Danish Pastry Wreath
Submitted by G&G
Homemade Danish pastry wreath with layers of buttery laminated dough, almond filling, and candied cherries. A holiday baking project that rewards patience with flaky, golden results.
YIELD
4 servingsPREP
10 minCOOK
8READY
8This is the real deal. Authentic laminated Danish pastry dough with 1 ½ cups of butter folded and rolled into layer after flaky layer. It’s a project, not a shortcut, and the results are worth every fold.
The dough goes through multiple rounds of rolling, folding, and chilling overnight before it’s ready to shape into a wreath. Fill it with almond pie filling and stud with candied cherries for a holiday centerpiece that’ll make your kitchen smell like a Copenhagen bakery.
This is the kind of bake you tackle on a weekend when you want to feel like a proper pastry chef.
Baker’s Tips
- Keep the butter cold. If it breaks through the dough while rolling, flour heavily and keep going. Don’t panic.
- Every chill step matters. Warm dough means the butter melts into the flour instead of staying in distinct layers. Those layers are what create the flake.
- Use a rolling pin with a stockinette cover to prevent sticking without adding too much extra flour.
- The overnight chill (8 hours) can’t be skipped. This relaxes the gluten and firms the butter for clean, defined layers.
- Shape the wreath while the dough is still cold, then let it proof until puffy before baking.
Ingredients
Directions
Beat butter and ¼ cup flour until smooth and fluffy.
Place wax paper on a large, wet baking sheet.
Spread butter mixture evenly into a 12- x 8-inch rectangle on wax paper.
Chill well. Combine milk, sugar, and salt in a saucepan; heat until sugar dissolves.
Cool to 105 to 115 degrees.
Dissolve yeast in warm water in a large mixing bowl; let stand 5 minutes.
Stir in milk mixture, egg, and 3¾ cups flour; beat at medium speed of an electric mixer until mixture is smooth and leaves side of bowl (dough will be soft).
Cover and chill 30 minutes.
Turn dough out onto a floured surface.
Place stockinette cover on rolling pin; flour well.
Roll dough into a 16- x 12-inch rectangle. Fit cold butter mixture over half of dough, leaving a margin at edges; remove wax paper.
Fold dough over butter; pinch edges to seal.
Place fold of dough to the right; roll dough into a 16- x 8-inch rectangle.
(If butter breaks through dough, flour heavily and continue rolling.) Fold rectangle into thirds; pinch edges to seal.
Wrap dough in wax paper; chill 1 hour.
Repeat rolling, folding, and sealing process; chill 30 minutes.
Repeat rolling, folding, and sealing process; wrap dough in aluminum foil, and chill 8 hours.
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