DANISH PASTRY
6 servings

4 to 6 cups all-purpose flour
2 packages active dry yeast or 1 ounce fresh yeast
3 tablespoons sugar
1 teaspoon salt

3 large eggs or 6 large egg yolks
1 teaspoon grated orange rind
1 teaspoon ground cardamom seeds (optional)
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 1/4 cups cold milk
2 cups unsalted butter, cold and firm 

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 sufficient. 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 Danish pastry within a day or two after it has been shaped.

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

2. 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.

3. 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.

4. 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 roll. Cut the square in 2 pieces. Place in refrigerator between sheets of wax paper.

5. 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.

6. 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 underneath the dough to be sure it isn't sticking. Roll out a rectangle 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 cookie sheet. Cover with aluminum foil. Refrigerate for 1/2 hour.

7. 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.

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

From: The Art of Fine Baking 

1/4 C. warm water, 105 to 115°F.

1 pkg. active dry yeast

1/2 C. milk, at room temperature

1 egg, at room temperature

1/4 C. sugar

1 t. salt

2 1/2 C. flour

1 C. (2 sticks) cold unsalted butter

Pour water into bowl; add yeast and let stand for 2 to 3 minutes until yeast foams. Add milk, egg, sugar and salt and whisk to mix; set aside.

Measure flour into food processor. Cut butter into 1/4 inch thick slices and drop into flour. Pulse 8 to 10 times. Empty flour mixture into bowl with yeast and with rubber spatula, gently fold the two mixtures together just until the dry ingredients are moistened. Don't be too energetic! The butter must remain in pieces so that you will produce a flaky pastry, not a bread dough or cookie. Cover bowl with plastic wrap and refrigerate overnight (or up to 4 days).

Lightly flour a work surface; turn dough out onto it, and dust dough with flour. Using the palms of your hands, pat dough into a rough square. Roll out to a square 16 inches on a side. Fold dough into thirds, like a business letter and turn it so that the closed fold is to your left, like the spine of a book. Roll out again, into a long narrow rectangle, about 10 inches wide by 24 inches long. Fold into thirds again. Roll out to make a 20-inch square. Fold square into thirds again to make a long, narrow rectangle. Then again, fold into thirds to make a square. (If at any point in this procedure the dough gets very soft, cover and chill it for 30 minutes or so.)

Cover and chill the dough before final shaping. Store the dough in the refrigerator for 4 days or in an airtight container in the freezer for 1 month; thaw overnight, still wrapped, in the refrigerator.

Filling for Coffeecake

Butter Cream Filling:

1/4 C. soft butter

1 C. powdered sugar

1 t. almond extract

1 C. finely pulverized almonds

1 (3-oz.) pkg. almond paste

1 egg white

Glaze:

1 egg, slightly beaten

2 T. milk or water

Pearl sugar or crushed sugar cubes for topping

Sliced or chopped almonds, optional

Icing:

1 C. powdered sugar

2 to 3 t. warm water

1/2 t. almond extract

Cover baking sheets with parchment paper. Divide chilled dough into 2 parts. Roll out each part to make a 12-by 6-inch rectangle. Place strips on prepared baking sheets. Blend together butter, 1 cup powdered sugar, 1 teaspoon almond extract, 1 cup pulverized almonds, almond paste and egg white and spread filling down the length of the center of the strip. Cut slanting strips at ¾-inch intervals along both sides up toward the center using a fluted pastry wheel. Fold strips over filling in a crisscross manner. Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Let pastry rise for 30 minutes, just until puffy.

Beat the egg with the milk or water and brush pastry. Sprinkle with sugar and/or chopped almonds. Bake 15 minutes or until golden. Mix 1 cup powdered sugar, 2 to 3 teaspoons warm water and ½ teaspoon almond extract; drizzle icing over the braids.

Makes 2 Braids.

From http://www.thatsmyhome.com/bakery/sweetbreads/images/danish.htm