Danish Pastry Braid Recipes

Steps:

• Quick Method Danish Pastry:
• Measure 3 1/2 cups flour into a bowl or work bowl of food processor with steel blade in place. Cut the butter into 1/4-inch slices and add to the flour. Process or cut the butter into the flour until the butter is about the size of kidney beans.
• In a large bowl, dissolve the yeast in the warm water. Let stand 5 minutes. Stir in the cream or milk, cardamom, salt, eggs, and sugar.
• Turn the flour-butter mixture into the liquid ingredients, and with a rubber spatula mix carefully just until the dry ingredients are moistened. Cover and refrigerate 4 hours, overnight, or up to 4 days.
• Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured board; dust with flour. Pound and flatten to make a 16- to 20-inch rectangle. Fold into thirds, making 3 layers. Turn dough around and roll out again. Fold from the short sides into thirds. This should result in a perfect square. Repeat folding and rolling again if you wish.
• Wrap and chill the dough 30 minutes or as long as overnight.
• To make the Danish Pastry Braid:
• Cover two baking sheets with parchment paper or lightly grease and flour them.
• Divide the chilled dough into 2 parts. Roll each part out to make a rectangle 12 by 6 inches. Place these strips on the prepared baking sheets.
• To make the filling, cream the butter and sugar until light. Blend in the almond extract, almonds, almond paste, and egg white.
• Spread filling down the length of the center of the strips. Cut slanting strips at 3/4-inch intervals along both sides up toward the center using a pastry wheel. Fold strips over the filling in a crisscross manner
• Preheat the oven to 400ºF.
• Let strips rise for 15 to 30 minutes, just until the pastry strips look puffy; they will not double.
• To make a glaze, beat the egg with the milk or water. Brush the pastry lightly with it. Sprinkle the sugar and/or sliced almonds over the top.
• Bake about 15 minutes or until golden.
• Frost, if desired, with almond-water icing. Blend the sugar, water, and almond extract until smooth and thin enough to drizzle over the braids.

Steps:

• In a small bowl, dissolve yeast in warm water. In a large bowl, combine milk, butter, egg, sugar, salt, yeast mixture and 2-1/2 cups flour; beat on medium speed 3 minutes. Stir in enough remaining flour to form a soft dough (dough will be sticky)., Turn dough onto a floured surface; knead until smooth and elastic, 6-8 minutes. Place in a greased bowl, turning once to grease the top. Cover with plastic wrap and let rise in a warm place until doubled, about 1 hour., In a large bowl, combine filling ingredients. Punch down dough. Turn onto a lightly floured surface; divide into four portions. Roll each portion into a 12x8-in. rectangle. Spread each with a quarter of the filling to within 1/2 in. of edges. Roll up jelly-roll style, starting with a long side; pinch seam to seal., For each roll, starting 1 in. from one end, make two lengthwise cuts, making three sections. Braid the sections together, cut sides up. Pinch ends to seal; tuck under. Place braids on greased baking sheets. Cover with kitchen towels; let rise in a warm place until almost doubled, about 1 hour., Preheat oven to 350°. Bake 18-20 minutes or until lightly browned. Remove from pans to wire racks to cool slightly. For icing, in a small bowl, mix confectioners' sugar and enough milk to reach desired consistency. Drizzle over warm braids.

Steps:

• Danish Dough: Pour water into a large bowl, sprinkle over.
• yeast and let soften for a minute.
• Add milk, egg, sugar and salt.
• Whisk to mix. Set aside.
• Put flour into food processor, add butter and pulse (8-10 times) until butter is cut into pieces 1/2 inch diameter- no smaller.
• Empty contents of food processor into the bowl with the yeast mixture.
• Very gently turn the mixture over with a rubber spatula until the dry ingredients are moistened.
• Butter must remain in discrete pieces.
• Cover bowl and refrigerate overnight (or up to 4 days).
• Lightly flour work surface, turn the dough out and lightly flour the dough.
• Pat into a rough square.
• Note: If at anytime the dough becomes too soft, cover with plastic and chill.
• Roll out to 16" x 16".
• Fold in thirds like a business letter and turn so that the closed fold is on your left.
• Roll again to 10" x 24".
• Fold in thirds again, turn so the closed fold is on your left.
• Roll into a 20" x 20" square.
• Fold the square in thirds and turn so that the closed fold is on your left.
• Roll into a 10" x 20' rectangle, fold in thirds again.
• Wrap dough in plastic and chill at least 30 minutes (up to 2 days).
• Dough can be frozen for 1 month.
• Thaw in refrigerator overnight.
• Danish-almond filling: Put almonds, sugar and butter into food processor.
• Process until almonds are finely ground, scraping bowl as necessary.
• Add almond extract and 2 Tbsp of the beaten egg white.
• Process until mixed.
• Store in airtight container in the refrigerator until needed (up to 1 week).
• Bring to room temperature before using.
• Danish-Berry Jam Filling: Stir berries and sugar together in saucepan.
• Cook on low, stirring until most of the liquid is absorbed and filling is glossy.
• (Can be done in microwave) Stir in lemon juice.
• Scrape filling into a small container and cool to room temperature.
• Seal container and chill.
• Will keep refrigerated for 1 week.
• Danish Braid assembly: Divide Danish dough in half.
• Roll each chilled danish dough half on lightly floured surface to a 10" x 16" rectangle.
• Lift on to a parchment lined half sheet pan.
• Spread some of the fruit filling down the middle third of the dough.
• Top with some of the cream or almond filling.
• Note:you may not need the entire amount of either filling Using a pizza cutter or sharp knife, cut 12- 14 slanting lines down each side angling cuts from the center to the edge and cutting strips about 3/4 inch wide.
• Fold strips of pastry into the center, crisscrossing the filling by alternating strips from each side.
• Lightly press ends to seal and run your hands along the sides of the pastry to straighten.
• Brush with egg white, sprinkle with sugar and almonds.
• Cover with a kitchen towel and let rise at room temperature until it looks and feels puffy.
• About 30 minutes.
• Preheat oven to 400°F.
• Bake in center of oven for 15-20 minutes until golden.
• Cool slightly Stir coffee and powdered sugar together to produce a smooth shiny glaze.
• Spoon glaze into a zip-loc bag, seal top and snip corner with scissors to create a pastry bag.
• Squeeze squiggles of glaze over pastry and allow to set.
• Serve.
• Notes: you can use other Danish fillings as well.
• Such as:.
• Danish- Cream Cheese Filling (recipe #54153).
• Danish-Prune Filling (recipe #54152).
• Danish-Confectioners Cream filling (recipe #54151).
• Danish-Apricot Filling (recipe #54150).

Steps:

• Roll the dough to a 12-inch square and place on paper-lined sheet pan. Mark dough into 3 strips, each 4 inches wide and 12 inches long. Slash the two outermost strips diagonally at 1/2-inch intervals, making downward slashes. Spread the filling on the center strip. Fold the slashed pastry over the center strip, alternating a slash from each side. Proof 50 percent. Brush the egg white on the pastry and strew with the sliced almonds. Bake it at 400 degrees about 15 minutes. Cool and drizzle with warm water icing.