Best Danish Pastry Dough Recipes

DANISH PASTRY DOUGH

Steps:

• Warm milk to 110 degrees.
• Sprinkle yeast over milk, let sit for 5 minutes then whisk inches.
• Add eggs and vanilla, whisk until just mixed.
• Put dry ingredients in food processor and pulse to mix.
• Add 3 Tbl of the butter, pulse until butter is well incorporated.
• Put dry ingredients in mixing bowl with dough hook, add wet ingredients and knead until just smooth and no dry spots remain.
• Don't overknead.
• Dough should be slightly wet.
• Place dough on lightly floured sheet pan, shape into rough rectangle, dust top with flour, cover with plastic and refrigerate for 1 hour.
• Roll dough on lightly floured work surface into a 26x13 inch rectangle.
• Position so that short side is closest to you.
• Butter should be soft enough to spread, but not so soft that it is melting.
• Spread butter by hand over lower 2/3 of dough, leaving a 1/2 inch border around side and bottom edges.
• Fold upper 1/3 of dough toward the centerof the rectangle, then fold the lower 2/3 over that.
• Crimp short edges and seam with your fingers to seal in butter.
• Turn dough so that crimped edge is to your right.
• Roll dough to a 21x13 inch rectangle, using only enough flour to keep the dough from sticking.
• Brush off excess flour.
• Fold top 1/3 of dough toward the middle, then lower 2/3 up over that.
• Place on sheetpan, cover and refrigerate for 45 minutes.
• Repeat this process 3 more times refrigerating for 30 minutes between each turn.
• when all turns are complete, place on sheetpan, cover well with plastic and let dough rest overnight in the refrigerator.
• At this point dough can be refrigerated for 2 days or frozen for 2 weeks.

QUICK DANISH PASTRY DOUGH

Steps:

• Whisk yeast into water.
• Wait 1-2 minutes, then whisk again.
• Whisk in milk.
• Combine flour, sugar and salt in food processor and pulse to mix.
• Cut 4 tablespoons butter into thin slices and add to processor.
• Pulse to a fine texture, but do not allow to become pasty.
• Cut remaining butter into 1/2 inch cubes and add to processor.
• Pulse exactly twice, for 1 second each time.
• Remove dough from processor and place in mixing bowl.
• Whisk eggs into yeast mixture and add to bowl.
• Position a rubber spatula so its blade is flat and parallel with the bottom of the bowl.
• Repeatedly dig spatula down to the bottom of the bowl, while turning bowl.
• Repeat until dough comes together. Dough will be soft and sticky.
• Press plastic wrap against surface of dough and refrigerate 1-2 hours.
• Scrape chilled dough onto a floured surface and sprinkle flour over the top of the dough.
• Press dough into a rectangle about twice as long as it is wide.
• Starting at the narrow edge farthest from you, firmly press dough with a rolling pin in parallel strokes close to each other.
• If there are sticky pieces of butter on the surface of the dough, seal them with a pinch of flour.
• Clean off anything stuck to the rolling pin before continuing.
• Repeat pressing motion from the close to the farther narrow end of dough.
• Press once in the width. You should now have a 1/2 inch thick rectangle.
• Sprinkle flour under and on top of dough.
• Roll away back in length, and once in the width, without rolling over ends, to make a rectangle 18 inches long and 8 inches wide.
• Fold the two narrow ends in toward the middle, leaving a 1 inch space in the center.
• Fold top to bottom to form 4 layers.
• Reposition dough so folded edge is on your left.
• Repeat rolling and folding procedure.
• Wrap in plastic and refrigerate a minimum of 2 hours and a maximum of 12 hours before using.
• Use in the Danish pastry recipe of your choice.

PUFF PASTRY (DANISH PASTRY DOUGH)

Steps:

• In a large bowl sprinkle the yeast over the milk. Let sit for about 5 minutes. Add the egg, sugar, and vanilla. Whisk gently to combine. Set aside.
• Toss the diced butter and flour together in a medium bowl. If there are any larger pieces, break them with your fingers. Add the flour and butter mixture to the wet ingredients and fold with a rubber spatula until the flour is completely moistened. Transfer the dough to a smaller bowl, cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate overnight.
• Remove the dough from the refrigerator. On a heavily floured surface, pat it into a rectangle about 8 x 6 inches, and then roll it into a larger rectangle about 14 x 24 inches. Brush off any excess flour and fold both edges in so that they meet in the center. If the dough is sticking underneath, release it with a long flexible metal palate knife.This is called a "book fold".
• Rotate the rectangle of dough 1/4 turn on the table.This is called a "turn". Roll into a rectangle measuring about 24 x 12 inches, loosening the dough underneath with a the metal spatula, reflouring as necessary.
• Brush off any excess flour and give it another book fold. Wrap the dough in plastic and refrigerate for 20 to 30 minutes.
• Remove the dough from the fridge and repeat this process two more times, rolling the dough out each time to 12 x 24 inches.
• There are 4 book folds in all. After the final turn, shape the package into a rectangle measuring about 9 x 6 inches.
• Brush off any excess flour, wrap in plastic and refrigerate for up to 2 days or freeze for up to one month.

DANISH PASTRY DOUGH

Steps:

• Pour water into a large bowl, sprinkle over yeast and let soften for a minute.
• Add milk, egg, sugar and salt.
• Whisk to mix.
• Set aside.
• Put flour into food processor, add butter and pulse (8-10 times) until butter is cut into pieces 1/2 inch diameter- no smaller.
• Empty contents of food processor into the bowl with the yeast mixture.
• Very gently turn the mixture over with a rubber spatula until the dry ingredients are moistened.
• Butter must remain in discrete pieces.
• Cover bowl and refrigerate overnight (or up to 4 days).
• Lightly flour work surface, turn the dough out and lightly flour the dough.
• Pat into a rough square.
• Note: If at anytime the dough becomes too soft, cover with plastic and chill.
• Roll out to 16" x 16".
• Fold in thirds like a business letter and turn so that the closed fold is on your left.
• Roll again to 10" x 24".
• Fold in thirds again, turn so the closed fold is on your left.
• Roll into a 20" x 20" square.
• Fold the square in thirds and turn so that the closed fold is on your left.
• Roll into a 10" x 20' rectangle, fold in thirds again.
• Wrap dough in plastic and chill at least 30 minutes (up to 2 days).
• Dough can be frozen for 1 month.
• Thaw in refrigerator overnight.