Hello friends!

There is really nothing that makes me happier than homemade Danish pastry. And I do mean homemade; the textures and flavors are significantly better than anything available in a grocery store. Whether it’s used to make cheese-filled braids that are sliced and served, or individual rolls that can be stuffed with any variety of fruit, Danish pastry is truly one if life’s great pleasures. Along with my cinnamon rolls, I have built my reputation as a baker on my danishes.

Danish dough is a laminated dough, meaning it is built in stages. The base dough, properly called the detrempe, is mixed first, allowed to begin proofing, and then thoroughly chilled. Once the dough is ready, it is rolled into a relatively thin sheet, and butter is added to the dough in discreet layers. Discreet, in this case, means the butter and the dough remain distinct from each other. When the finished dough is sliced, the cross section shows the many separate layers.

The base dough itself is a rich, sweet dough. Butter, sugar, eggs, and milk make this dough more flavorful than a standard yeast dough, and the sugar requires more yeast. Some bakers will also flavor the base dough with cardamom, ginger, or nutmeg. I like cardamom, and I’ve also played around with adding finely ground Earl Grey tea.

While I was taught to add these flavors to the dough, I prefer to add them to the butter block. I feel that the fat carries the flavor better.

A word about the yeast: I use instant yeast, but for this formula, I dissolve it in water before adding to the dough. Also, this dough was designed to be frozen for up to a week before being shaped, with explains the high amount of yeast (3.1%).

250 grams bread flour

250 grams all purpose flour

9 grams salt

108 grams butter

65 grams granulated sugar

1 whole egg

2 egg yolks

174 grams whole milk

65 grams room temperature water

15 grams instant yeast

For the butter block:

325 grams butter

22 grams cake flour