Go Back

Crumb Buns

Print Recipe

Ingredients
  

Cake

  • 2 ¼ cups 11 1/4 ounces all-purpose flour
  • ¾ cup milk
  • ¼ cup 1 3/4 ounces granulated sugar
  • 1 large egg
  • 2 ¼ teaspoons instant or rapid-rise yeast
  • ¾ teaspoon salt
  • 6 tablespoons unsalted butter cut into 6 pieces and softened

Topping

  • 18 tablespoons 2 1/4 sticks unsalted butter, melted
  • ¾ cup 5 1/4 ounces granulated sugar
  • ¾ cup packed 5 1/4 ounces brown sugar
  • 1 ½ teaspoons ground cinnamon
  • ½ teaspoon salt
  • 4 cups 16 ounces cake flour
  • Confectioners’ sugar

Instructions
 

  • For the cake:
  • Place oven rack to middle position and heat oven to 350°F.
  • Grease 13 by 9-inch baking dish.
  • In bowl of stand mixer fitted with dough hook, combine flour, milk, sugar, egg, yeast, and salt.
  • Knead on low speed until dough comes together, about 2 minutes.
  • With the mixer running, add butter 1 piece at a time.
  • Increase speed to medium-high and continue to knead until dough forms stretchy, web-like strands on sides of bowl, about 6 minutes longer (dough will be soft and sticky).
  • Using greased rubber spatula, transfer dough to prepared dish.
  • Using your floured hands, press dough into even layer to edges of dish.
  • Cover dish tightly with plastic wrap and let dough rise at room temperature until slightly puffy, about 1 hour.

Topping

  • minutes before dough has finished rising, whisk melted butter, granulated sugar, brown sugar, cinnamon, and salt together in bowl.
  • Add flour and stir with rubber spatula or wooden spoon until mixture forms thick, cohesive dough; let sit for 10 minutes to allow flour to hydrate.
  • If dough has pulled away from sides of dish after rising, gently pat it back into place using your floured fingers. Break topping mixture into rough 1/2-inch pieces using your fingers and scatter in even layer over dough in dish. (Be sure to scatter all crumbs even though it may seem like too much.)
  • Bake until crumbs are golden brown, wooden skewer inserted in center of cake comes out clean, and cake portion registers about 215°F in center, about 35 minutes.
  • Transfer dish to wire rack and let cake cool completely. Using spatula, transfer cake to cutting board; cut cake into 12 squares.
  • Dust squares with confectioners’ sugar and serve.