Have you ever heard of a croffle? An irresistible hybrid of croissant and waffle?
And now that you know it exists, are you wondering where it’s been all your life? Me, too, friends. Me, too.
Let me take you on a journey. But brace yourself—breakfast will never be the same.
Wait…A What-ffle?
A croffle: buttery, flakey croissant dough formed with all the topping-trapping nooks and crannies of a waffle. Pardon me while I wipe the drool from my mouth.
Brought to you by the incredible mind of Irish pastry chef Louise Lennox, croffles have taken the Korean street food scene by storm. (At least that’s the word on the streets. I did not personally go to Korea to check.)
This delicious concoction of confections is so beautifully suited to being slathered with toppings, I can’t even tell you.
Light. Airy. Rich. Delicate crunch and pillowy crumb. I mean, come on. It’s a croissant waffle!
Naturally, croffles are wonderful with a drizzle of syrup, as any waffle—hybrid or otherwise—would be.
If you’re touring the streets of Korea, you may not want syrup dripping down your arm, but if you’re enjoying your croffle on a plate in the comfort of your own home, drizzle away! Syrup and waffles are made for each other.
For other incredible toppings, try a ruby-rich berry compote, delicately seasoned with cinnamon and nutmeg, (recipe below!) fresh fruit, local honey, whipped cream, ice cream—basically anything that will ooze into those crispy croffle pockets as it slowly warms from the heat of your freshly griddled pastry.
Have dessert for breakfast and douse your croffle with chocolate sauce, Nutella, or homemade caramel drizzle!
Keep it simple with a sprinkling of powdered sugar, or a smear of jam.
Make it savory with crumbled bacon, a fried egg, ham, or your favorite cheese.
You could even skip the toppings altogether because no matter how you serve it, this croffle recipe delivers!
“In the morning, I’m makin’ croffles!”
I won’t lie: croissants are a lot of work.
And there is an incredibly easy way to make croffles.
But for this croffle recipe, I went somewhere in between.
Pre-made vs Homemade Croissant Dough
Many croffle recipes online will tell you to get frozen croissant dough, toss it on your waffle iron, and bingo-bango, breakfast is served. They will also say that frozen puff pastry will work in a pinch. I say both are worth a try, although they will yield different flavors.
While puff pastry gives you the buttery, flakiness of a croissant, it is missing the sweet and yeasty elements.
I’m not sure how readily available frozen croissant dough is, but if you can find it, that will make your croffle process infinitely easier!
It might even be worth asking a local bakery if they are able and willing to part with a few pre-cooked croissants. I did enjoy the process of making these croffles, but if you’re looking for a quick and easy weekday breakfast, the pre-made dough is the way to go!
If you’re in the mood for a weekend brunch project, making your own croissant dough can be really fun! Plus, you can impress everyone you know with your fancy culinary skills. Bragging rights, for sure!
Shortcuts vs Traditional Method
If you want to tackle homemade croissant dough and you have the time to follow the traditional method from start to finish, wonderful! Do that! It’s fun, and it doesn’t require great skill so much as it requires time and planning.
If you want homemade croissant dough but don’t want to spread the process out over three days, I have a few suggestions.
I don’t know about you, but I’m willing to start my baked goods the day before—especially if it means I don’t have to wake up at three in the morning so that it’s ready for breakfast. I’m less willing, however, to start the process three days in advance. That’s far too much organization for me.
So I’ve put together a modified “cheater’s version” of croissant dough to make this croffle recipe. It combines a classic croissant dough (brought to you by the always-delightful French pastry chef Bruno Albouze) with Paul Hollywood’s “cheats puff pastry” method.
You do have to let it rest overnight—because hey, it’s a yeast bread and it does need some time—but you don’t have to let the dough rest for hours in between. Because who has the time or patience?
The key to the shortcut is frozen butter. It keeps the pastry cold and eliminates the need for long rests in between each turn of the dough.
If, however, you’re rolling out your dough and it’s refusing to get any bigger, or keeps springing back on you, wrap it up, let it rest in the fridge for 20 or 30 minutes, and then come back to it. Gluten is stubborn, and sometimes, like a child, it just needs to rest. You can muscle through it—your croffles will still be delicious—but it is more work, more frustrating, and your croffles might turn out smaller and denser.
To Proof or Not to Proof?
Proofing, if you’re not familiar, is simply letting your baked good rest in a warm, dry place to rise.
Aside from the overnight rest, this is the part of the croffle recipe that takes the most time. The good news, though, is that while proofing does take time, it requires absolutely no effort! It’s a totally hands-off part of the croffle process.
For croissant dough, the final proof takes two and a half to three hours. That’s a lot of waiting before breakfast! So, is all that waiting worth it?
I could explain the difference, but a picture is worth a thousand words. Let me show you:
When the dough is left to proof, it becomes lighter and spongier, resulting in a phenomenally flakey and airy croffle.
If you prefer a denser, more doughy pastry, by all means, skip the proofing! Your croffle will be a little smaller and tighter and may be undercooked in the middle. If that sounds like your thing, forget the proofing, fire up that griddle, and get ready for the croffle of your dreams.
If, on the other hand, you’re in the light and flakey camp, proofing is definitely worth it.
See for yourself which version speaks to you:
Either way, you this croffle recipe gives you layers upon layers of buttery croissant in waffle form. So whether you take the time to proof or not, it’s a win.
(Since the recipe yields 12-16 croffles, you could do what I did: make half for breakfast one day, roll out the rest of your croissants that night, then proof them rest the next morning and compare!)
Making Croffles: A Timeline
If you’re a waffle fanatic, check out this teatime waffle cake (whaaat?), these sweet potato spiced rum waffles, (spiced yum!), or these adorable chicken and waffle appetizers (bite-sized brilliance).
Croffle Recipe with Berry Compote
- Croissant dough (recipe below), OR frozen croissant dough from store or bakery
- 1 egg, beaten (optional, for egg wash) OR sugar to coat (optional)
- Berry compote (recipe below), or toppings of choice*
Heat waffle iron. Brush each croissant with egg wash OR roll in sugar.
Cook each croissant in waffle iron until golden brown and crispy. (2-3 minutes for most waffle irons)
Serve with favorite toppings, and enjoy!
Homemade Overnight Croffle Dough
- 1 cup (250 grams)* water
- 4 teaspoon (14 grams) active dry yeast
- 3 and 1/2 cups (500 grams) unbleached bread flour
- 3 teaspoon (12 grams) kosher salt
- 1/4 cup (50 grams) granulated sugar
- 6 and 1/2 tablespoon (100 grams) softened, unsalted butter
- 16 and 1/2 ounces (200 grams) butter, grated and frozen
- 1 egg, beaten
For any visual learners, check out Bruno’s tutorial.
Whisk together water and yeast. Set aside.
In a large bowl or stand mixer, combine flour, sugar, and salt. Add yeasted water, mix to incorporate, by hand or with stand mixer.
Add softened butter. Mix to incorporate.
Turn dough onto unfloured surface if kneading by hand, or knead using a dough hook on a stand mixer. Knead for about 5 minutes, until smooth and springy.
In a bowl large enough for the dough to double in size, cover and let rest for 2 hours at room temperature (or warmer—in your oven with the light on is ideal).
Once dough has doubled in size, turn onto lightly floured surface. Gently deflate and pat into long rectangle. Fold in thirds lengthwise and in half width-wise, forming a small rectangle. Wrap and refrigerate overnight, or at least 8 hours.
Grate and freeze additional butter.
Directions for Butter:
Remove dough from refrigerator.
On a floured surface, roll dough into 15x7” rectangle. Cover half of the dough with frozen butter, and fold other half over, sealing edges as much as possible.
Roll from the center out, until you have a 24x8” rectangle.
Fold 2/3 of the dough into the center. Fold the remaining third into meet the other. Roll out to smooth, then fold in half. Roll out again to 24x8”.
Fold right 1/3 of the dough into the center. Fold left 1/3 over the right. Roll out again.
Wrap, refrigerate 1 hour if possible! (Can skip if you must, but the dough might be more difficult to work with—it might spring back and resist rolling out.)
Directions for Assembly:
Use half of your dough at a time. Refrigerate remaining half as you assemble the first half.
Roll dough into a rectangle 18 inches long, 9 inches wide, 1/8 inch thick.
Use a sharp, non-serrated knife to cut dough into 6 – 8 triangles.
Roll each triangle, starting at the wide base and rolling in toward the point.
Arrange on a baking sheet lined with greased parchment paper or silicone mat.
Let proof 2 and 1/2 to 3 hours at room temperature. (Ideally in your oven with the light on.)*
*Can skip this step, but it will drastically affect the final texture of your croissants. See To Proof or Not to Proof section of article for details.
Berry Compote
- 1 cup blueberries or berry of choice
- 2 tablespoon – 1/4 cup water or tea of choice
- 1/8 teaspoon cinnamon
- Sprinkle of nutmeg (optional)
- Squeeze of lemon juice
Place all ingredients in a saucepan on medium heat. Let simmer 10-20 minutes, stirring occasionally to break down fruit and avoid sticking to pan.
Once it has reached desired consistency, remove from heat.
Serve immediately over croffles, or cool and store in an airtight container in fridge up to a week.
Enjoy!
