Source: The Complete Book of Pastry, Sweet and Savory. B. Clayton
Makes 1 serving.
Preparation time: 3 hours
Tips: Snail, bear claws, pin wheels and much more.
Danish Pastry Dough
D’Angleterre Classic
Ingredients
Preparation
4 1/2 teaspoons active dry yeast (2 packages)
1 1/2 cups water
1/2 cup non-fat dry milk
5 1/2 cups all-purpose flour, approximately
1/3 cup granulated sugar
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon ground cardamom, optional
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 eggs, room temperature
2 egg yolks, room temperature
2 ounces butter (1/2 stick), room temperature
3/4 pound unsalted butter (3 sticks), chilled, to layer
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
1. Using electric mixer: In a medium bowl mix yeast, water and dry milk. Stir to dissolve yeast. Place 3 cups flour, sugar, salt and cardamom in the mixer bowl. Attach bowl and flat beater blade. At slow speed blend dry ingredients. Slowly pour in yeast liquid. Blend well. Add vanilla, eggs, egg yolks and butter or margarine. When all these ingredients are blended into a batter-like mixture, remove the flat blade and attach the dough hook. Turn to low speed ( no.2 on KitchenAid) and add flour, 1/2 cup at a time, allowing each addition of flour to be worked into the dough. When dough clings to the hook and cleans the sides of the bowl, enough flour has been added.
2. Knead for 3 to 4 minutes, or until the dough is soft, smooth and elastic. This is a shorter-than-usual kneading period for a yeast dough, but Danish calls for a weak gluten formation.
3. Refrigerate dough to rest for 1 hours. Wrap dough in plastic wrap or foil and place in the refrigerator. This begins the rising process and also cools the dough to accept the cold butter.
4. Prepare butter by blending butter with 1/4 cup flour to give it greater stability in the oven and to lessen the chance of its oozing from the dough.
Option A: (10 minutes ahead). Place the 3 sticks of butter side by side on a length of wax paper on the work surface. Tap and beat the butter with a rolling pin until it is flat and softened. With a dough blade or spatula work 1/4 cup flour into the butter. Shape the butter into a 10x12-inch rectangle. Cover with wax paper and set aside.
Option B: (2 hours ahead). There is an easier way to blend the flour into the butter and then shape it into the desired rectangle, but it must be done 2 or more hours before the fat is to be layered in. Allow the butter to soften at room temperature. With a spatula or dough scraper knead the butter into a soft mass and add the flour. Blend the butter and flour. Shape the mixture into a flat 10x12-inch rectangle on a length of wax paper. Place in the refrigerator to chill to 60F degrees.
5.Layering the butter into the dough:
1st turn: Roll to 10x18-inch. Add butter. Fold in three as a letter. Refrigerate for 10 minutes.
2d turn: Roll to 10x18-inch. Fold. Refrigerate 10 minutes.
3d turn: Roll to 10x18-inch. Fold. Wrap the dough in damp cloth or plastic then place inside a plastic bag and seal so it won't dry out and form a crust.
6. Refrigerate for 30 minutes or overnight inside a bag. The bag should be large enough to allow the dough to rise and expand without splitting the bag and breaking through the plastic.
7. Rolling out the dough. Place the chilled dough on a floured work surface and roll into a long rectangle 10x18-inches.
8. Final step. Cut from the dough the amount called for in the recipe ( a quarter, a third or half). Cut across the layers. Place reserved pieces flat in a plastic bag and return them to the refrigerator until needed. May keep refrigerated for a couple of days.
NOTE: 1) Use always a cookie tray with a rim so that oozing butter during baking won't drip out of tray.
2) Use parchment paper, Teflon sheets or prepare tray with shortening and flour.
3) Dough can be prepared in 3 hrs. however, it is best to prepare the day before and refrigerate overnight. Dough will keep refrigerated for a couple of days.
4) Danish Pastries recipe and Fillings and Frostings for specific use ideas.
Makes approximately 3 pounds of dough = 3 large Twists or 3 dozen medium pastries or 4 to 5 dozen miniature pastries.
