Ahh, there’s nothing quite like a delicious buttery pastry to start your morning with a cup of coffee. These pastries are very simple to make! Not much rolling and folding required -but there is some of course ;).
The flavor is absolutely delicious. It’s almost like a cross between a buttery brioche and a croissant. These danishes will rock your world. Feel free to also add your own fillings! It’s such a versatile recipe and there’s a little bit of everything for everyone. Hubby’s personal favorite (and mine) is the cheese danish filling. AHHH!
I made a combination of cheese, lemon curd, and strawberry fillings…all delicious (details in the notes down below). I hope you love this recipe as much as we do! We love pastries for breaky, and really all time of day đ
Breakfast Danish Pastries
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Yields 16 pastries total
INGREDIENTS:
For the Pastry Dough:
- 1/4 cup (60ml) warm water (between 100-110°F)
- 2 and 1/4 teaspoons Active Dry Yeast (1 standard packet)
- 1/4 cup granulated sugar
- 1/2 cup half and half at room temperature (can use whole milk as well)
- 1 large egg
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 14 Tablespoons cold unsalted butter (cut into cubes)
- 2 and 1/2 cups all-purpose flour (plus extra for generously flouring hands, surface, and dough)
For the Filling:
- 2/3 cup filling total * see notes (I used a combination of a Cheese, Strawberry Jam, and Lemon Curd filling)
For the Egg Wash:
- 2 Large Egg Yolks
- 1 Tablespoon milk
For the Vanilla Icing:
- 1 Cup Powdered Sugar
- 2 Tablespoons half and half
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
DIRECTIONS:
- To make the pastry dough: start by activating your yeast. Mix the warm water, yeast, and 1 Tablespoon of the granulated sugar in a large bowl. Let it sit for 5 minutes (you’ll see bubbles rise to the top and that’s how you know it’s working!)
- Add the remaining sugar, egg, half and half, and salt and set the bowl aside to rest.
- In a food processor place the cold unsalted butter cubes, and the flour and pulse 15-18 times. The butter pieces will be distributed throughout. Be careful not to over pulse. You may also use a pastry cutter if you don’t have a food processor.
- Very gently, fold the flour mixture into the yeasted mixture with a rubber spatula. Fold just until the flour mixture is moistened. Dough will be very sticky and that’s what we want!
- Turn the dough into a surface with a large sheet of plastic wrap and cover it tightly. Place it in the fridge for 4-48 hours.
- Now, we will begin rolling and folding for 3 times total. Apply a generous amount of flour to your surface, and place the sticky dough on top. Flour your rolling pin and begin to form a rectangle with the dough.
- Fold each edge into the middle as if it was a business letter, and then turn it clockwise and roll it out into a 15 inch long rectangle again. Then, fold into thirds again. Turn it clockwise. Youâll repeat rolling and folding 1 more time for a total of 3 times.
- Wrap up the dough and let it sit in the refrigerator again for at least 1 hour.
- Take the dough out of the refrigerator and cut in half (you may freeze one half for later and defrost overnight when ready).
- Line your baking sheet(s) with parchment paper.
- Now, we start putting together our pastries. Place half of the dough into a floured surface and cut into another half, then cut into 4 equal pieces each (8 total pieces of dough).
- Shape the dough into rounds and then make a small well in the center for the dough. Continue doing this for each little dough.
- Fill each dough with 2-3 tablespoons of your filling of choice.
- Make your egg wash by whisking the yolks with the milk, then brushing the sides of the dough with the egg wash.
- You may chill the pastries in the refrigerator while you preheat your oven to 400 degrees F for at least 10 minutes.
- Bake for 22 minutes or until gold and puffy!
- You can make the vanilla icing while they bake and pop it in the fridge until ready to drizzle. Just mix all of the icing ingredients until you get the desired consistency.
- Allow them to cool completely then drizzle with vanilla icing on each pastry if desired.
**Notes**
- For the strawberry filling: mix 1/3 cup strawberry jam, a pinch of nutmeg, and splash of lemon juice into a small sauce pan until bubbly then cool in the fridge to allow it to thicken.
- For the lemon curd filling: you’ll need 2 large egg yolks, 1/3 cup granulated sugar, 1/2 tablespoon lemon zest, juice of 1 1/2 lemon, 1/4 teaspoon salt, 3 tablespoons butter. Place egg yolks, granulated sugar, lemon zest, lemon juice, and salt into the top pot of your double boiler. Using a whisk until completely blended, then continue to whisk as the curd cooks. It will thicken up and should be about the consistency of hollandaise. Remove from the heat then add butter and continue to whisk (butter will melt). Place in a tight container in the fridge for up to 10 days.
- For the cheese filling (hubby’s favorite): beat one 8 ounce block of full-fat cream cheese that is softened at room temperature in a medium bowl until smooth. Beat in 1 large egg yolk, 1/3 cup granulated sugar, 1/2 teaspoon fresh lemon juice, and 1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract until smooth. Make about 1/2 of this filling if using another filling as well đ
- Other fillings: You can use other jams or preserves, pumpkin butter, or Nutella- the possibilities are endless!
Dough recipe adapted by Sally McKenney*
Enjoy!
Hilda â¤
Mountain Munch 