Vanilla Strawberry Donuts (Print Version)

# Ingredients:

→ Dough for cronuts

01 - 190g water or milk
02 - 40g white sugar
03 - 12g salt (kosher)
04 - 250g bread flour
05 - 65g egg whites (roughly 2)
06 - 15g instant yeast (can use active yeast)
07 - 250g all-purpose flour
08 - 100g soft unsalted butter, cut into cubes

→ Butter layer (lamination)

09 - 125g softened unsalted butter

→ Jam filling

10 - One homemade strawberry jam batch

→ Cream filling with vanilla flavor

11 - 250g whole milk
12 - 3g vanilla paste (or substitute extract)
13 - 50g granulated sugar
14 - 20g egg yolk (about 1 yolk)
15 - 50g whole egg (approximately 1 egg)
16 - 15g corn starch
17 - 15g all-purpose flour

→ Strawberry-flavored sugar

18 - 67g granulated sugar
19 - 50g freeze-dried strawberries, powdered

→ Frying oil

20 - Use canola, grapeseed, or palm oil

# Instructions:

01 - Grab your stand mixer bowl and toss in the bread flour, all-purpose flour, salt, sugar, and yeast (don't let the yeast and salt touch)! Add the water or milk and stir at a low speed until everything blends. Gradually add butter cubes, one at a time. Knead for 5-10 minutes till the dough stops sticking to the bowl sides. Stretch dough to test elasticity—it should form a thin sheet without tearing—and aim for a temperature of about 75-80°F / 25-27°C.
02 - Roll the dough into a smooth ball. Place into an oiled bowl, cover with plastic wrap or a damp cloth, then set it somewhere warm to rise for 90 minutes or until it's twice its original size.
03 - Press your risen dough down to release trapped air. Flatten it into an oval, fold the top and bottom towards the middle, then roll it up into a log with the seam underneath. Roll it flat, cover, and place it on a small tray to chill in the freezer for 15 minutes on each side. Then refrigerate for 1-12 hours prior to lamination.
04 - Take the chilled dough and roll it into a 7''x22'' rectangle. Spread the soft butter across evenly. Fold into thirds like a letter and seal the edges. Let it chill for half an hour, then repeat rolling and folding twice more, chilling between each turn. After the last fold, refrigerate for one hour.
05 - Roll out the dough to create a 16-inch long, 8.5-inch wide, and half-inch thick rectangle. Cover it up and leave it in the fridge overnight to relax and get ready to be cut.
06 - Put sliced strawberries and sugar into a pan. Let them sit for 15 minutes to release juices. Drain most of the liquid, keeping about 2 tbsp in the saucepan. Warm over low heat while stirring until it bubbles. Crush strawberries and simmer 5-7 minutes until it thickens up. Remove seeds by straining, cool off, and stash in the fridge.
07 - Mix egg yolks, eggs, sugar, flour, and corn starch until smooth. Warm milk with vanilla until just about to boil. Slowly add a bit of the hot milk to the egg mixture, stir, then pour it all back into the pan. Constantly whisk while heating on medium-low for 2 minutes, until thickened. Transfer to a bowl and press plastic wrap directly on the surface. Chill until ready.
08 - Use a 3.5'' round cutter to make circles in the dough and a 1.2'' cutter for the centers. Space them on a baking sheet covered with silicone mats. Lightly cover and proof until they rise to a height of about 1.4''. Chill in the fridge for 30 minutes before frying.
09 - Mix the powdered freeze-dried strawberries and granulated sugar until blended and nice to coat the cronuts.
10 - Whip the chilled pastry cream until stiff peaks are formed. Load it into a pastry bag with a Bismarck tip. Do the same with the strawberry jam in another bag.
11 - Heat your frying oil up to 375°F / 190°C. Gently fry one cronut at a time, flipping when golden on one side. Transfer to paper towels to drain.
12 - Brush the warm cronuts in strawberry sugar. Pipe pastry cream into four spots around each cronut. Add strawberry jam over each filled spot until it spills over the top. Garnish with more cream and fresh berries before digging in.

# Notes:

01 - Best eaten the same day when crispiness is at its peak.
02 - Both cream and jam can be prepped up to 2 days ahead.
03 - For a shortcut, use store-bought puff pastry!

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