll the dough thin: Thin dough creates more layers. Take your time when rolling it out.
Keep the dough cool: If the butter starts getting greasy or the dough becomes difficult to handle, put it back in the refrigerator for a few minutes.
Don’t overproof: The dough should look puffy but still have some structure. Overproofing can cause the cruffins to lose their shape.
Let them cool slightly: Straight from the oven, the layers are very delicate. Give them a few minutes before removing them from the pan.
Easy Variations
You can easily change the filling depending on what you have at home.
For chocolate cruffins, replace the raisins with mini chocolate chips.
For cinnamon cruffins, use cinnamon and brown sugar between the layers.
For orange raisin cruffins, add a little fresh orange zest to the filling.
For apple cruffins, add finely chopped dried apples with cinnamon and brown sugar.
You can also make them completely plain and let the buttery sourdough layers be the star.
How to Store Them
Sourdough cruffins are best the day they’re baked, but you can keep leftovers in an airtight container at room temperature for about 2 days.
To bring back some of the crisp texture, warm them in a 325°F oven for 5–8 minutes.
You can also freeze baked cruffins. Let them cool completely, wrap them well, and freeze for up to 2 months. Thaw at room temperature and reheat before serving.
Final Thoughts
These Sourdough Cruffins are a great weekend baking project when you want something that looks impressive without making traditional croissants. The combination of sourdough, butter, raisins, and cinnamon creates a pastry that’s crisp on the outside, soft inside, and packed with flaky layers.
Once you get comfortable with the basic technique, you can switch up the fillings and make a different version every time. Serve them warm with coffee, tea, or a glass of milk, and don’t be surprised if they disappear fast!
