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