Dessert: Bronuts from Cravings Carryout Cafe

Matt Tewanger has shape-shifting brioche dough. It’s shown up as buns for savory sandwiches, dinner rolls to go and cinnamon rolls for breakfast at his 400-square-foot Cravings Carryout Cafe. “We’ve done everything that we could possibly do with our brioche,” Tewanger says. “Bronuts just seemed like a natural next fit.” The pastry-chef-turned-cafe-owner is referring to the brioche-doughnut hybrid that quickly earned a following when featured as a one-day special over the summer. Maybe it’s the funny name, or locals eager to taste the next cronut—but as Tewanger fried more than 100 bronuts, eight at a time inside small pots of oil, a line of customers snaked out the door and around the block in Italian Village. “That never happens here,” he says. “I heard the wait was about 20 minutes.” Tewanger—who likes to mix savory elements into his sweets—kept the brioche dough intact, heavy on butter with no added sugar. The result is a fluffy, flaky and rather tall pastry he covers in three styles of glazes: blueberry, original glazed and maple pecan.

For now, bronuts will be featured only as a rotating special, so save the date for the next batch that’ll be fried up on Saturday, Nov. 8. Tewanger sold out within hours last time, so get there early.

Photo by Will Shilling