Braid Away ..... The Danish Braids
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The Daring Bakers monthly challenge has been a gift for me in more ways than one. It makes sure I take out the time to do what I love most and write about it, no matter what ... This month has been exceptionally busy for me. I started work again about 6 weeks ago and then we moved apartments. So my weekdays have been spent at work and weekends getting settled in the new apartment.
This morning was full of excitement for me! I was going to start this challenge. Again, the Daring Bakers have come up with a recipe that I have been waiting to try for a long time but just could not get the inertia to try out.
The hosts for this month's event are Kelly of Sass & Veracity , and Ben of What’s Cookin’? and they chose something amazing! It is the Danish Braid .... beautiful, versatile and a great great challenge. Something to test your baking skills, patience, your understanding of the temperature and humidity in your region .... a recipe worth every bit of effort that went into it.
I was very scared about starting this recipe ... I hadn't done any recipes before that required the layering of fat typical of puff pastry or this recipe for instance. Not to mention the hot and humid Singapore weather and my new tiny kitchen for which this was a maiden venture. The start wasn't very encouraging - my dough was wet and sticky. I was adding flour by the handfuls to get it to the right texture. I was so double minded about doing a sweet or savory filling - then should I add the orange juice, the zest, the vanilla the sugar to my dough or not .... But at last, good judgment prevailed - I decided to stick to the recipe and make a sweet danish dough with sweet fillings.
My niece loves jam - so one braid with a fruit jam filling was decided :) One down! The next choice just came to me when I was out with my son for a walk ... I was thinking about it and imagining the taste and texture in my mind. Pecans, raisins, honey, a touch of cinnamon and maple syrup!!! Yes that was it for me! Then all that was left to be done was the turnings of the dough. That aside, I was enjoying the way my dough was rising in the refrigerator. And I just loved the way it smelled with the zest and the vanilla extract. I skipped the vanilla beans just because getting it would mean I started another 3 hours later than I did. So here is the recipe: A great dough and a great recipe!
Recipe: “Danish Braid” from Sherry Yard’s The Secrets of Baking
Makes 2-1/2 pounds dough
Danish
Ingredients
- 1 ounce fresh yeast or 1 tablespoon active dry yeast
- 1/2 cup whole milk
- 1/3 cup sugar
- 1 orange zest, finely grated
- 3/4 teaspoon ground cardamom
- 1-1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 1/2 vanilla bean, split and scraped
- 2 large eggs, chilled
- 1/4 cup fresh orange juice
- 3-1/4 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 pound (2 sticks) cold unsalted butter
- 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
- 1/2 cup jam of your choice - strawberry, blueberry, pineapple or orange
Instructions
- 1
Line a baking sheet with a silicone mat or parchment paper. On a lightly floured surface, roll the Danish Dough into a 15 x 20-inch rectangle, ¼ inch thick. If the dough seems elastic and shrinks back when rolled, let it rest for a few minutes, then roll again. Place the dough on the baking sheet.
- 2
Along one long side of the pastry make parallel, 5-inch-long cuts with a knife or rolling pastry wheel, each about 1 inch apart. Repeat on the opposite side, making sure to line up the cuts with those you’ve already made.
- 3
Spoon the filling you’ve chosen to fill your braid down the center of the rectangle. Starting with the top and bottom “flaps”, fold the top flap down over the filling to cover. Next, fold the bottom “flap” up to cover filling. This helps keep the braid neat and helps to hold in the filling. Now begin folding the cut side strips of dough over the filling, alternating first left, then right, left, right, until finished. Trim any excess dough and tuck in the ends.
- 4
Spray cooking oil (Pam…) onto a piece of plastic wrap, and place over the braid. Proof at room temperature or, if possible, in a controlled 90 degree F environment for about 2 hours, or until doubled in volume and light to the touch.
- 5
Near the end of proofing, preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Position a rack in the center of the oven.
- 6
Bake for 10 minutes, then rotate the pan so that the side of the braid previously in the back of the oven is now in the front. Lower the oven temperature to 350 degrees F, and bake about 15-20 minutes more, or until golden brown. Cool and serve the braid either still warm from the oven or at room temperature. The cooled braid can be wrapped airtight and stored in the refrigerator for up to 2 days, or freeze for 1 month.
Maple Pecan Filling
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup raisins
- 1/2 cup pecans
- 1 tablespoon honey + 1 tsp maple syrup
- 1/4 tsp cinnamon powder.
Instructions
- 1
Combine all ingredients in a bowl and set aside.
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