Danish Pastry
Coooking Temperature: 375°F/ 190°C / Gas Mark 5
Calories: 10
Adjust Servings Here: 32 Pastries
Description
Make your own Danish pastry (also called breakfast pastry) from scratch with a variety of wonderful fillings and shapes. This flaky, buttery, rich pastry is a laminated dough similar to croissants and puff pastry.
Ingredients
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 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 (30 g) All-purpose flour
Cream cheese
- ½ cup (113 g) Cream cheese 35% or more
- 2 tbsp Sugar
- 1 Egg yolk
- ½ tsp Vanilla extract
- ½ tsp Lemon zest
Pastry cream
- 1 cup (240 ml) Milk
- ½ cup (120 ml) Whipping cream
- ¼ cup (4 tbsp) Sugar
- 4 Egg yolks large
- 2 tbsp All-purpose flour
- 1 tsp Vanilla bean paste
Frangipani Almond filing
- ¼ cup (60 g) Butter unsalted, room temperature
- ½ cup (60 g) Almond meal (ground almonds)
- ¼ cup (50 g) Sugar
- 2 tbsp All-purpose flour
- 1 Egg yolk large
- 1 tsp Vanilla extract
Apricot glaze
- ½ cup (120 g) Apricot jam
- ¼ cup (60 ml) Water
Plus
- 1 Egg beaten
- ½ cup (170 g) Jam I used homemade blackberry
Instructions
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.4 cups All-purpose flour, 2 tsp Salt
- Yeast mixture - In a measuring cup or bowl, combine milk, sugar, yeast, egg, and vanilla.1 cup Milk, 1/4 cup Sugar, 2 1/4 tsp Instant dry yeast, 1 Egg large, 1 tsp Vanilla extract
- 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.
- 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.1/4 cup Butter
- Rest - The dough will be soft and slightly sticky. Remove from the mixer, shape into a ball. Place in an oil bowl and chill for 15 minutes.
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.1 1/2 cup Butter, 4 tbsp All-purpose flour
- Divide - Use a rolling pin to guide it inside the template towards the corners (see video). Chill in the fridge for 15 minutes.
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.
- Chill - Wrap the dough, place it on a baking sheet, and put it in the refrigerator - chill for 15 minutes.
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 inches 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 inches 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.
- Divide - Roll the dough into a 6 x 12-inch rectangle. Divide into 2. Place one in the fridge while you work on the second one.
Shape the Danish (see video or progress pictures )
- Roll the dough to about a 12 x 12-inch square. Trim edges so you have straight, sharp edges.
- You can use the sheet as a whole or cut it into 3 x 3-inch squares (about 16). Mark at 3 inches from either side as shown in the video.
Pinwheels
- 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. Pipe a generous dollop of filling in the center.
- Place on a baking tray and cover with a clean kitchen cloth. Transfer to the refrigerator to keep cold.
Cylinders or fold over
- Pipe a tablespoon of the filling on the square diagonally.
- Fold the two sides over each other diagonally (see video). Place on a baking tray and cover with a clean kitchen cloth. Transfer to the refrigerator to keep cold.
Cockscomb
- Place filling in the top half of the square. Fold the other side over. Use water to stick if necessary.
- Cut slits so it looks like a comb and when flared it bakes like a cockscomb. Place on a baking tray and cover with a clean kitchen cloth. Transfer to the refrigerator to keep cold.
Kite, frame, or envelope
- Fold the square into a triangle. Make two cuts on the outside edge, leaving about 1/4 inch from the edge of the triangle. You just created a frame outside an inner square
- Open the triangle. Take one side of the frame you created and place it on the other side of the inner square. Then take the other side frame and do the same. The two outer frames you created will overlap, creating a kite shape (see the video and progress pictures).
- Pipe a generous amount of filling in the center.
- Place on a baking tray and cover with a clean kitchen cloth. Transfer to the refrigerator to keep cold.
Square
- Bring the four corners of the square to meet in the center. Press down to prevent opening.
- Pipe a generous dollop of filling in the center.
- Place on a baking tray and cover with a clean kitchen cloth. Transfer to the refrigerator to cool.
Stars
- Fold the square into a triangle and cut an edge about 1/2 inch towards the center. Open the triangle, fold it again on the other side, and do the same. So now you have cut edges on all four sides of the square.
- Bring the four corners toward the center. Press down so it won't open. Pipe a generous dollop of filling in the center. I piped cheese and jam - (see video).1/2 cup Jam
- Place on a baking tray and cover with a clean kitchen cloth. Transfer to the refrigerator to keep cold.
Fruit puffs or Apricot puffs
- Use two 3-squares the same size. Using a 1 1/2-inch cookie cutter, cut a disc from the center out of one of the squares.
- Place the hollowed center square over the first square using water to stick them together. Pipe a generous dollop of filling in the center.
- Place on a baking tray and cover with a clean kitchen cloth. Transfer to the refrigerator to keep cold.
Braid
- Using a utility knife or pizza wheel, cut slanting strips along both sides of the pastry. Leaving the center empty.
- Pipe a generous amount of filling in the center. I used apple filling (see video).
- Braid the pastry by crossing the strips over the filling, overlapping each other (see video).
- Place on a baking tray and cover with a clean kitchen cloth. Transfer to the refrigerator to keep cold.
Bake the Danish
- Proof - Once you've created the shapes and filled them with your choice of filling. Let them proof for 45 minutes.
- Oven - Preheat the oven at 375°F/ 190°C / Gas Mark 5. Brush the pastry with a beaten egg.1 Egg
- Bake - Bake in the hot oven for 15 to 20 minutes until rich, golden brown.
- Glaze- Remove from the oven and let cool on the tray for 10 minutes. Then, glaze them with the prepared apricot glaze. (below)
- 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.
Apricot glaze
Cream cheese spread
- Combine all ingredients in a bowl. Keep in the fridge until ready to use.1/2 cup Cream cheese, 2 tbsp Sugar, 1 Egg yolk, 1/2 tsp Vanilla extract, 1/2 tsp Lemon zest
Pastry Cream
- In a heavy-bottomed saucepan, add the egg yolks, sugar, flour, and vanilla. Combine until smooth. Gradually add the milk and cream, stirring with a whisk to prevent lumps.1/2 cup Whipping cream, ¼ cup Sugar, 4 Egg yolks, 2 tbsp All-purpose flour, 1 tsp Vanilla bean paste, 1 cup Milk
- Then, place on medium heat - cook, stirring continuously until thick and coats the back of a wooden spoon. Strain through a sieve or mesh to remove any curdled eggs.
- Cover with plastic wrap, making sure the plastic touches the surface of the pastry cream to prevent skin from forming. Chill in the fridge for 4 to 6 hours.
Frangipani almond filling
- Combine all ingredients in a bowl. Keep in the fridge until ready to use.1/4 cup Butter , 1/2 cup Almond meal, 1/4 cup Sugar, 2 tbsp All-purpose flour, 1 Egg yolk, 1 Egg, 1 tsp Vanilla extract
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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