Buttery, flaky, light-as-air homemade Danish dough is easier than you think with this easy recipe. Perfect for all your sweet Danish breakfast cravings, this recipe isn’t a quick fix but it is simple to make. Start this recipe the day before. Yields 12-24 individual pastries.
2 ¼teaspoonsinstant or active dry yeast(1 sachet / 8g)(notes)
390gplain (all purp) flour (3 cups / 13.8oz)
⅓cupwhite granulated sugar(66g / 2.3oz)
½teaspoonsalt
226gunsalted butter, full fat, no light versions, coarsely grated and very cold(1 cup / 2 sticks / 8oz)
1large egg
For best results, always weigh ingredients where a weight is provided
Equipment
Pastry cutter (optional)
Rolling Pin
Instructions
If you haven't already grate the butter and place in the freezer to chill for 10 minutes. Grate it into a large bowl and don't press it down, leave it loose.
Warm ½ cup of the milk in the microwave or a small saucepan, just until warm to the touch (not hot) or about 40C. Too hot and you'll kill the yeast, too cold and the yeast won't bloom.
To the warm milk, add 1 tablespoon sugar and all the yeast and mix. Let it sit for 10 minutes to become frothy. If it doesn't look frothy, the yeast is no good and you'll need to start again with fresh yeast.
To the large bowl of cold butter, add the flour, remaining sugar and the salt. Give it light toss to coat. Now very, very lightly with your fingertips or with a pastry cutter, cut the butter into the flour until the pieces are about the size of a lentil. Be careful not to melt the butter. If it's warm where you are place it in the fridge for a few minutes to cool again.
Whisk the remaining ½ cup milk and the egg into the yeast mixture until well combined, then pour it into the dry ingredients.
Use a spoon or spatula to mix the ingredients together just until you have a very rough and sticky dough.
Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and chill in the fridge for 8-24 hours.
Turn the dough out onto a very lightly floured surface - you don't want to add too much flour as it will dry out the dough. Form a simple rectangle.
ROLL AND FOLD: Roll it out to a large rectangle about 6mm / ¼ inch thick (about 27cm x 45cm). Fold, letter style in thirds (fold the top over the middle third, then the bottom third over that).
Repeat this roll and fold 3 more times for a total of 4 times, ending with a much smoother folded dough. The last roll and fold, the dough will feel much tighter - it's ok if you can't quite roll it out to 6mm / ¼ inch. Add a touch of flour if you see it sticking to the counter or your rolling pin at any point but try not to add too much.
Chill for 1-2 hours to relax before rolling and turning into danish pastries.
Start this recipe the day before. You can put the dough together first thing in the morning which takes about 15 minutes. Late in the afternoon, you can do all the roll and folds which also takes about 15 minutes, then leave it to chill overnight and put the pastries together the following morning for a delicious breakfast or brunch. Assembling only takes about 20 minutes including and they will need a 30 minute rest once assembled as well.
You can also make it two days in advance. Prep the dough on day one, roll and fold day two then assemble and bake on day three.
This dough can be frozen. Wrap well in plastic wrap 2-3 times. Thaw in the fridge overnight.
The baking temperature and baking time for Danishes will depend on what size you make them and what you bake them in. For instance, if you bake a family sized Danish it will require different temp / time to a palm sized Danish or a Danish cooked in a muffin tin. So it will depend on your creation.
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Have you tried this recipe?Don't forget to leave a rating and comment below and let me know how it was! I love hearing from you. Nutrition information is approximate and derived from an online calculator. The brands you use may cause variations.