How to make Danish Pastry – useful for all sorts of treats!
Ingredients:
350g strong white flour
40g caster sugar
1 1/2 tsp dried fast action yeast
250g butter, cold
1 large egg
125ml milk
50ml cold water
Okay so this is the cheats way to Danish Pastry – quite frankly the thought of pounding and wrestling a whole block of butter into pastry is not my idea of fun. Trust me this way will give you fantastic Danish Pastries.
Place the flour, sugar and dried yeast into the bowl of a food processor and give it a quick blitz to mix evenly.
Take the cold butter and chop the whole lot into long thin sticks.
Into the bowl of the processor and blitz again, just until the butter is broken up into pebbly chunks.
Now tip this into a large mixing bowl.
Measure the milk and water into a jug and add the egg.
Beat it together well.
Make a well in the centre of dry mixture and pour it in.
Using a table knife work the dough together. It will be pebbled with chunks of butter and fairly sticky at this stage too – worry not!
Gather it into a ball, wrap in clingfilm and now it needs to go into the fridge for 4 hours, or overnight.
Now for the rolling and folding! Unwrap the pastry and flour your worksurface.
Roll out the dough into a long thin rectangle (approx 50cm x 20cm)
Fold the bottom third up and then the top third down like a bit of an envelope.
Turn the pastry around so that the folds are now left and right, and roll it out again.
Keep patting flour on the top surface if any pebbles of butter are sticking to the rolling pin. It can get quite tough going, if you’re struggling to roll it pop it back in the fridge for 10 minutes to rest before commencing the rolling again.
You need to roll out and fold a total of 4 times, each time turning the folded pastry so that the folds sit left and right before rolling again.
That’s it Danish Pastry done – you can use it right away, keep it in the fridge for 3 days or whizz it straight in the freezer for using another time.
When it comes to using, split the block of pastry in half and roll out on a lightly floured surface and you’re good to go!
How to Make Danish Pastry
Ruth Clemens, Baker Extraordinaire
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I might try this
Looks yummy doesn’t it
I saw the GBBO Masterclass of how to make all the Danish shapes….I feel a Pink Whisk challenge coming on. Thanks again Ruth, I love your website.
What a useful recipe. Thankyou.
Thanks for posting such good instructions Ruth x
Danishes are my favourite breakfast treat, so I will definitely be trying this xxx
Great – I used one of your recipes today to make Christmas cookies.
Thank you
Eileen xx
Ooh lovely – vouchers for your shop. I must try your “rough” Danish too!!!
Will run out of time to try all of these!
wow the hamper is amazing now!!!!!! x
I am gonna make these. Chocolate increment sounds great. And I love the cheats danish!! Thanks x
This is a little different to normal Christmas fare, but sounds ever so yummy!!!! think my hubby’s work mates might appreciate these! (anything edible is highly appreciated!)
Will be trying this over the weekend never made danish pastry before.xx
I wonder if I can make this gluten free!!!
These look yummy. Think I might try these x
Love that you can do most of it in a machine
Oh my!
You are too clever Ruth, I keep wanting to make everything!
Must give this a whirl.
I must, must, must try this. Never made Danish pastry before but will definitely give it a go.
Not a combination that I would have thought of, but will defo give it a try.
what a fab idea. bear claws. yummy
This is one that I am definately going to try.
Chocolate mincemeat…..yummy!
Looks lush 🙂
I made Danish pastry last weekend, it took two days! I will be trying your version it looks a much simpler method, thank you
I love this pastry
They sound scrummy delicious certainly like the twist of chocolate mincemeat.
Oh boy,just by reading these lovely recipes I feel like I’ve put on weight & it’s not even Christmas yet!!!
looks yummy!!!
Not sure of the combination with chocolate, but amgoing to try danihsh pastry sometime!
I honestly thought making this pastry would be so much more difficult than this! Adding it to my list of things to try.
Sounds interesting a chocolate version!
This would be a winner in my office
These could be UNBEARABLY good. Thank you for such fab inspiration at this magical time of year.
Danish pastry is next on my list of things to try baking
never tried to make this-but really tempted
Can’t wait to try this. x
your recipe looks way simpler than some, nom nom
Brilliant recipe
Pastry is always an epic fail for me, whenever I try to make it. Your step by step photos are realy encouraging and might just inspire me to have another bash
Not my thing but tempted to give it a try!!
really good recipe. so simple
Thank you o much for the way you set up your recipes! I love all the little piks
Amy x
I vaguely remember the folding and rolling technique from something we did at school and found it very therapeutic. You make it all look so easy xx
Would be interisting to have a few recipes where we can use danish pastry.
again you make something that sounds so tricky look so easy!
Have to try this one after Christmas
Your instructions and pictures are always so clear. Thank you.
just going to make sure i have some cooking butter…. yes! now to go and play with all my favourite toys. Ruth, do you think you could do an exercise dvd? (to be utilised while baking of course!)
Always wondered about how they make them
Love this recipe will definitely be trying it
fantastic – and I hoping I have now entered in the correct place as I will be so upset if I’m not in with a chance to win this amazing prize
thanks
Lee
Yes, you’re in the right place Lee x
Ruth again you have simplified something that I have never tried because I’m too afraid – not anymore, thank you!! x
so great to see step by step pictures – really useful when you’re trying something new – thanks!
Is it foolproof? :0)
Thanks Ruth!
Very clever 🙂 thanks for the recipe.
Bear Claws are definately next on ‘to make ‘ list
I will have to try this recipe…:-)
I’ve never made this type of pastry. I’m excited to see how it turns out…
Mincemeat…yummy add chocolate = big smilely face!
Really appreciate the step-by-step guidance with each recipe. Takes much of the “fear factor” way. Great post Ruth.x
This is definitely on my to do list x
Definitely to be done when hubby is off work to look after the kids and I can be let loose in the kitchen. 🙂
OK – need to stop looking at all these recipes otherwise 1) will never have time for anything else or 2) am going to get very fat!!!
That sounds great – thanks for the recipe!
Claire
I can’t even tell you how much I love danish pastry. I made it years ago and it was so wonderful. I need to make it again. Thanks for the inspiration.