How to make Danish pastries

Follow our step-by-step guide to mastering the art of how to make Danish pastries – they’re well worth the effort. As you bite into the warm, butter-rich dough, crisp with almonds or melting with vanilla custard, you’ll thank us.

Can I freeze the dough?

• You could make the master recipe for the dough up to the end of step 7, then roll up between two sheets of baking paper (with the paper inside), into a sausage shape, wrap in cling film and foil and freeze for up to a month. Defrost fully before using.
• If you’re cooking the finished Danish pastries from frozen, bake them for 5-10 minutes longer than the recipe until golden brown and cooked through.
• For a cheat’s version, use a 500g block ready-made all-butter puff pastry instead of making your Danish pastry dough – it’s not quite the same but still tastes great.

Activated yeast mixture: use fresh yeast if possible 

Tricks to getting perfect Danishes every time

• It is best to start the dough recipe the night before so the pastry is chilled and rested before assembling the pastries.
• Roll the pastry in one direction, as this distributes the butter evenly, and helps to create the light, flaky layers.
• Ensure the butter is softened at room temperature, so that it spreads evenly throughout the pastry. If the butter is too hard it will make the pastry streaky.
• It is important to roll out the pastry to a long rectangle 4 times, to evenly spread out the butter and create lots of layers of light, flaky pastry – otherwise the pastry will be heavy and dense.

How to prepare chocolate and vanilla custard buns

How to prepare a classic almond pastry

http://www.deliciousmagazine.co.uk/articles/how-to-make-danish-pastries

Danish pastry dough recipe

By Anna Burges-Lumsden 

Make this Danish pastry recipe from scratch then, using it as a base, make Chocolate and vanilla buns, Cinnamon and raisin swirls or Classic almond pastries.

Ingredients

1. 15g fresh yeast (see tip, below), crumbled
2. 3 tsp golden caster sugar
3. 110ml whole milk, warmed to blood temperature
4. 1 tsp almond extract
5. 1 medium free-range egg, beaten
6. 125g plain white flour, plus extra for dusting and kneading
7. 125g strong white bread flour
8. ½ tsp ground cinnamon (optional)
9. 110g unsalted butter, softened

Method

1. 1. Mix the yeast, 1 tsp caster sugar, 2 tbsp milk and the almond extract in a small bowl until smooth. Set aside in a warm place for 10 minutes. Add the rest of the milk and the egg, mix well, and leave for 10 minutes until the yeast has activated and bubbled up slightly.
2. 2. Sift the flours, remaining sugar, cinnamon and a pinch of sea salt into a large bowl, mix well and make a well in the centre. Gradually stir in the milk mixture until it comes together to form a soft dough. Turn out onto a lightly floured surface and knead for 5 minutes, dusting with more flour until the dough is smooth and the surface is slightly springy to touch and not sticky. On a lightly floured board, roll out to a 5mm thick rectangle about 30cm x 40cm. Cover with cling film and chill for 30 minutes to rest.
3. 3. Place the chilled dough onto a lightly floured surface, cover the top two-thirds of the pastry with teaspoons of softened butter 1cm apart (see picture). Leave a 1cm border at the top, bottom and sides clear of butter, so that it doesn’t spill from the sides of the pastry during rolling.
4. 4. Fold the butter-free part of the dough over the middle third, then fold the remaining, buttered third over to make a flat parcel (like folding a letter into 3 to put inside an envelope). Lightly press down the open ends to seal, then chill, covered in cling film, for 15 minutes.
5. 5. Remove the cling film and lay the dough on a floured surface with the short side facing you. Roll out in one direction. You’ll get a very long rectangle – don’t worry as the next time you roll the dough it will be a more manageable size. As before, fold the bottom third of pastry over the middle third, then fold the top third over. Wrap in cling film and chill for 15 minutes more.
6. 6. Repeat the rolling and folding process 1 more time, but this time start the dough on the floured surface with the longest side facing you. Allow the dough to rest in the fridge for another 15 minutes.
7. 7. Repeat steps 5 and 6, so you’ve rolled the dough into a long rectangle 4 times.
8. 8. Wrap the dough with cling film and chill overnight until firm. Trim the edges; the dough is now ready to make any of the following pastries: Chocolate and vanilla buns, Cinnamon and raisin swirls or Classic almond pastries.

Chef's tip

Make this Danish pastry recipe from scratch then, using it as a base, make Chocolate and vanilla buns, Cinnamon and raisin swirls or Classic almond pastries. If you want to get ahead and freeze the dough, see our How to make Danish pastries feature for the best way to freeze it. We thoroughly recommend you use fresh yeast. It's cheaply available from bakeries and the in-store bakeries of major supermarkets. 

http://www.deliciousmagazine.co.uk/recipes/danish-pastry-dough

Chocolate and vanilla custard buns recipe

By Anna Burges-Lumsden 

These delightful buns – made using a Danish pastry recipe – are full of creamy vanilla custard and a generous dollop of chocolate.

Ingredients

1. 1 quantity puff pastry (buy, or make your own with this recipe)
2. Plain flour, for dusting
3. 1 medium free-range egg, beaten

For the vanilla custard

1. 1 vanilla pod, halved and seeds scraped
2. 150ml whole milk
3. 1 medium free-range egg yolk
4. 1½ tbsp caster sugar
5. 20g cornflour
6. 75ml double cream, whipped

For the chocolate icing

1. 1 medium free-range egg white
2. 150g icing sugar, sifted
3. 2 tbsp cocoa powder
4. 1 tsp double cream

Method

1. 1. Preheat the oven to 200°C/fan180°C/gas 6. Line a baking sheet with baking paper.
2. 2. Roll out the pastry on a lightly floured work surface to a 5mm thickness and cut into 8 x 10cm squares. Make 4 cuts from the corner of each square diagonally into the middle of the square, stopping halfway (see our How to make Danish pastries feature for more information). Chill while you make the vanilla custard filling.
3. 3. For the custard, place the vanilla pod and seeds in a small pan with the milk and heat until just below boiling point. Meanwhile, using an electric hand whisk, whisk the egg yolk and sugar together in a small bowl until pale and fluffy, then whisk in the cornflour. Gradually add the hot milk through a sieve (discard the vanilla pod) and whisk until smooth. Return to the cleaned-out pan, place over a low heat and whisk until very thick. Remove from the heat, cover the surface with baking paper (this stops a skin forming) and leave to cool completely.
4. 4. Whip the double cream until it forms stiff peaks, then fold into the custard mixture. Set aside.
5. 5. For the icing, beat the egg white until stiff. Fold in the icing sugar, cocoa and a pinch of salt and mix until soft. Stir in the cream and mix until smooth.
6. 6. Spoon 1-2 tbsp of the custard into the middle of each square, then fold alternate corners over the filling so that they just overlap (see picture on p103). Cover with cling film and chill for 20 minutes.
7. 7. Brush with the egg and bake for 18-20 minutes until golden. Cool for 5-10 minutes, dollop some icing in the middle of each pastry and serve warm.

Nutritional info

Per serving: 427kcals, 21.7g fat (12.8g saturated), 7.8g protein, 53.7g carbs, 25.2g sugar, 0.4g salt

Chef's tip

There will be extra icing left over, which you can freeze in a freezer bag. Defrost and beat until smooth before using. 

http://www.deliciousmagazine.co.uk/recipes/chocolate-and-vanilla-custard-buns

Classic almond pastries recipe 

This almond pastries recipe uses home-made Danish pastry; alternatively, you can buy puff pastry.

Ingredients

1. 100g unsalted butter, softened
2. 100g caster sugar
3. 2 medium free-range egg yolks,
4. plus 1 egg, beaten
5. 100g almonds, toasted and ground
6. 1 tsp almond extract
7. 2 tbsp plain flour, plus extra for dusting
8. 1 quantity home-made puff pastry (see recipe)
9. 50g flaked almonds, for decorating
10. 50g icing sugar
11. 2 tsp milk

Method

1. 1. Preheat the oven to 200°C/fan180°C/gas 6. Line a baking sheet with baking paper.
2. 2. With an electric whisk, beat the butter and sugar in a bowl until pale. Whisk in the egg yolks. Fold in the ground almonds, almond extract and flour. Stir until smooth, and chill.
3. 3. To make plaits, roll out the pastry on a floured surface to approximately 40cm square. Cut into 2, so you have 2 rectangles (measuring 40cm x 20cm), then spread the almond filling down the centre in a long sausage shape. Fold the top and bottom over to seal in the filling, then make diagonal cuts about 1cm apart down the side of each rectangle at a slight angle (see our How to make Danish pastries feature for details). Brush the pastry strips with beaten egg then, alternating sides, fold them in a criss-cross pattern over the filling.
4. 4. To make individual pastries, roll out the pastry to a 5mm thickness and cut into 8 x 10cm squares. Put a generous tbsp of the filling in the middle, then fold the pastry corners into the centre to enclose the filling.
5. 5. Place the pastries on a lined baking sheet. Chill, covered in cling film, for 20 minutes. Brush each pastry with the beaten egg and bake for 18-20 minutes until golden brown.
6. 6. Meanwhile, whisk the icing sugar and milk together in a bowl until it forms a thick but pourable icing and set aside.
7. 7. Cool the pastries for 5-10 minutes, drizzle with the icing, scatter with flaked almonds (cut the plaits into lengths) and serve.

Nutritional info

Per serving (based on 8): 568kcals, 36.6g fat (16.3g saturated), 11.9g protein, 51.3g carbs, 22.5g sugar, 0.3g salt

Chef's tip

To freeze, make up to the end of step 3/4, then open-freeze until solid. Place in a container and freeze for up to 3 months. Continue with the recipe and bake from frozen adding an extra few minutes to the cooking time. 

http://www.deliciousmagazine.co.uk/recipes/classic-almond-pastries