Scandinavian · Baking · Hard
Danish Pastry
Flaky, buttery layers wrapped around sweet fillings: the Danish classic that made the whole world love laminated dough.
The whole recipe in 60 seconds
Danish Pastry, in 5 ideas
- Keep everything cold; if the butter melts into the dough you lose the layers
- The overnight rest relaxes the gluten and improves flavor
- Do not overfill or the filling erupts in the oven
- A hot oven gives the best puff and browning
- Freeze unbaked shaped pastries and bake from frozen for fresh mornings
What you need
Ingredients
- 3 and 1/2 cups bread flour
- 1/4 cup sugar, 2 and 1/4 teaspoons instant yeast, 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 cup cold milk
- 1 egg
- 1 and 1/4 cups cold butter, for laminating
- 8 oz cream cheese
- 1/4 cup sugar and 1 teaspoon vanilla, for the filling
- Fruit jam of your choice
- 1 egg beaten with 1 tablespoon milk, for egg wash
- Powdered sugar glaze for finishing
How to make it
Directions
- Mix the dough ingredients and knead 6 minutes. Chill 1 hour.
- Pound the cold butter into a flat square between parchment. Roll the dough out, enclose the butter like a letter, and roll out again. Fold in thirds.
- Chill 30 minutes and repeat the fold two more times, chilling between each. Rest overnight.
- Roll to 1/4 inch thick and cut into squares. Add a spoonful of cream cheese filling and jam to each center.
- Fold corners to the center or shape as desired. Proof 45 minutes until puffy.
- Brush with egg wash and bake at 400 F for 15 to 18 minutes until deep golden. Glaze while warm.
Money saver. European-style butter has more fat and makes flakier layers; it is worth it for a special bake.