Danish Pastry Pinwheels
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Make bakery-style buttery flaky Danish pastry pinwheels in your own kitchen with this step-by-step tutorial and video. Today, we top these pinwheels with cream cheese and jam.
We spoke all about Danish pastry previously and I shared some wonderful Danish creations with you already. These pinwheels are probably the easiest of all pastries. Of course, the most important thing about any danish is the dough. That is why every Danish recipe I share with you is detailed with a video and progress pictures. Those layers of butter multiplied between rolling and chilling several times.
Why make this Danish pastry
- As I said above, we are using the Danish pastry dough as our base with cream cheese and jam as our choice for filling, as we did in our strawberry braid. And yet, you can certainly use pastry cream as we did in our raisin Danish pastry spirals or almond cream, and as we did in our blackberry braid.
- It’s a very forgiving dough that’s easy to knead with a stand mixer or by hand. There are four main components to this danish pastry pinwheels :
- The dough – this is simple yeast-based dough with eggs, butter, and sugar. It can be soft and sticky to work with, so don’t skip the chilling times.
- Butter block – yes, it is lots of butter, which we cream with a little flour and then laminate between the dough. The purpose of the flour in the butter is to help stabilize it. Most professionals often skip the flour, but I recommend you use it.
- Cream cheese – made with cream cheese, egg yolk, sugar, and vanilla.
- Jam – you can use whatever jam you want. Today, I used my berry jam.
Bakers schedule
The process and timeline for making this danish pastry are fairly simple as well. Here’s my guide for you to use.
- Make and chill the dough – 10 + 15 mins
- Make and chill the butter block – 10 + 15 minutes
- Laminate the dough – 10 minutes
- First fold, then chill the dough – 10 + 20 minutes
- Second fold, then chill the dough – 10 + 20 minutes
- Third fold, then chill the dough – 10 + 2 hours (up to 48 hours)
- Prepare cream cheese – 10 minutes
- Prepare apricot glaze – 5 minutes
- Shape the danish – 20 minutes
- Proof the danish – 45 minutes
- Bake – 15 to 20 minutes
- Active time – 1 hr 40 mins, Inactive time – 4hrs 30 mins
Ingredients and substitutes
- All-purpose flour – Yes, plain all-purpose flour works perfectly with Danish pastry dough. Don’t use bread flour and definitely do not use self-raising flour.
- Sugar – Danish is a sweet dough, but you can definitely reduce the sugar by half if you prefer.
- Liquid – Danish is made with milk. Use full-fat milk, not skim or similar.
- Yeast – I am using instant dry yeast today, and yet you can certainly use other varieties of yeast, including active dry yeast as well as fresh baker’s yeast. Read all about yeast and its substitutes here – baking with yeast a beginner’s guide.
- Butter – The best butter to use is European unsalted butter. The reason for that is that good European butter has a high-fat content. High-fat means less moisture, which can cause the butter to melt and create steam in the pastry when baking. Make sure to use room temperature softened butter for the dough.
Danish pastry pinwheels
Apricot glaze
- Heat the apricot jam and water on low heat until dissolved. Strain through a sieve – set aside until ready to use.
Pro tip – If necessary, warm in the microwave for 10 seconds before using it.
Cream cheese spread
- Combine all ingredients in a bowl. Keep in the fridge until ready to use.
Danish dough
- Dry ingredients – In the bowl of a stand mixer with the hook attachment combine flour and salt. Set aside. You can also use a food processor to make this dough.
Pro tip – Salt slows fermentation so we add it to the flour rather than directly into the wet mixture. - Yeast mixture – In a measuring cup or bowl, combine milk, sugar, yeast, egg, and vanilla extract.
Pro tip – you don’t need to activate the instant variety but, I like to ensure my yeast is good. So, I leave the mixture aside for 3 to 5 minutes, if it foams it’s good to go. - Wet to dry – Then, add the yeast mixture to the flour mixture. Combine on medium-high until all flour is incorporated. Knead a minute more.
Pro tip – the dough will be soft and sticky but do not add any more flour just yet. - Knead – Then, gradually add the room temperature butter, one tablespoon at a time. Then, knead for 3 minutes on medium Alternatively, you can knead by hand for 5 to 7 minutes.
- Rest – The dough will be soft and slightly sticky. Remove from the mixer, and shape into a ball. Place in an oiled bowl, cover with plastic wrap and chill for 15 minutes.
Pro tip – Unless the dough is too soft and sticky you do not need to add any more flour. Also, if necessary add a few tablespoons only.
Butter blocks
- Template – Use a parchment paper to create a template 12 x 6-inches (see video) – set aside.
- Cream – In the same bowl of the electric mixer bowl (no need to wash), cream the butter and flour just until combined. Transfer to the prepared parchment paper template. Spread evenly with a spatula. Use a rolling pin to guide it inside of the template towards the corners (see video).
- Divide – Use a ruler to mark them at 6 inches. So, now this will give you two 6 x 6-inch blocks (see video).
Pro tip – we need 2 sheets of butter 6 x 6 inches each. You can use a 6-inches square baking pan to make two such blocks. This 12 x 6 method ensures the blocks are even.
Pro tip – be gentle with the rolling pin using a spreading motion so the butter doesn’t come out of the corners. - Chill in the fridge for 15 minutes.
Pro tip – We want the fat to be cold but still be flexible so that when we roll it will spread between the folds. If you chill too long it will break rather than spread.
Laminate the dough
- Roll – Transfer the dough to a lightly floured surface. Roll to a long rectangle of 7 x 18-inches.
- Fold – Open the butter block and divide it into 2 at the mark you created. Now you should have two – 6 x 6-inch blocks. Place one block over the center. Fold one side over. Then, place the second block on top and fold the other side over.
Pro tip – Now you should have layers of dough, butter, dough, butter, dough – makes sense? - Chill – Wrap the dough, place it on a baking sheet, and into the refrigerator – chill for 15 minutes.
Pro tip – if the dough and butter are still cold when you wrap you can continue with the first fold. Also, in warm places, you may need more cooling time.
Folds / turns
- Turn the dough – Roll the chilled pastry dough into a rectangle – with the short side facing you. Roll to a rectangle approximately 6 x 12-inches.
- First fold – Fold the dough lengthways into thirds like a business letter (see video). Wrap in plastic on a baking sheet and place into the fridge to chill for 30 minutes.
- Second fold – Roll the dough lengthways again with the short side facing you – (see video) to about 6 x 12-inch long again. Fold the dough into thirds again like a business letter (see video). Place in the fridge for 30 minutes if necessary.
- Third fold – Roll the dough lengthways again with the short side facing you – (see video) to about 6 x 12-inch long again. Fold the dough into thirds again like a business letter (see video).
- Chill – After the third fold, chill in the fridge for at least two hours or until well chilled. This can be chilled for up to 48 hours.
Pro tip– it is very important that the dough be well cold before using; otherwise, the folds will blend ruining all your effort. - Divide – Roll the dough into a 6 x 12-inches rectangle. Divide into 2. Place one in the fridge while you work on the second one.
Pro tip – you want to work in batches so the dough stays cold at all times. Also, it means you won’t roll too thick.
Shape the pinwheels
- Roll – Roll the dough to about 12 x 12-inch square. Trim edges so you have straight sharp edges.
Pro tip – I roll to about 13 x 13 so I can trim the edges on all sides and get a 12 x 12-inches square. Trimming will open the layers and give a better rise. - Squares – You can use the sheet as a whole or cut it into 3 x 3-inch squares, (about 16). Mark at 3-inch from either side as shown in the video.
Pro tip – Place the squares in the fridge to keep cold. Work with a few at a time especially if you like in hot and humid conditions. - Shape – Cut the corners of the square three-quarters of the way towards the center. Fold every other point towards the center. Press to seal in the center.
Pro tip – it sounds complicated but it’s not. See the progress pictures or the video to see how this is done. - Proof – Place on a baking tray and cover the pinwheels with a clean kitchen cloth – let poof for 45 minutes.
Fill and Bake
- Oven – Preheat the oven at 375°F/ 190°C / Gas Mark 5. Brush the pastry with a beaten egg.
- Fill – Pipe a generous dollop of the cream cheese filling in the center, topped with a generous squeeze of jam. (see video).
- Bake – Bake in the hot oven for 15 to 20 minutes until rich golden brown.
Pro tip – if the pastries become too dark while baking, tent them with an aluminum foil. - Glaze- Remove from the oven and let cool on the tray for 10 minutes. Then, using a pastry brush glaze them with the prepared apricot glaze.
Pro tip – if you brush while the pastry is very hot it will absorb all the glaze and become too sweet and you won’t have that shiny appearance. - Cool – Transfer to a cooling rack and cool them completely before storing. These pastries are best enjoyed on the day they are baked. But, they also freeze well for months.
Tips for success
- Knead the dough soft, not firm consistency. This will make it easier to roll. So, avoid adding too much flour.
- Chill the dough well before lamination, this will help the butter in the dough chill and make it easier to roll.
- When laminating the dough, ensure the butter is cold but not hard. Seal the butter properly so it does not come out.
- While chilling the dough is important, overchilling can cause the butter to shatter into pieces when rolling.
- Fold the dough – for the purpose of home baking we have used the classic book fold. This is done three times for croissants and danish pastry. There are other types of folds that we will cover in future recipes.
- It is very important to chill the dough for at least 30 minutes between folds so the butter is cold but still spreadable not hard.
- When the dough is done, after folding it three times, the dough can be kept in the fridge for up to 48 hours. Alternatively, you can freeze it for up to 3 months. I divide my dough into 2 and use one portion at a time.
- Don’t roll the dough too thin. This will give you more pastries but the layers will be lost.
Troubleshooting
- My Danish pastry was baked too dark brown – some home ovens, especially the fan-assisted oven, can cause pastries to become dark quickly. You can tent the Danishes with parchment paper or foil. For the next batch, brush the pastries with egg white instead of egg yolks.
- My pastry melted, all the butter had melted in the oven? – If the pan has lots of melted butter, it means the oven temperature was too low or the oven was not properly preheated. Ensure your oven is preheated for at least 20 minutes before you put the danishes in.
- My Danish pastries are too big – If you follow the above measurements you should get standard-size pastries. Rolling the dough too thick means thicker layers but the pastry will also look bulky. Rolling too thin means the layers will be lost baking the layers thin and crisp.
More pastry recipes
- Danish Pastry – Dough, filling, and shaping
- Danish Pastry – Cream Cheese Cylinders
- Raisin Danish Pastry – Pain Au Raisin
- Types of Pastry
- Choux Pastry Recipe
- Cream Puffs – Cheesecake Cream Puffs, Tiramisu Cream Puffs
- Classic Puff Pastry from Scratch – Pate Feuillettee
- Blackberry Braided Puff Pastry, Strawberry Braided Pastry,
- Braided Apple Puff Pastry
Frequently asked questions
Is Danish dough the same as puff pastry?
Both puff pastry and Danish are laminated dough, but they are not the same. Puff pastry does not have yeast, sugar, or milk. The Danish dough is yeast-based with eggs, sugar and milk.
Is croissant dough the same as Danish pastry dough?
Both croissant dough and Danish pastry are laminated dough but they are not the same.
Danish is a sweet dough made with yeast, milk, and eggs. It is Crispy, tender, light, and flaky.
Danish is much heavier than croissants because it contains more butter along with other ingredients like eggs, which is not in croissants.
Croissant dough can be used for sweet and savory pastries, but Danish is a sweet pastry.
Why do we add flour to the butter block?
The purpose of the flour in the butter block is to stabilize it. It will take care of any excess moisture in the butter. I highly recommend using it.
What is the best temperature to bake these Danish pastries?
The best way to bake laminated pastries is to place them in a hot oven so the layers open up and the butter between the layers is cooked off instantly leaving no time for it to melt. But, you also want them to continue cooking without becoming too dark on the outside. The ideal temperature for homemade danish I find is 190 C/ 375F for 20 to 25 minutes. Tent the pastries if they are becoming brown quickly.
Danish Pastry Pinwheels
Print Pin Rate Share by Email Share on FB Save GrowCalories: 208kcal
Adjust Servings Here: 32 Pinwheels
Description
Make bakery-style buttery flaky Danish pastry pinwheels in your own kitchen with this step-by-step tutorial and video. Today, we top these pinwheels with cream cheese and jam.
Video
Ingredients
Full batch makes 32 Pinwheels
Danish dough
- 4 cups (500 g) All-purpose flour
- 2 tsp Salt
- 1 cup (240 ml) Milk (full-fat)
- ¼ cup (50 g) Sugar
- 2 ¼ tsp (7 g) Instant dry yeast ((1 packet))
- 1 Egg large
- 1 tsp Vanilla extract
- ¼ cup (4.00 tbsp) Butter (unsalted)
Butter block
- 1 ½ cup (340 g) Butter ((3 sticks) unsalted, room temperature)
- 4 tbsp All-purpose flour
Cream cheese
- ½ cup (100 g) Cream cheese (35% or more)
- 2 tbsp Sugar
- 1 Egg yolk
- ½ tsp Vanilla extract
- ½ tsp Lemon zest
Apricot glaze
- ½ cup Apricot jam
- ¼ cup (60 ml) Water
Plus
- 1 Egg (beaten)
- ½ cup Jam (I used homemade blackberry)
Instructions
Apricot glaze
- Heat the apricot jam and water on low heat until dissolved. Strain through a sieve – set aside until ready to use. Pro tip – If necessary, warm in the microwave for 10 seconds before using it.
Cream cheese spread
- Combine all ingredients in a bowl. Keep in the fridge until ready to use.
Danish dough
- Dry ingredients – In the bowl of a stand mixer with the hook attachment combine flour and salt. Set aside. You can also use a food processor to make this dough. Pro tip – Salt slows fermentation so we add it to the flour rather than directly into the wet mixture.
- Yeast mixture – In a measuring cup or bowl, combine milk, sugar, yeast, egg, and vanilla extract. Pro tip – you don't need to activate the instant variety but, I like to ensure my yeast is good. So, I leave the mixture aside for 3 to 5 minutes, if it foams it's good to go.
- Wet to dry – Then, add the yeast mixture to the flour mixture. Combine on medium-high until all flour is incorporated. Knead a minute more.Pro tip – the dough will be soft and sticky but do not add any more flour just yet.
- Knead – Then, gradually add the room temperature butter, one tablespoon at a time. Then, knead for 3 minutes on medium Alternatively, you can knead by hand for 5 to 7 minutes.
- Rest – The dough will be soft and slightly sticky. Remove from the mixer, and shape into a ball. Place in an oiled bowl, cover with plastic wrap and chill for 15 minutes.Pro tip – Unless the dough is too soft and sticky you do not need to add any more flour. Also, if necessary add a few tablespoons only.
Butter blocks
- Template – Use a parchment paper to create a template 12 x 6-inches (see video) – set aside.
- Cream – In the same bowl of the electric mixer bowl (no need to wash), cream the butter and flour just until combined. Transfer to the prepared parchment paper template. Spread evenly with a spatula. Use a rolling pin to guide it inside of the template towards the corners (see video).
- Divide – Use a ruler to mark them at 6 inches. So, now this will give you two 6 x 6-inch blocks (see video). Pro tip – we need 2 sheets of butter 6 x 6 inches each. You can use a 6-inches square baking pan to make two such blocks. This 12 x 6 method ensures the blocks are even. Pro tip – be gentle with the rolling pin using a spreading motion so the butter doesn't come out of the corners.
- Chill in the fridge for 15 minutes.Pro tip – We want the fat to be cold but still be flexible so that when we roll it will spread between the folds. If you chill too long it will break rather than spread.
Laminate the dough
- Roll – Transfer the dough to a lightly floured surface. Roll to a long rectangle of 7 x 18-inches.
- Fold – Open the butter block and divide it into 2 at the mark you created. Now you should have two – 6 x 6-inch blocks. Place one block over the center. Fold one side over. Then, place the second block on top and fold the other side over. Pro tip – Now you should have layers of dough, butter, dough, butter, dough – makes sense?
- Chill – Wrap the dough, place it on a baking sheet, and into the refrigerator – chill for 15 minutes.Pro tip – if the dough and butter are still cold when you wrap you can continue with the first fold. Also, in warm places, you may need more cooling time.
Folds / turns
- Turn the dough – Roll the chilled pastry dough into a rectangle – with the short side facing you. Roll to a rectangle approximately 6 x 12-inches.
- First fold – Fold the dough lengthways into thirds like a business letter (see video). Wrap in plastic on a baking sheet and place into the fridge to chill for 30 minutes.
- Second fold – Roll the dough lengthways again with the short side facing you – (see video) to about 6 x 12-inch long again. Fold the dough into thirds again like a business letter (see video). Place in the fridge for 30 minutes if necessary.
- Third fold – Roll the dough lengthways again with the short side facing you – (see video) to about 6 x 12-inch long again. Fold the dough into thirds again like a business letter (see video).
- Chill – After the third fold, chill in the fridge for at least two hours or until well chilled. This can be chilled for up to 48 hours.Pro tip– it is very important that the dough be well cold before using; otherwise, the folds will blend ruining all your effort.
- Divide – Roll the dough into a 6 x 12-inches rectangle. Divide into 2. Place one in the fridge while you work on the second one.Pro tip – you want to work in batches so the dough stays cold at all times. Also, it means you won't roll too thick.
Shape the pinwheels
- Roll – Roll the dough to about 12 x 12-inch square. Trim edges so you have straight sharp edges.Pro tip – I roll to about 13 x 13 so I can trim the edges on all sides and get a 12 x 12-inches square. Trimming will open the layers and give a better rise.
- Squares – You can use the sheet as a whole or cut it into 3 x 3-inch squares, (about 16). Mark at 3-inch from either side as shown in the video. Pro tip – Place the squares in the fridge to keep cold. Work with a few at a time especially if you like in hot and humid conditions.
- Shape – Cut the corners of the square three-quarters of the way towards the center. Fold every other point towards the center. Press to seal in the center.Pro tip – it sounds complicated but it's not. See the progress pictures or the video to see how this is done.
- Proof – Place on a baking tray and cover the pinwheels with a clean kitchen cloth – let poof for 45 minutes.
Fill and Bake
- Oven – Preheat the oven at 375°F/ 190°C / Gas Mark 5. Brush the pastry with a beaten egg.
- Bake – Bake in the hot oven for 15 to 20 minutes until rich golden brown. Pro tip – if the pastries become too dark while baking, tent them with an aluminum foil.
- Glaze- Remove from the oven and let cool on the tray for 10 minutes. Then, using a pastry brush glaze them with the prepared apricot glaze. Pro tip – if you brush while the pastry is very hot it will absorb all the glaze and become too sweet and you won't have that shiny appearance.
- Cool – Transfer to a cooling rack and cool them completely before storing. These pastries are best enjoyed on the day they are baked. But, they also freeze well for months.
Recipe Notes & Tips
Tips for making homemade danish pastry
- Knead the dough soft, not firm consistency. This will make it easier to roll. So, avoid adding too much flour.
- Chill the dough well before lamination, this will help the butter in the dough chill and make it easier to roll.
- When laminating the dough, ensure the butter is cold but not hard. Seal the butter properly so it does not come out.
- While chilling the dough is important, overchilling can cause the butter to shatter into pieces when rolling.
- Fold the dough – for the purpose of home baking we have used the classic book fold. This is done three times for croissants and danish pastry. There are other types of folds that we will cover in future recipes.
- It is very important to chill the dough for at least 30 minutes between folds so the butter is cold but still spreadable not hard.
- When the dough is done, after folding it three times, the dough can be kept in the fridge for up to 48 hours.
Alternatively, you can freeze it for up to 3 months. I divide my dough into 2 and use one portion at a time. - Don’t roll the dough too thin. This will give you more pastries but the layers will be lost.
Conversions Used
1 lb = 453 grams, 1 cup = 240 ml, 1 stick = 113g, 1 tbsp= 15 ml, 1 tsp= 5 ml,
Nutrition Information
Calories: 208– kcalCarbohydrates: 22– gProtein: 3– gFat: 12– gSaturated Fat: 7– gCholesterol: 48– mgSodium: 257– mgPotassium: 48– mgFiber: 1– gSugar: 7– gVitamin A: 402– IUVitamin C: 1– mgCalcium: 21– mgIron: 1– mg
The nutrition information and metric conversion are calculated automatically. I cannot guarantee its accuracy. If this data is important to you please verify with your trusted nutrition calculator. Thank you
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USEFUL TIPS AND TOOLS
“Also, you will need a baking tray to move the dough in and out of the oven between folds.”
Uh, Veena, you sure that’s right?” (no wink emoji available).
Ah.. yes, fridge not oven. Thanks, fixed it.
Great recipe, VEENA. One thing – I know it’s self evident – but nowhere in the instructions do I see the part of filling the Pinwheels with whatever you’re using. You go from proof to egg wash to glaze. BTW, when making the glaze, using simple syrup instead of plain water works better. Doesn’t water down the flavor of the jam.
Thank you, Bryan. I see I missed a line. Thank you for bringing it to my attention. Just fixed it. I find water is always for most people, while sugar syrup is another thing to do. Thanks
With Covid I’m starting to experiment with baking. Though I’m not much of a baker, but these look delicious. Thanks for sharing the recipe…something to try beyond baking bread 🙂
Thank you, Rosemary. I hope you try this one – it’s easier than you think