Shortcut Danish Breakfast Pastries

Ingredients

Tick the ingredients as you go

Pastry dough

• 1/4 cup (60 ml) warm water (100-110°F / 38-43°C)
• 2 1/4 tsp instant yeast (1 standard packet)
• 1/4 cup (50 g) granulated sugar
• 1/2 cup (120 ml) whole milk, at room temperature (68-72°F / 20-22°C)
• 1 large egg, at room temperature
• 1 tsp salt
• 14 tbsp (196 g) unsalted butter, cold
• 2 1/2 cups (313 g) all-purpose flour, spooned and leveled, plus extra for dusting hands, surface and dough

Filling (about 2/3 cup, or about 200 g, for the whole batch)

• Fruit option: 2 tsp per pastry of jam, preserves, pumpkin or apple butter, lemon curd, cherry pie filling or chocolate-hazelnut spread
• Or cheese filling: 1 scant tbsp per pastry (below)

Cheese filling

• 8 oz (224 g) full-fat cream cheese, softened
• 1 large egg yolk
• 1/3 cup (67 g) granulated sugar
• 1/2 tsp fresh lemon juice
• 1/2 tsp pure vanilla extract

Egg wash

• 1 large egg
• 2 tbsp (30 ml) milk

Vanilla icing (optional)

• 1 cup (120 g) confectioners' sugar
• 2 tbsp (30 ml) milk or heavy cream
• 1 tsp pure vanilla extract

Instructions

1. 1

   Read through the whole method before you begin. Skip the electric mixer for this dough; a wooden spoon or spatula is all you need to fold the sticky mixture.

2. 2

   Whisk the warm water with the yeast and 1 tbsp of the sugar and leave it for about 5 minutes to foam. (No foam after 15 minutes means the yeast is dead; start again with a fresh packet.) Whisk in the rest of the sugar, the milk, egg and salt, then cover and set aside.

3. 3

   Slice the cold butter 1/4 inch thick and pulse it with the flour in a food processor or blender, 12-15 pulses, until the butter is in pea-sized bits. A pastry cutter works too.

4. 4

   Tip the flour mixture into the yeast mixture and fold gently, only until everything is moistened; you should still see chunks of butter. Wrap the dough in plastic wrap, parchment or foil, or seal it in a container.

5. 5

   First chill: refrigerate for at least 4 hours and up to 48 hours.

6. 6

   Roll and fold: flour the counter generously. Pat the dough into a small square, then roll it into a 15x8-inch rectangle. Fold it in thirds like a business letter, give it a quarter turn clockwise, and roll it back out to 15 inches long. Fold and turn again. Complete this sequence 3 times in all.

   
7. 7

   Second chill: refrigerate for at least 1 hour and up to 24 hours. The dough can also be frozen at this point.

8. 8

   Line two large baking sheets with parchment or silicone mats. Rimmed pans are best, as some butter may leak out.

9. 9

   Cut the dough in half; wrap one half and keep it in the fridge while you shape the other.

11. 10

    Divide the first half into 8 pieces (about 1/4 cup each). Roll each into a ball and flatten into a 2.5-inch round. Pinch up a rim around the edge and press the middle down. Arrange 3 inches apart on the pans. Repeat with the remaining dough.

12. 11

    Spoon 2 tsp of fruit filling or 1 tbsp of cheese filling into the center of each.

    
13. 12

    Brush the rims with egg wash.

14. 13

    Optional, but strongly recommended: chill the shaped pastries, covered or uncovered, for 15 minutes to 1 hour while the oven heats.

15. 14

    Preheat the oven to 400°F (204°C).

16. 15

    Bake for 19-22 minutes, until the edges are golden brown. Some butter will seep out, which is normal; you can brush it back over the pastries halfway through.

17. 16

    Let cool for at least 5 minutes.

18. 17

    Whisk the icing ingredients together, adding more sugar to thicken or more milk or cream to thin, and drizzle over the warm pastries.

    
19. 18

    Pastries keep for 1 day at room temperature, up to 5 days in the fridge, or up to 3 months frozen (thaw before serving). Rewarm briefly in the microwave.