Daring Bakers: Danish Braid
I was so excited to find out that Kelly of
Sass & Veracity and Ben of
What's Cookin'?
chose this month's Daring Bakers' challenge to be a danish braid! I
knew this would be a real challenge for me because I've never made
anything like it before. But I've wanted to make a laminated dough for a
while and I really want to try making my own croissants, so this was
just perfect. And how awesome does the pastry look when it's braided??
I
definitely had some butter oozing out the sides (due to the butter
block) and air bubbles being formed when I was rolling out the dough,
but overall it went well! I didn't add the cardamom, and I don't think
I'd make it using so much orange next time. I dreamed about how
delicious a lemon curd filling would be enveloped in this beautiful
danish braid, but then went the easy route and did the caramelized
apples. And my boyfriend loves apple pie so I thought I'd be nice.
Of
course I tried it right out of the oven, and as gorgeous as it looked
it didn't have the texture I was expecting. I think I expected a more
flakey croissant type pastry (which I realize was probably a strange
thing to expect), but it was a little bit chewy? I don't know if that's
the way this dough is, or if it was me (quite possible). When I had it
after it had been refrigerated though, the texture was just perfect.
Edit:
I just realized that I was not paying attention and didn't realize that
this was enough dough for TWO danish braids, so I used the entire dough
to make one braid. My braid was twice as big as it should've been! Ah
well - it still turned out okay and hopefully I learn to read recipes
more carefully. ;)
Other Daring Bakers' challenges I've done:
Cheesecake PopsPerfect Party CakeLemon Meringue Free Form TartsYule Log
Caramelized Apple Danish BraidThe Secrets of BakingDanish DoughMakes 2-1/2 pounds dough
Ingredients
For the dough (Detrempe)
1 ounce fresh yeast or 1 tablespoon active dry yeast
1/2 cup whole milk
1/3 cup sugar
Zest of 1 orange, finely grated
3/4 teaspoon ground cardamom
1-1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1/2 vanilla bean, split and scraped
2 large eggs, chilled
1/4 cup fresh orange juice
3-1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon salt
For the butter block (Beurrage)
1/2 pound (2 sticks) cold unsalted butter
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
DOUGH
Combine
yeast and milk in the bowl of a mixer fitted with the paddle attachment
and mix on low speed. Slowly add sugar, orange zest, cardamom, vanilla
extract, vanilla seeds, eggs, and orange juice. Mix well. Change to
the dough hook and add the salt with the flour, 1 cup at a time,
increasing speed to medium as the flour is incorporated. Knead the
dough for about 5 minutes, or until smooth. You may need to add a
little more flour if it is sticky. Transfer dough to a lightly floured
baking sheet and cover with plastic wrap. Refrigerate for 30 minutes.
Without
a standing mixer: Combine yeast and milk in a bowl with a hand mixer
on low speed or a whisk. Add sugar, orange zest, cardamom, vanilla
extract, vanilla seeds, eggs, and orange juice and mix well. Sift flour
and salt on your working surface and make a fountain. Make sure that
the “walls” of your fountain are thick and even. Pour the liquid in the
middle of the fountain. With your fingertips, mix the liquid and the
flour starting from the middle of the fountain, slowly working towards
the edges. When the ingredients have been incorporated start kneading
the dough with the heel of your hands until it becomes smooth and easy
to work with, around 5 to 7 minutes. You might need to add more flour
if the dough is sticky.
BUTTER BLOCK
1. Combine butter and
flour in the bowl of a mixer fitted with a paddle attachment and beat on
medium speed for 1 minute. Scrape down the sides of the bowl and the
paddle and then beat for 1 minute more, or until smooth and lump free.
Set aside at room temperature.
2. After the detrempe has chilled 30
minutes, turn it out onto a lightly floured surface. Roll the dough
into a rectangle approximately 18 x 13 inches and ¼ inch thick. The
dough may be sticky, so keep dusting it lightly with flour. Spread the
butter evenly over the center and right thirds of the dough. Fold the
left edge of the detrempe to the right, covering half of the butter.
Fold the right third of the rectangle over the center third. The first
turn has now been completed. Mark the dough by poking it with your
finger to keep track of your turns, or use a sticky and keep a tally.
Place the dough on a baking sheet, wrap it in plastic wrap, and
refrigerate for 30 minutes.
3. Place the dough lengthwise on a
floured work surface. The open ends should be to your right and left.
Roll the dough into another approximately 13 x 18 inch, ¼-inch-thick
rectangle. Again, fold the left third of the rectangle over the center
third and the right third over the center third. No additional butter
will be added as it is already in the dough. The second turn has now
been completed. Refrigerate the dough for 30 minutes.
4. Roll out,
turn, and refrigerate the dough two more times, for a total of four
single turns. Make sure you are keeping track of your turns.
Refrigerate the dough after the final turn for at least 5 hours or
overnight. The Danish dough is now ready to be used. If you will not
be using the dough within 24 hours, freeze it. To do this, roll the
dough out to about 1 inch in thickness, wrap tightly in plastic wrap,
and freeze. Defrost the dough slowly in the refrigerator for easiest
handling. Danish dough will keep in the freezer for up to 1 month.
Apple FillingMakes enough for two braids
Ingredients
4 Fuji or other apples, peeled, cored, and cut into ¼-inch pieces
1/2 cup sugar
1 tsp. ground cinnamon
1/2 vanilla bean, split and scraped
1/4 cup fresh lemon juice
4 tablespoons unsalted butter
Toss
all ingredients except butter in a large bowl. Melt the butter in a
sauté pan over medium heat until slightly nutty in color, about 6 - 8
minutes. Then add the apple mixture and sauté until apples are softened
and caramelized, 10 to 15 minutes. If you’ve chosen Fujis, the apples
will be caramelized, but have still retained their shape. Pour the
cooked apples onto a baking sheet to cool completely before forming the
braid. (If making ahead, cool to room temperature, seal, and
refrigerate.) They will cool faster when spread in a thin layer over the
surface of the sheet. After they have cooled, the filling can be
stored in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. Left over filling can be
used as an ice cream topping, for muffins, cheesecake, or other
pastries.
Danish Braid (putting it all together)
Makes enough for 2 large braids
Ingredients
1 recipe Danish Dough (see below)
2 cups apple filling, jam, or preserves (see below)
For the egg wash: 1 large egg, plus 1 large egg yolk
1.
Line a baking sheet with a silicone mat or parchment paper. On a
lightly floured surface, roll the Danish Dough into a 15 x 20-inch
rectangle, ¼ inch thick. If the dough seems elastic and shrinks back
when rolled, let it rest for a few minutes, then roll again. Place the
dough on the baking sheet.
2. Along one long side of the pastry make
parallel, 5-inch-long cuts with a knife or rolling pastry wheel, each
about 1 inch apart. Repeat on the opposite side, making sure to line up
the cuts with those you’ve already made.
3. Spoon the filling you’ve
chosen to fill your braid down the center of the rectangle. Starting
with the top and bottom “flaps”, fold the top flap down over the filling
to cover. Next, fold the bottom “flap” up to cover filling. This
helps keep the braid neat and helps to hold in the filling. Now begin
folding the cut side strips of dough over the filling, alternating first
left, then right, left, right, until finished. Trim any excess dough
and tuck in the ends.
Egg Wash
Whisk together the whole egg and yolk in a bowl and with a pastry brush, lightly coat the braid.
Proofing and Baking
1.
Spray cooking oil (Pam…) onto a piece of plastic wrap, and place over
the braid. Proof at room temperature or, if possible, in a controlled
90 degree F environment for about 2 hours, or until doubled in volume
and light to the touch.
2. Near the end of proofing, preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Position a rack in the center of the oven.
3.
Bake for 10 minutes, then rotate the pan so that the side of the braid
previously in the back of the oven is now in the front. Lower the oven
temperature to 350 degrees F, and bake about 15-20 minutes more, or
until golden brown. Cool and serve the braid either still warm from the
oven or at room temperature. The cooled braid can be wrapped airtight
and stored in the refrigerator for up to 2 days, or freeze for 1 month.
