These Insta-Famous Cruffins Are So Delish, They’re Sold Out By 2pm On Weekends

Her bakers couldn’t keep up with the demand, hampered mainly by the fact that they had limited extra tall muffin moulds. It took about two weeks before the new moulds arrived from Taiwan, and today, the bakery churns out about 100 cruffins per day, which sell out by about 3pm on weekdays.

Photo: Aun Koh, Instagram

On weekends, they make 200 cruffins in two batches — one that gets on the shelves at about 7.45am and another at noon. The first batch typically sells out by 10am and the afternoon batch by 2pm.

Cruffins are essentially croissant dough twirled to fit a mould so that it rises upwards into the shape of a muffin. It is then baked and dusted with sugar so that it forms a light crust at the top. The filling — available here in lemon curd, caramel, chocolate and peanut butter — is piped into the pastries when they’ve cooled down. Brera didn’t create the cruffin, though. Apparently, it was first dreamt up by Kate Reid of Lune Croissanterie in Melbourne, Australia in 2013 and later popularised and trademarked by Mr. Holmes Bakehouse in San Francisco.

You bet. Beneath their friable outer shells that shatter to the bite in a shower of golden crumbs is a light, feathery and faintly sweet interior. The silken dough is so light that it practically dissolves in our mouths. We like peeling off the dough little by little, and dabbing each piece with a bit of the filling in the centre. We save the best part — the crunchy, sugary caps — for last.

As far as the fillings go, we like this sharp but luscious lemon curd best.

The generous amount of lemon curd goes wonderfully with the crusty-fluffy pastry and smooth dollop of torched meringue crowning it.

Photo: Croissant Queen, Instagram
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This toothsome creation comes in a close second. The caramel filling is not too sweet nor overly oozy, so it’s easy to eat. A touch more salt and this would’ve been faultless.

We like that this is dusted with cocoa powder, but the chocolate filling is too light and not chocolatey enough.

This is pumped with thick, gooey peanut butter, which is good if you’re a fan of the stuff.

It would’ve been even better if it had a dab of tart strawberry or raspberry jam to offset the richness of the peanut butter, though. So add some if you’re bringing this home, just like this Instagrammer did.

Photo: Croissant Queen, Instagram
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Husband and wife Jacky Chan (that's really his name!), 52, and Thrina Low, 53, started Bakery Brera in February 2016. Once the CEO of Siemens Philippines and head of Human Resources for AIA Singapore respectively, the couple hung up their corporate suits when they returned from a four-year job posting in the Philippines.

“It was a coincidence and a blessing. The bakery is located beside our church and at that time, the uncle there asked if we knew anyone who wanted to take over it,” explains Thrina. “My husband is a home baker and I’ve always enjoyed good artisanal loaves. So, when the opportunity came up, we thought, why not? We knew it would be tough but the location is good and there is a community of people who would appreciate the kind of food we wanted to sell.” The Chans have employed a team of pro bakers to churn out the goodies — including their excellent cruffins.

Besides cruffins, their French-style breads have been so popular that they now supply to establishments like The Kitchen By Wolfgang Puck, Italian restaurant La Barca, and American bagel restaurant Schmear. The expat community also loves their fragrant loaves, which are tender, with a gentle tang from long fermentation. The breads are typically kneaded in the mornings and left to ferment in the chiller for 16 hours before they are shaped and baked at 4am the next day.

Our favourite of the breads on offer is the ciabatta. It's light, airy and just a little chewy. Delicate yet flavourful, it is great for soaking up soups or a good olive oil. Meanwhile, the baguette is aromatic, chewy and crackly, with evenly distributed air pockets that suggest a light, well-risen dough. The Pain Au Levain is a great sourdough for beginners. Made mainly with French wheat flour supplemented with whole wheat flour, its golden crust is moist and chewy and give way to cottony, fluffy interiors that boast just the barest hint of yeasty tang.

These are the best hot cross buns we’ve had: fluffy white buns baked to soft squares and fortified with blackcurrants, raisins, cranberries, sultanas, orange peel and spices like nutmeg, which give them a lovely sweet warmth.

They are yummy on their own and even better given a quick toast in the oven and slathered with butter.

The most agreeable thing about this pastry (essentially rolled up croissant dough) is the thin layer of sugar that bakes into a deep caramel, encasing the crisp, buttery dough in a sweet, glassy crunch. Again, the lightness of the croissant dough gives this pastry a lovely balance. It’s sweet but not heavy and the perfect afternoon confection with a hot cuppa.

A thin disc of puff pastry serves as the base for slivers of tangy apples softly scented with sugar and cinnamon. At room temperature, they're soggy and unimpressive, but a warming blast in the oven transforms them into elegant, well-balanced desserts that are just lovely topped with vanilla ice cream. Buy these to serve at your next dinner party.

We wish our under-the-block bakery served breads and pastries as elegant and tasty as Brera's. We daresay eating a cruffin here is even more satisfying than gobbling a traditional croissant. The fact that it’s baked in moulds makes its exterior crisper, and the dough swells in a way that makes its crumb lighter and more feathery than a croissant's. Best to come in the mornings to avoid disappointment. In the event that these munchkins are sold out, console yourself with the almost-as-divine hot cross buns.

#01-05 Blk 8 Empress Rd, Tel: 6492-5428. Open daily except Mon. Tue-Sun 7am-7pm. www.facebook.com/bakerybrera

Photos: Aik Chen