Baked Danish Pastry Recipe
Ingredients
| 4 3/4 cups sifted all-purpose flour, approximately | ||
| Butter | 1 1/2 Cup (16 tbs) | |
| Dry yeast package | 1 1/2 | |
| 1 1/4 cups lukewarm milk | ||
| Sugar | 1/4 Cup (16 tbs) | |
| Egg | 1 , beaten | |
Directions
1. Measure one-third cup flour onto a board or into a bowl. Add the butter and chop the flour and butter together with a pastry blender or two knives. Roll the mixture between two sheets of waxed paper into a twelve-by-six-inch rectangle. Chill.
2. Sprinkle the yeast on the warm milk and let stand until softened and the mixture has cooled. Add the sugar and egg. Add the remaining flour gradually and mix with a wooden spoon until a soft dough is formed. Turn the dough onto a floured surface and knead until smooth.
3. Roll the dough on a generously floured board into a fourteen-inch square. Place the butter-flour mixture on one half of the dough and fold the other half of the dough over it. Press around the edges to seal.
4. Pat the dough with a rolling pin and then roll it out into a paper-thin sheet. Fold the sheet of dough into thirds. Repeat the patting, rolling and folding process three times. If the butter mixture softens and begins to ooze out upon rolling, chill the dough before continuing.
5. Cut the finished dough into three equal portions. Roll and shape into envelopes, combs and crescents and fill. Save any trimmings and stack them neatly to preserve the pastry layers. Chill and use to make additional pastries.
6. Place the pastry shapes on lightly greased baking sheets. Cover and set aside to rise until half doubled in size. While the pastries are rising, preheat oven to hot (400° F.).
7. Brush the envelopes and crescents with slightly beaten egg diluted with a little water and bake on the lower shelf of the oven until brown, about twenty minutes. Cool on racks.
8. If desired, frost the crescents and envelopes with one-half cup confectioners' sugar blended with one tablespoon milk and one-half teaspoon vanilla.
2. Sprinkle the yeast on the warm milk and let stand until softened and the mixture has cooled. Add the sugar and egg. Add the remaining flour gradually and mix with a wooden spoon until a soft dough is formed. Turn the dough onto a floured surface and knead until smooth.
3. Roll the dough on a generously floured board into a fourteen-inch square. Place the butter-flour mixture on one half of the dough and fold the other half of the dough over it. Press around the edges to seal.
4. Pat the dough with a rolling pin and then roll it out into a paper-thin sheet. Fold the sheet of dough into thirds. Repeat the patting, rolling and folding process three times. If the butter mixture softens and begins to ooze out upon rolling, chill the dough before continuing.
5. Cut the finished dough into three equal portions. Roll and shape into envelopes, combs and crescents and fill. Save any trimmings and stack them neatly to preserve the pastry layers. Chill and use to make additional pastries.
6. Place the pastry shapes on lightly greased baking sheets. Cover and set aside to rise until half doubled in size. While the pastries are rising, preheat oven to hot (400° F.).
7. Brush the envelopes and crescents with slightly beaten egg diluted with a little water and bake on the lower shelf of the oven until brown, about twenty minutes. Cool on racks.
8. If desired, frost the crescents and envelopes with one-half cup confectioners' sugar blended with one tablespoon milk and one-half teaspoon vanilla.
Chef
