Danish

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Ingredients:

16 ounces all-purpose flour

2.75 ounces sugar

1 teaspoon salt

2 1/4 teaspoons instant yeast

1/2 cup whole milk

2 medium eggs, lightly beaten

Beurrage

12 ounces unsalted butter, cold, 2 inch

  chunks

2 tablespoons flour

Cheese Filling

1/3 cup sugar

1/2 teaspoon orange zest

8 ounces cream cheese

1 egg

1/2 teaspoon vanilla

Preparation:

Step 1 - Whisk flour with sugar and salt in medium bowl.

Step 2 - Whisk together yeast, milk and eggs in bowl of standing mixer fitted with dough hook.  Add flour mixture and knead at low speed until smooth ball of dough forms, 7 to 8 minutes.  (Dough will be sticky).  Wrap dough in plastic and refrigerate for 1 hour.

Step 3 - Prepare butter beurrage.  Draw an 5 inch square on one half of a full sheet of parchment paper, then flip paper over so ink doesn't come in contact with butter.  Sprinkle half the flour over the square.  Cut the butter into 1 1/2 inch thick pieces and arrange overlapping on the floured square.  Sprinkle flour over the butter and fold parchment paper in half to enclose the butter.  Beat the butter with a rolling pin until evenly filling the square and butter is cool but malleable, about 60 degrees.  Refrigerate 30 minutes.

Step 4 - Laminate Dough and Butter.  On floured work surface, roll dough into 9 inch square.  Unwrap butter square diagonally in center of dough.  Fold corners of dough over butter to meet in the middle and pinch points together  Using rolling pin, gently tap dough, starting from center of dough and going outward, until square becomes larger and butter begins to soften.  At this point, start gently rolling dough into 11 inch square, checking often to make sure dough is not sticking and dusting with additional flour as necessary.  Do not let butter square break through dough.  Fold square into thirds to form long rectangle, as if folding business letter.  This method of folding is called a "turn."  Starting at narrow ends, fold rectangle in thirds again to form square.  You have now given dough 2 turns.  Wrap dough in plastic and refrigerate for 1 hour.   Repeat step 3, giving dough 2 additional turns (for total of 4 turns) and chilling again for at least 4 hours or freeze dough for up to 2 months.

Step 5 - Cut Danish.  Roll well chilled dough into 16 by 16 inch Square.  Using ruler, mark dough at 4-inch intervals along bottom edge and side with bench scraper (you should have 3 marks each).  Use a sharp pizza wheel or knife to cut dough from mark to mark creating 4 inch squares

Step 6 - Fill Danish.  Position  square on counter.  (Keep remaining squares covered with plastic.)  Place chosen filling in center of square and fold corners to center and push thumb into center to seal corners.    Repeat with remaining triangles.

Step 7 (Optional) - How to Freeze.  Place Danish on parchment-lined baking sheets, wrap well, and freeze at this point.  Danish must be thawed in the refrigerator for at least 12 hours.  Remove from refrigerator and separate onto several parchment lined baking sheets.  Cover loosely with plastic wrap and let stand at room temperature until nearly doubled in size, 2 1/2 to 3 hours.  (Shaped Danish can be refrigerated for up to 18 hours.  Remove from refrigerator to rise and add at least 30 minutes to rising time.)

Step 8 - Bake.  After Danish have been rising for 2 hours, adjust oven racks to upper-middle and lower-middle positions and heat oven to 425 degrees.  In small bowl, whisk together 1 egg, 1 teaspoon water, and pinch salt.  Gently brush Danish with egg wash.  Place Danish in oven and reduce temperature to 400 degrees and turn on convection.  Bake for 12 minutes, then switch and rotate baking sheets and turn off convection.  Continue to bake until deep golden brown, 8 to 12 minutes longer.  Transfer to wire rack and cool about 15 minutes.  Serve warm or at room temperature.

Cheese Filling Preparation:

In work bowl of food processor, grind together as finely as possible sugar and zest.  Add in cream cheese and process well, stopping to scrape down several times if necessary.  With motor running add in egg and vanilla and process until well combined

.

History:

Recipe comes from Chef Tech Cooking School's Pro Baking, Classical French, series of classes.