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Danish Pastry

Category: Deserts

Author: The Savvybearcat

Date: 1/1/2007

Rating:

(3.0) by 1 users

Ingredients:

4 To 6 cups flour
2 package Dry yeast or 1 ounce fresh yeast
3 tbsp Sugar
1 tsp Salt
3 Whole eggs or 6 egg yolks
1 tsp Grated orange rind
1/4 tsp Ground cardamom seeds (optional)
1 tsp Vanilla
1 1/4 cup Cold milk (approximately)
2 cup Butter, firm, but not ice cold

Instructions:

When making Danish pastry it is important to keep the dough very
cold. In shaping small pastries, it is sometimes necessary to
re-chill partially shaped dough until it is firm enough for the job
to be completed. When you first make the pastry, be careful to follow
all the rules. Don't make it in the summertime unless your kitchen is
air conditioned. After you gain experience you may attempt short cuts
such as rolling out and folding the dough twice in succession without
re-chilling. Another way of shortening the process is by placing the
dough in the freezer between rollings. Usually 10 minutes in the
freezer is suffiecient. When you use this short cut, be careful not
to freeze the dough solid. The shaped pastries can also be chilled in
the freezer. They can even be baked frozen if extra baking time is
allowed. Any unbaked yeast pastries, however, should never be kept
frozen for more than a week or so; and it is preferable to bake anish
pastry within a day or two after it has been shaped.

Place 4 cups flour in large bowl. Reserve remaining flour for
rolling. Make a well in center of bowl.

If dry yeast is used, see directions on package. If fresh yeast is
used, cream it with sugar and salt to make a syrup. Add egg yolks or
whole eggs, grated orange rind, ground cardamom seeds, and vanilla.

Pour yeast mixture into well. Add one cup milk and 1/4 cup butter
cut into pieces. Mix with finger tips, adding more milk if necessary
to make a medium-soft dough. Knead dough in bowl for 5 minutes, or
until it is smooth but not elastic. Flour it and let rest in
refrigerator for 30 minutes.

While dough is resting, form remaining butter into a flattened brick.
Using some of the reserved flour on wax paper or pastry cloth, roll
out butter into a square about 1/3 inch thick. Use plenty of flour
under and on top of butter to keep it from sticking. Loosen it
frequently as you rol. Cut the square in 2 pieces. Place in
refrigerator between sheets of wax paper.

Roll out dough on well-floured cloth to make a rectangle 3 times
longer than wide and about 1/3 inch thick. Brush excess flour from
dough. Place a piece of butter in center. Fold one end of dough over
butter. Place remaining butter on top. Fold second end over the
butter. Press edges together.

Turn dough, changing its position so that the short ends are parallel
with the edge of table nearest you. Roll out on well-floured cloth,
using a firm, even motion to spread butter together with dough. Try
to work quickly, but check frequently underneat the dough to be sure
it isn't sticking. Roll out a rectangele 3 times longer than wide,
about 1/3 inch thick. rush excess flour from surface. Fold both ends
of dough to meet in center. Press edges together, then fold in half
as if closing a book, which will make 4 layers of dough. Flour dough.
Place on a cooky sheet. Cover with aluminum foil. Refrigerate for 1/2
hour.

Repeat rolling and folding dough 3 more times, chilling it 20 minutes
between rollings. Be sure to change position of dough each time so
that the short ends of dough are parallel with the edge of the table
nearest you when you start rolling.

After the final folding, chill dough at least 3 hours before shaping
and baking.

From: The Art of Fine Baking Shared By: Pat Stockett