danish pastries...a daring bakers challenge

ahhh...danish pastries..truly good eats! this month our challenge was to make a danish braid and other danish pastries.

i jumped right in!

the rules where to 1. use the recipe find it here and here as written (unless dietary changes warrants a change...so i veganized it) and 2. to make another pastry with the second half of the dough.

let's jump right in...

first off, after looking over the recipe, i decided that since i wouldn't be using real eggs, i'd better figure something out for the egg part of the recipe. i consulted my pastry bible to find out what exactly were the eggs in the recipe for...because eggs are multi-taskers...and hard workers...they do a number of different things in a recipe like: leavening, flavor, color, and setting...just to name the main few. according to the book and my baking common sense, the eggs act more so as flavor and en-richers...meaning they make the pastry taste better and more rich. i mean it is a yeast dough...so it will not depend on the eggs for leavening.

with that knowledge i reasoned that i didn't need 2 eggs, and 1 would do...but of course everything else would need to be adjusted a bit...and that i would go for a soy yogurt egg (1/4 c. of soy yogurt) for flavor and richness. i ended up using the recipe inside of my book...which was pretty much the same as the one given just a little different on amounts...because of the the one egg, also there was no vanilla bean and orange flavor inside either...both of those last two were optional...so i opted out. but i did not skimp on the cardamon...expensive yes...but worth it. (get it at target...much cheaper)

so off we go!

here are some shots of different techniques that are a part of the baking process for laminated dough and all other danish pastries.

the first thing that needs to get done is proofing your yeast. when i first started yeast baking this was one of the things that got me the most...i always wish i knew what proofed yeast looked like...

proofed yeast...full of bubbles...it should look swollen.

the next phase of making laminated dough is mixing everything up...together. once you add everything, you mix on low speed until the dry ingredients are moistened:

this is what the dough looks after about a minute or so of mixing...the dry ingredients are barely moistened

next, you mix the dough on low speed for another 4 minutes are so...until the dough is silky smooth and have cleaned the sides of the bowl...and also stick to the bottom. note that last part...stick to the bottom of the bowl. i mixed for four minutes...and it was smooth, cleaned the sides of the bowl...but no sticking...i continued for about another minute or two more...and sure enough it was sticking to the sides of the bowl:

the correct consistency.

the lesson here is to make sure your dough mixes/kneads to the right texture...watch it and you'll be able to see the subtle changes in the dough...if you walk away...or don't watch you'll miss it or pre-empt it.

next is to let the dough rest for 30 minutes at room temp. note the changes:

before

after

after the 30 minutes, deflate it buy folding it in half with an oiled spatula...and let it chill in the 'fridge covered for 2-8 hours.

once it's chilled its time to make your butter package...the fun part.

take a sheet of plastic wrap...and cover it with a tablespoon of flour that you saved from the dough recipe. take your 17 tablespoons of butter...place them on the plastic wrap, wrap it up...and pound it into a 5-inch square...with a rolling pin.

the plastic covered with flour

the butter on top...

pounded and smooshed into a 5 inch square

there is no clear way to photograph the process...just remember to wrap it up in the plastic...cover the top with flour also...and pound it with a rolling pin...and smoosh with your hands.

the next step is to wrap up the butter:

begin by rolling your dough into an 8 inch square, then place your butter on top at an angle, and lightly mark around the butter square. next, remove the butter and roll out the "flaps" on the dough. lastly, replace the butter in the same spot, and package it up by folding over the flaps. make sure to seal the flaps with a little water and a little pressure. you'll refridgerate this for 30 minutes (no longer!)

after the trip in the 'fridge its time to do your first of 3 turns. remember you have to do this process 3 times.
first keeping the seam side up...roll the dough until its 7 x 16 inches. brush off the excess flour, and fold it into thirds the way you'd fold a business letter. top third down, bottom third on top of previous third. cover it with plastic and let it chill in the 'fridge for 20-40 minutes (stay within that time frame!) in the next two turns, make sure the closed or folded side is on your left.

top down...

bottom up...

there...you've "turned" your dough...and have created some layers too! now do it two more times!

after this process let the dough rest for at least 2 hours...and up to 2 days...any longer freeze it, and it'll keep for 3 months

next its time to roll out your pastry, proof it and bake it.

preheat your oven to 400 degrees.

(work with half of the dough you just made)

first get a sheet of parchment 16 x 12 inches. roll out your pastry (once you take it out of the fridge let it sit at room temp. for 15 minutes before rolling it) to 14 x 10 inches, thats lgth x wdth.

next your going to divide the dough rectangle (not literally) into thirds. the middle part will be 4 inches wide, and the two sides should be 3 inches wide. lightly mark these measurements into the dough. spread your filling, leaving a 1 inch space on the top and bottom, and then its time to braid.

after you spread your filling mark 1 inch alongside both long edges. you'll use this as your guide of cutting the braid strips.

beginning from the top down, you are going to cut out a small section out the top two sides of the dough. you should be able, when done to fold down a 1 inch flap on the top of the dough and 1 inch up on the bottom of the dough. next you are going to cut inch strips along side each long edge at an angle. *note the pictures of the shapes cut out of the top and bottom.

top notch, notice i cut from the 2 inch mark at an angle up to the 1 inch mark.

bottom notch, here i cut from the outer corner up at an angle to the 2 inch mark (from the bottom)

the cut strips

lastly we are going to braid the pastry. start by folding down and up the bottom straight edges.

next, fold over each strip, from left to right, alternating each side and sealing each strip to the last with a little bit of water and a little smush.

the final pastry all braided up...

proof it for 2 hours...and then place it in the oven, lower the temp to 375 degree and bake for 25-30 minutes.

let it cool for 20 minutes...cut into 1 inch pieces and enjoy!

whew!!!

a few pieces of a danish braid.

baked danish braid with remonce filling (which leaked out and made a "cookie")

here's a vegan remonce (almond cream filling)

3 tbl + 1/2 tsp almond paste
1/4 c. + 1 1/2 tsp sugar
4 tbl vegan margarine
1 ener-g egg, using rice milk for the water
1/2 tsp vanilla
1 tbl + 1 1/2 tsp flour

1. in the bowl of a mixer, mix almond paste and sugar on low speed until the almond paste is broken up into small pieces. add butter and mix until incorporated, continuning on low speed. add ener-g egg (already mixed), vanilla and flour and mix until well combined.

the great thing about the remonce is that when its baked, and happens to leak out of the dough it bakes alongside of the pastry and makes a sort of florentine cookie...so don't throw away those browned baked bits...they're good!

baking vegan pastries are always a challenge, but in the end i find it almost always doable and well worth the work! stay tuned and i'll show you how to shape the danish twist (my personal favorite)

enjoy and be well...

paz,
ki

Comments

[ericka]

Geez Ki.....stop making such scrumptious goodies, because I can't taste them from way over here in Georgia...LOL. This looks soooo good. It's like 3 in the morning here and I am now craving this and a warm cup of chai...WOW...fabulous job!

[Adrianne]

Thank you! I was looking for an image of proofed yeast!

[ki]

@ericka thanks...it was soo good...now i'm thinking i should make it again

@ adrianne your welcome it can be so confusing...the first (and sometimes the 20th) time..