DANISH DOUGH

By gaster16

Ingredients

• 3 packages dry yeast
• Pinch sugar
• 1 cup very warm water
• 1/3 cup non-fat dry milk powder
• 4-1/2 cups sifted all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 cup granulated sugar
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• 1 teaspoon grated orange rind
• 1/4 teaspoon ground cardamom
• 3 eggs
• 1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter
• 3 tablespoons flour

Preparation

Step 1

Sprinkle yeast and pinch sugar into very warm water in a large bowl. (Very warm water should feel comfortably warm when dropped on wrist.) Stir until dissolved. Let stand 10 minutes until frothy and doubled in volume.

Add dry milk, 1 cup of the flour, salt, sugar, vanilla, orange rind and cardamom. Stir until mixture is well blended and smooth. Add another cup of four. Beat until blended.

Add eggs, beating until well blended and mixture is smooth. Add remaining flour, 1/2 cup at a time, until mixture is a shaggy mass and is too dense to stir. Lift the dough from the bowl and place on a lightly floured surface. Knead dough lightly, adding additional flour, if necessary, to prevent sticking. Knead about 5 minutes until it is smooth and elastic.

Press dough into a well-greased bowl, turning to coat all over. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap. Refrigerate 1 hour while preparing butter for layering.

Place the 2 sticks butter 1 inch apart between 2 sheets of wax paper. Using a rolling pin, roll butter until it is flattened. Using a sturdy metal spatula, work 3 tablespoons flour into flattened butter, kneading until flour is thoroughly absorbed.

If butter mixture softens, return briefly to refrigerator until firm again and proceed as above.

Place chilled dough on lightly floured surface. Using hands, shape dough into a slightly flattened rectangle before rolling. Roll and shape dough into a rectangle 24x8 inches, using additional flour, if necessary, to prevent sticking.

Lightly score dough into 4 equal crosswise portions. (do not cut through the dough; score lightly enough to see lines.) With a spatula, spread 2/3 of the butter mixture over the second and third sections evenly. (It is not necessary for the butter pieces to be even or touching as the butter will be spread evenly when dough is rolled.) Fold the two outside sections of dough in over the butter, meeting in the center. Spread remaining butter over one side of the folded dough. Fold in half, like a book, enclosing the butter completely. (you will now have seven layers - dough/butter/dough/butter/dough/butter/dough.)

Shape dough into an even rectangle. Place in plastic bag and close securely. Chill in refrigerator for 1 hour.

Remove dough from plastic bag. Place on a lightly floured surface. Press dough down with hands shaping into a flattened rectangle. With a rolling pin, roll dough into a 14x8 inch rectangle. Fold ends in to meet in center (12x8 inches); then fold in half like book to make 4 layers (6x8 inches.) Place dough in plastic bag, refrigerate for 20 minutes. Repeat rolling and folding procedure 3 more times.

Refrigerate dough for 1 hour or longer. It is possible to refrigerate dough overnight, if necessary, to relax dough and firm up the butter layers. Dough will rise a bit in refrigerator. The dough is now ready to be formed into individual pastries.