Danish Pastry Braid
Serves: 4
Manley Abshire
1 January 1970
Based on User reviews:
48
Spice
47
Sweetness
51
Sourness
38
mins
Prep time (avg)
5.2
Difficulty
Ingredients:
4 cups
All-Purpose Flour1.5 cups
Unsalted Butter (3 sticks chilled)3 tsps
Water (warm)1 cup
Heavy Cream1 tsp
Salt1 cup
Sugar1 cup
Soft Butter (1/2 stick)1 cup
Powdered Sugar1 tsp
Almond Extract2 tbsps
MilkDirections:
1
Quick Method Danish Pastry: Measure 3 1/2 cups flour into a bowl or work bowl of food processor with steel blade in place
2
Cut the butter into 1/4-inch slices and add to the flour
3
Process or cut the butter into the flour until the butter is about the size of kidney beans
4
In a large bowl, dissolve the yeast in the warm water
5
Let stand 5 minutes
6
Stir in the cream or milk, cardamom, salt, eggs, and sugar
7
Turn the flour-butter mixture into the liquid ingredients, and with a rubber spatula mix carefully just until the dry ingredients are moistened
8
Cover and refrigerate 4 hours, overnight, or up to 4 days
9
Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured board; dust with flour
10
Pound and flatten to make a 16- to 20-inch rectangle
11
Fold into thirds, making 3 layers
12
Turn dough around and roll out again
13
Fold from the short sides into thirds
14
This should result in a perfect square
15
Repeat folding and rolling again if you wish
16
Wrap and chill the dough 30 minutes or as long as overnight
17
Measure 3 1/2 cups flour into a bowl or work bowl of food processor with steel blade in place
18
Cut the butter into 1/4-inch slices and add to the flour
19
Process or cut the butter into the flour until the butter is about the size of kidney beans
20
In a large bowl, dissolve the yeast in the warm water
21
Let stand 5 minutes
22
Stir in the cream or milk, cardamom, salt, eggs, and sugar
23
Turn the flour-butter mixture into the liquid ingredients, and with a rubber spatula mix carefully just until the dry ingredients are moistened
24
Cover and refrigerate 4 hours, overnight, or up to 4 days
25
Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured board; dust with flour
26
Pound and flatten to make a 16- to 20-inch rectangle
27
Fold into thirds, making 3 layers
28
Turn dough around and roll out again
29
Fold from the short sides into thirds
30
This should result in a perfect square
31
Repeat folding and rolling again if you wish
32
Wrap and chill the dough 30 minutes or as long as overnight
33
To make the Danish Pastry Braid: Cover two baking sheets with parchment paper or lightly grease and flour them
34
Divide the chilled dough into 2 parts
35
Roll each part out to make a rectangle 12 by 6 inches
36
Place these strips on the prepared baking sheets
37
To make the filling, cream the butter and sugar until light
38
Blend in the almond extract, almonds, almond paste, and egg white
39
Spread filling down the length of the center of the strips
40
Cut slanting strips at 3/4-inch intervals along both sides up toward the center using a pastry wheel
41
Fold strips over the filling in a crisscross manner Preheat the oven to 400ºF
42
Let strips rise for 15 to 30 minutes, just until the pastry strips look puffy; they will not double
43
To make a glaze, beat the egg with the milk or water
44
Brush the pastry lightly with it
45
Sprinkle the sugar and/or sliced almonds over the top
46
Bake about 15 minutes or until golden
47
Frost, if desired, with almond-water icing
48
Blend the sugar, water, and almond extract until smooth and thin enough to drizzle over the braids
49
Cover two baking sheets with parchment paper or lightly grease and flour them
50
Divide the chilled dough into 2 parts
51
Roll each part out to make a rectangle 12 by 6 inches
52
Place these strips on the prepared baking sheets
53
To make the filling, cream the butter and sugar until light
54
Blend in the almond extract, almonds, almond paste, and egg white
55
Spread filling down the length of the center of the strips
56
Cut slanting strips at 3/4-inch intervals along both sides up toward the center using a pastry wheel
57
Fold strips over the filling in a crisscross manner Preheat the oven to 400ºF
58
Let strips rise for 15 to 30 minutes, just until the pastry strips look puffy; they will not double
59
To make a glaze, beat the egg with the milk or water
60
Brush the pastry lightly with it
61
Sprinkle the sugar and/or sliced almonds over the top
62
Bake about 15 minutes or until golden
63
Frost, if desired, with almond-water icing
64
Blend the sugar, water, and almond extract until smooth and thin enough to drizzle over the braids