I have joined the Daring Bakers! I swore I never would as I did not want to have to bake something every month, but my baking skills are lacking and need some help so I signed up; the logic (and theory) being that complicated baking would make the more every day things easier.
On the 1st June I got the challenge – A Danish Plait! Laminated yeast dough. I gulped and horrific memories of making puff pastry at school sprang to mind, rolling all that butter into pastry was not fun all those years ago and I have never ever repeated the experience.
However I had a go and am really pleased with the results. I cheated slightly and halved the recipe, my thoughts being that when it went wrong there would be less ingredient wastage. BUT my thoughts of doom and gloom were totally unfounded. My Danish plait worked a dream – well it would have worked a dream but when I came to cook it for some reason there was absolutely no pressure to the gas supply to my oven and it would not heat above GM3! I cooked it anyway – it was ready and it was my boyfriend’s birthday – so I bunged it in the oven.
Considering everything it was great! The pastry was laminated and had risen a little, I am sure that with a hotter oven it would puff up and rise, I have more pastry in the freezer which I will make another plait with.
I think that the basic recipe given would have made far too much dough for a novice baker to be able to handle easily. It also makes enough dough to make 4 plaits to feed 2 people. I used a silicone mat to roll my dough and to assemble the plait on, this was fabulous as it was the perfect size to give me a guide to rolling out the rectangles, there was no 
sticking and also meant that I was handling the dough less as I could pick up the mat, put it on a chopping board and put it in the fridge. I could roll, cut, assemble and bake the plait on the mat so did not have to transfer rolled and cut pastry to a baking tray. For an investment of £10 it was well well worth it.
I made the dough by bunging it all in the food processor with the dough blade which seemed to work well. I loved working with the dough, the butter block spread easily and behaved, no buttery leakage when rolling and folding, I am going to try puff pastry again using a butter block rather than cutting the butter in.
My filling was homemade apricot jam topped with buttered cinnamon apple and pear and then a sprinkling of toasted pine nuts.
The full recipe is below: Once broken down it really is not that daunting!
DANISH DOUGH (Makes 2-1/2 pounds dough)
Ingredients
For the dough (Detrempe)
1 ounce fresh yeast or 1 tablespoon active dry yeast
1/2 cup whole milk
1/3 cup sugar
Zest of 1 orange, 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
For the butter block (Beurrage)
1/2 pound (2 sticks) cold unsalted butter
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
DOUGH
Combine yeast and milk in the bowl of a mixer fitted with the paddle attachment and mix on low speed. Slowly add sugar, orange zest, cardamom, vanilla extract, vanilla seeds, eggs, and orange juice. Mix well. Change to the dough hook and add the salt with the flour, 1 cup at a time, increasing speed to medium as the flour is incorporated. Knead the dough for about 5 minutes, or until smooth. You may need to add a little more flour if it is sticky. Transfer dough to a lightly floured baking sheet and cover with plastic wrap. Refrigerate for 30 minutes.
Without a standing mixer: Combine yeast and milk in a bowl with a hand mixer on low speed or a whisk. Add sugar, orange zest, cardamom, vanilla extract, vanilla seeds, eggs, and orange juice and mix well. Sift flour and salt on your working surface and make a fountain. Make sure that the “walls” of your fountain are thick and even. Pour the liquid in the middle of the fountain. With your fingertips, mix the liquid and the flour starting from the middle of the fountain, slowly working towards the edges. When the ingredients have been incorporated start kneading the dough with the heel of your hands until it becomes smooth and easy to work with, around 5 to 7 minutes. You might need to add more flour if the dough is sticky.
BUTTER BLOCK
1. Combine butter and flour in the bowl of a mixer fitted with a paddle attachment and beat on medium speed for 1 minute. Scrape down the sides of the bowl and the paddle and then beat for 1 minute more, or until smooth and lump free. Set aside at room temperature.
2. After the detrempe has chilled 30 minutes, turn it out onto a lightly floured surface. Roll the dough into a rectangle approximately 18 x 13 inches and ¼ inch thick. The dough may be sticky, so keep dusting it lightly with flour. Spread the butter evenly over the center and right thirds of the dough. Fold the left edge of the detrempe to the right, covering half of the butter. Fold the right third of the rectangle over the center third. The first turn has now been completed. Mark the dough by poking it with your finger to keep track of your turns, or use a sticky and keep a tally. Place the dough on a baking sheet, wrap it in plastic wrap, and refrigerate for 30 minutes.
3. Place the dough lengthwise on a floured work surface. The open ends should be to your right and left. Roll the dough into another approximately 13 x 18 inch, ¼-inch-thick rectangle. Again, fold the left third of the rectangle over the center third and the right third over the center third. No additional butter will be added as it is already in the dough. The second turn has now been completed. Refrigerate the dough for 30 minu
tes.
4. Roll out, turn, and refrigerate the dough two more times, for a total of four single turns. Make sure you are keeping track of your turns. Refrigerate the dough after the final turn for at least 5 hours or overnight. The Danish dough is now ready to be used. If you will not be using the dough within 24 hours, freeze it. To do this, roll the dough out to about 1 inch in thickness, wrap tightly in plastic wrap, and freeze. Defrost the dough slowly in the refrigerator for easiest handling. Danish dough will keep in the freezer for up to 1 month.
DANISH BRAID Makes enough for 2 large braids
Ingredients
1 recipe Danish Dough
Filling
For the egg wash: 1 large egg, plus 1 large egg yolk
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.Egg WashWhisk together the whole egg and yolk in a bowl and with a pastry brush, lightly coat the braid.
Proofing and Baking
1. 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.
2. Near the end of proofing, preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Position a rack in the center of the oven.
3. 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.
On the 1st June I got the challenge – A Danish Plait! Laminated yeast dough. I gulped and horrific memories of making puff pastry at school sprang to mind, rolling all that butter into pastry was not fun all those years ago and I have never ever repeated the experience.
Considering everything it was great! The pastry was laminated and had risen a little, I am sure that with a hotter oven it would puff up and rise, I have more pastry in the freezer which I will make another plait with.
sticking and also meant that I was handling the dough less as I could pick up the mat, put it on a chopping board and put it in the fridge. I could roll, cut, assemble and bake the plait on the mat so did not have to transfer rolled and cut pastry to a baking tray. For an investment of £10 it was well well worth it.
The full recipe is below: Once broken down it really is not that daunting!
great job hippolyra, especally manging to pull it off with a faulty oven!
I love it, you call it British: plait. It looks beautiful, great work , well done! Welcome to DB
Ulrike from Küchenlatein
I didn’t even realise that I had typed plait not braid! Its odd how we all automatically use the same language in different ways!
Your braid looks fantastic, sounds a really yummy and interesting filling as well!
Love your plaiting technique!! And your filling sounds just wonderful.
Welcome to Daring Bakers!
congrats on your first challenge, you did an amazing job!
Ooh – this looks complicated! Nice job
Great job & welcome! I joined DB a few months ago for the same reason – to improve on some basic skills & make the everyday easier. It’s amazing how your friends start to hale you as a “gourmet baker” because you try these new things. I hope you boyfriend enjoyed the beautiful Danish Plait you made in his honor.
xoxox Amy
Pretty braid, probably even more lovely if the oven had cooperated. I love that you just throw off “My filling was homemade apricot jam topped with buttered cinnamon apple and pear and then a sprinkling of toasted pine nuts” like it was nothing! That sound like the best filling I’ve seen yet. Glad you are a Daring Baker! I like you style.
this is so great…excellent job!
-Susan of http://doughmesstic.blogspot.com
Well done on your challenge this month! Welcome to DB!!
That silicone mat does sound like a goo investement…. Well done on this challenging challenge ;)
Great job on your first challenge. I love the layers in that top photo.
wow! Your braid looks beautiful. Apricot jam, apples and pears… that filling sounds wonderful. I love pine-nuts too, I’ll throw them into anything :) Way to go on your first DB Challenge!
Welcome to the group!