Italian-Bakery Crumb Buns
Also called crumb buns, crumb cake, New Jersey crumb cake
A yeasted base under big pasta frolla crumbs, baked in a 9 × 13 inch pan.
- Makes
- 12 squares
Based on the crumb buns of a 1950s Italian bakery in Berkeley Heights, New Jersey
Ingredients
Amounts are for the recipe. Sizes, times and temperatures in the method are not scaled.
Yeasted base
Frolla crumb topping
Amounts worked out from the other system are rounded.
Method
Yeasted base
Mix the flour (300 g2½ cups), granulated sugar (50 g¼ cup), yeast (6 g2 tsp), salt (6 g1 tsp), milk (150 ml⅔ cup), eggs (2) and vanilla (1 tsp) and knead 4 minutes. Add the unsalted butter (85 g6 tbsp) in pieces and knead 6 to 8 minutes more, until the dough is smooth and slightly tacky.
Let it rise 1 hour at room temperature, or overnight in the refrigerator.
Press the dough into a buttered, parchment-lined 9 × 13 inch pan. Rest it 10 minutes and press again to reach the corners. Proof 45 to 60 minutes, until visibly puffed but not doubled. Brush lightly with melted butter.
Crumb topping
Rub the unsalted butter (150 g10½ tbsp) into the flour (300 g2½ cups), granulated sugar (180 g¾ cup + 2 tbsp), salt (½ tsp) and baking powder (2 g½ tsp), with the lemon zest if using, until the mixture looks like coarse sand. Add the egg yolks (2) and vanilla (1 tsp) and toss with a fork until it forms clumps the size of peas and marbles. Do not knead it into a dough. Chill 20 minutes.
Break the topping into irregular pieces and scatter them over the proofed base. Do not press.
Bake
Bake at 350°F for 28 to 32 minutes, until the crumbs are golden and firm to a fingertip. If they are still pale, give them another 8 minutes at 325°F.
Cool uncovered on a rack. Dust with confectioners' sugar just before serving and cut into 12 squares.
Notes
- Hard-boiled-yolk crumb. For the other version of the topping, replace the 2 raw yolks with the sieved yolks of 3 hard-boiled eggs plus 1 to 2 tbsp cold water. The base and the bake are the same.