Classic Crumb Buns

Total Time: 1 hr 40 mins Preparation Time: 1 hr Cook Time: 40 mins

Ingredients

• 10 tablespoons unsalted butter, at room temperature (142 gms)
• 1/2 cup granulated sugar (100 gms)
• 1/2 cup packed light brown sugar (110 gms)
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
• 1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour (250 gms)
• 1 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
• 1/2 cup water (116 gms, 105 degrees f.)
• 2 1/4 teaspoons active dry yeast (1 package)
• 1/4 cup granulated sugar (50 gms)
• 1 teaspoon granulated sugar
• 3/4 cup whole milk (178 gms)
• 4 tablespoons unsalted butter, cut in to chunks plus additional for the bowl (56 gms)
• 3 large eggs, at room temperature
• 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
• 3 1/2-4 cups all-purpose flour (510-580 gms)
• 1 cup cake flour (130 gms)
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 3 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted and cooled
• confectioners' sugar, for dusting

Recipe

• 1 *prepare the yeast dough.
• 2 place water in the bowl of your electric mixer, sprinkle with yeast and add sugar, stir until yeast is dissolved.
• 3 set aside for 10 minutes or until foam and a few bubbles start to form on the surface.
• 4 in a small saucepan, over low heat, warm the milk and butter until butter just melts.
• 5 temperature of the mixture should not be more than 105°f add the 105°f butter/milk into the proofed yeast mixture, stir.
• 6 add eggs and vanilla and mix to combine.
• 7 add 1 cup of all purpose flour, the cake flour, 1/4 cup of sugar and the 1/2 tsp salt.
• 8 beat on low speed until smooth and well blended.
• 9 add 2 cups of the remaining flour and, with your mixer on slow, blend it in to the mixture.
• 10 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.
• 11 it may be necessary to do this last step by hand with a wooden spoon if your mixer is not a heavy duty model.
• 12 if using the heavy duty mixer, install the dough hook and mix until the dough is smooth, about 3 minutes.
• 13 or, knead by hand for about 5 minutes on a lightly floured board, it should be smooth and will no longer stick to the work surface.
• 14 transfer the dough to a bowl that's been well buttered, flip it around a couple times to coat all sides of the ball.
• 15 cover with plastic wrap and set aside in a warm place to rise until it's about doubled in size.
• 16 it can also rise overnight in the fridge, but must be allowed to come to room temperature before making crumb buns using your fist gently punch down the dough to deflate.
• 17 the dough is now ready to form into buns.
• 18 **for the crumbs.
• 19 while your dough is rising, about 20 minutes before it's done, prepare the crumbs.
• 20 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.
• 21 add the flour and sprinkle the cinnamon over the top.
• 22 combine until mixture just forms a crust.
• 23 **for the buns.
• 24 after punching down the dough, divide it into two portions, cover.
• 25 on a lightly floured surface, roll out one portion of the dough until it forms a 8x14 inch rectangle about 1/4-inch thick.
• 26 brush the dough lightly with some melted butter and evenly sprinkle 3/4 cup of the crumb mixture over the buttered surface.
• 27 starting at the long side furtherest 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.
• 28 you will now have a 3 layered dough that's 14 inches long and 2 1/2 inches wide.
• 29 press gently on the dough so the layers adhere and pinch around the edges to seal.
• 30 cut the rectangle into 7, 2-inch portions.
• 31 repeat with second half of dough.
• 32 butter a 9x13x2-inch baking pan, place the buns 1/2 inch apart in the pan.
• 33 brush the top of each bun with melted butter and sprinkle the remaining crumbs over the mixture allowing some to fall between.
• 34 gently press the crumbs into the top of the buns.
• 35 cover pan with plastic wrap and set in a warm place to rise for about 30 minutes or unit the dough looks puffy.
• 36 the buns should not be touching.
• 37 preheat oven to 325°f.
• 38 remove plastic wrap from the buns and bake for about 40 minutes, until the tops are golden brown and the crumbs are slightly firm.
• 39 the buns will have spread into one large pull apart pan of buns.
• 40 allow to cool on a rack for about 10 minutes.
• 41 with a small sharp knife cut along the sides of the pan and carefully remove buns so as not to disturb crumbs.
• 42 transfer to a rack to cool, just before serving dust with confectioners sugar.
• 43 cover and store at room temperature for 2 days.
• 44 to freshen wrap in foil and heat in a 300°f oven until just warm.