Pie and Pastry Bible (134 page)

EQUIPMENT

Two half-size sheet pans, lined with parchment
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To proof the yeast, if using fresh or active dry, in a small bowl, combine 2 tablespoons of the milk (ideally a tepid 100°F. if using fresh yeast, a little warmer, 110°F, if using dry), ½ teaspoon of the sugar, and the yeast. If using fresh yeast, crumble it slightly as you add it. Set the mixture aside in a draft-free spot for 10 to 20 minutes. By this time, the mixture should be full of bubbles. (If not, the yeast is too old to be useful and you must start again with newer yeast.)

In the bowl of a heavy-duty mixer, place all but 1 tablespoon of the flour, the remaining sugar, salt, yeast (or yeast mixture), and cardamom. Add the remaining milk, the egg, and the 1 tablespoon of softened butter and, with the dough hook, mix, starting on low speed, until the dry ingredients are moistened. Continuing on low speed, beat for 4 minutes. The dough will be silky smooth and have cleaned the sides of the bowl, but it will stick to the bottom and be very soft. Lightly oil a medium bowl and, with an oiled spatula, scrape the dough into it. Turn it over to oil the top; cover it with plastic wrap and allow it to sit at room temperature for 30 minutes.

Using the oiled spatula, gently fold the dough to deflate it slightly and refrigerate it for at least 2 and up to 8 hours.

Place the remaining 1 tablespoon of flour on a large sheet of plastic wrap and place the remaining 17 tablespoons of butter on top. Wrap it loosely with the plastic wrap. Pound the butter lightly with the rolling pin to flatten and soften it, then knead it together with the flour, using the plastic wrap and your knuckles to avoid touching the butter directly. Work quickly and, as soon as flour is incorporated, shape it into a 5-inch square (no thicker than ¾ inch). At this point, the butter should be cool but workable, 60°F. Use it at once, or keep it cool. The butter must not be colder than 60°F when rolled into pastry, or it will break through the dough and not distribute evenly.
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On a well-floured surface, roll out the dough to an 8-inch square. Place the butter square diagonally in the center of the dough square and lightly mark the dough at the edges of the butter with the dull side of a knife. Remove the butter and roll each marked corner of the dough into a flap. The dough will be slightly elastic. Moisten these flaps lightly with water, replace the butter on the dough, and wrap it securely, stretching the flaps slightly to reach across the dough package. Refrigerate it for 30 minutes (not longer).

On a well-floured surface, keeping the dough seam side up and lightly floured, gently roll the dough package into a long rectangle 7 inches by 16 inches. Brush off all the flour from the surface of the dough and fold it into thirds as you would fold a business letter. This is the first “turn.” Cover the dough with plastic wrap and
refrigerate it for at least 20 minutes and up to 40 minutes between each turn. (Mark the turns on a slip of paper or parchment, as the fingertip impressions in the dough used for puff pastry would disappear in this dough as it rises.)

Before each subsequent turn, position the dough so that the closed side faces your left. Clean the work surface, reflour it, and then press down the edges of the dough with the rolling pin to help keep them straight. (The upper part tends to slide more than the bottom.) Roll and fold the dough a second time exactly the same way, but turn the dough over occasionally to keep the seams and edges even. Be sure to roll into all four corners of the dough and use a pastry scraper to even the edges. Do a total of 3 turns, resting the dough for 20 to 40 minutes between each. Refrigerate the dough for at least 2 hours before rolling it. (See illustrations, page 419.)

SHAPE THE DANISH

Remove the dough from the refrigerator and cut it in half. Work with half the dough at a time, refrigerating the other half. Allow the dough to sit for 15 minutes before rolling it. On a floured counter, roll the dough to a rectangle about 10 inches by 12 inches. Slip it onto a cookie sheet, cover it lightly, and refrigerate it for 30 minutes to relax the dough.

Return the rolled-out dough to the floured counter, flour the top, and roll it to about 12 inches wide and 12 to 13 inches long. It will be about 1 inch thick. Use a bench scraper or ruler to keep the sides straight; if necessary, use a pizza cutter or sharp knife to trim it so that the sides are even. Brush off all excess flour. Spread the dough with a thin layer of filling, then proceed as for the specific recipe, shaping it before allowing it to rise.

Repeat this process with the remaining dough (or store the second piece of dough in the refrigerator for up to 2 days or freeze for up to 3 months).

PROOF THE DANISH

If you have 2-inch-deep 18-inch sheet pans, invert them over the dough. To create an ideal environment similar to a proofing box, place one or two small custard cups, filled with very hot water, on each baking sheet, not too close to the dough, cover with the inverted pan, and lay a heating pad set to low or medium on top of it. (My heating pad on medium produces a temperature of 82° to 86°F. inside the pan.) If you have a proofing box, set it to 88° to 90°F. Alternatively, place the dough on the sheet pans, cover lightly with plastic wrap that has been sprayed with nonstick vegetable spray, and set the sheet pans aside in a warm spot. Allow the Danish to rise for about 2 hours. The dough should double in size and be very light to the touch. (If using a proof box with moisture, the dough will be tacky enough to stick to your fingers.)

Preheat the oven to 400°F. at least 20 minutes before baking. Set an oven rack at the middle level before preheating.

BAKE THE DANISH

Five minutes ahead, place a pan with about 1 inch of boiling water in the lower part of the oven. (To prevent a ring from forming if using a metal pan, add a pinch of cream of tartar to the water.) Place the Danish in the oven, lower the temperature to 375°F., and bake for 18 to 20 minutes (after 10 minutes, turn and reverse the positions of the two sheets) or until golden brown (210°F.). The texture will still be slightly doughy inside but while cooling will continue to cook through perfectly.

EGG GLAZE OR SUGAR GLAZE

When topping Danish with nuts or seeds, a thin egg-and-water glaze is brushed on before baking to make them adhere. Otherwise, a sugar glaze made of powdered sugar, water and lemon juice is applied immediately after baking for a beautiful classic sheen.

If using the sugar glaze, prepare it while the Danish bake, as it needs to be applied while the Danish are very hot. The glaze should be the consistency of egg white. If necessary, add a bit more sugar or water.

When the Danish are baked, remove them to a rack and brush them immediately with the sugar glaze, if using. Cool for 20 to 30 minutes. Danish are best eaten warm, when the outside is crisp and light and the center soft and tender, or within 3 hours of baking. Baked Danish can be reheated in a preheated 300°F. oven for 5 minutes (8 minutes if frozen). Most people do not recommend freezing baked Danish, but I find that though not as perfect reheated, they are still far more delicious than any commercial product.

STORE

Unbaked Danish dough, either plain or filled, refrigerated, up to 2 days; frozen, up to 3 months. Use 25 percent more yeast if planning to freeze it, as some will die during freezing. If the dough is filled, it is best to thaw it refrigerated, so it thaws evenly before the final rise. Unfilled, it can be thawed either refrigerated (8 to 12 hours) or at room temperature until malleable enough to roll. Once thawed, it should be used within 12 hours.

POINTERS FOR SUCCESS

Make the turns after 20 minutes but no more than 40 minutes of refrigerating. If chilled further, the outside of the dough will soften while the center remains firm, so layering is not as even. Once all the turns have been completed, the butter is evenly dispersed in thin sheets so the dough stays evenly pliant.

Brush off all flour when rolling and keep unused dough covered to avoid crusting. This prevents separation of the rolled layers during baking.

Leftover scraps of pastry can be placed on top of each other and rerolled.

When adding coarsely chopped nuts, use walnuts, pecans, or hazelnuts—but not almonds, as they are sharp and would pierce the dough.

If the room is cool (68°F. or under), it is desirable to leave the rolled-out dough covered on the counter for 15 to 30 minutes to relax before the final shaping.

It is best to cover the dough with the inverted 2-inch-deep pans so that nothing touches the surface. (When my friend Angelica Pulvirenti had a small restaurant and needed to utilize every available space, she used the salamander [broiler] over her range as a proof box by putting a tray of hot water in the drip pan and setting the sheet of Danish on the rack above it. The partially enclosed space trapped the rising moisture and heat.)