Homemade Apple Danish Pastries
Flaky homemade Danish pastries with a thick cinnamon apple filling. Make them with apple alone or add an optional layer of vanilla custard.
Equipment
- Stand mixer with dough hook
- Rolling Pin
- Parchment paper
- 2 large baking sheets
Ingredients
Danish dough
- 120 g whole milk cold
- 80 g water cold
- 7 g instant or active dry yeast
- 440 g all-purpose flour with at least 11% protein
- 50 g granulated sugar
- 30 g unsalted butter softened
- 1 large egg
- 1 teaspoon vanilla bean paste or vanilla extract
- 3/4 teaspoon fine salt
- 1/4 teaspoon ground cardamom freshly ground, optional
Butter packet
- 225 g unsalted butter cold
Spiced apple filling
- 3 large Granny Smith apples peeled, cored and finely diced
- 40 g brown sugar
- 15 g unsalted butter
- salt pinch
- 3/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1 1/2 teaspoons lemon juice
- 1 Tablespoon cold water
- 1 teaspoon cornstarch
Egg wash and finishing
- 1 large egg
- 1 Tablespoon water
- turbinado sugar for sprinkling
- powdered sugar for dusting
Optional vanilla glaze
- 120 g powdered sugar
- 1 Tablespoon milk plus more as needed
- 1/2 teaspoon vanilla bean paste or vanilla extract
Instructions
Make the dough
- Add the cold milk, water, yeast, flour, sugar, salt, vanilla, softened butter, cardamom and egg to the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a dough hook.
- Mix on low speed until combined. Continue kneading on low for 10 to 15 minutes, until the firm dough is smooth, strong and elastic.
- Shape it into a flat rectangle, wrap it tightly and refrigerate for 2 hours.
Make the butter packet
- Cut the cold butter into four slabs and arrange them in a two-by-two grid on parchment paper.
- Fold the parchment into a square around the butter. Pound and roll the butter until it forms an even sheet.
- Refrigerate the packet. Before laminating, bash it again with the rolling pin until the butter is bendy and really easily pliable. It should feel similar in firmness to the dough.
Laminate the dough
- Roll the chilled dough into a rectangle approximately twice the length of the butter packet. Place the butter in the center, fold the top and bottom sections of dough over it so they meet, and pinch the center seam closed. Turn the dough 90 degrees and use a sharp knife to slice down the closed sides to release the tension.
- Press gently along the length with the rolling pin to flatten the butter, then roll in one direction from one short end to the other. Focus on length rather than width and lift the dough regularly to make sure it is not sticking. Roll it to about 5/16 inch (8 mm) thick.
- Brush away all loose flour and fold the dough into thirds like a business letter. Wrap and chill for 30 minutes. Rotate the dough 90 degrees, then repeat the pressing, rolling and folding process. Chill for another 30 minutes.
- Rotate, roll and fold the dough a third time. Wrap and chill for at least 1 hour or up to overnight.
Make the apple filling
- Melt the butter in a medium frying pan over medium heat. Add the apples, brown sugar, salt, cinnamon and lemon juice.
- Cook, stirring regularly, until the apples have softened but still hold their shape, around 6-8 minutes.
- Stir together the cornstarch and cold water. Pour the slurry into the pan and cook for another minute stirring, until the filling is thick and glossy.
- Scoop it into a shallow container and cool completely.
Shape and proof
- Line two large baking sheets with parchment paper.
- Roll the chilled dough into a 16 x 9 1/2-inch (40 x 24 cm) rectangle. Trim the edges if needed, then cut it into fifteen 3-inch (8 cm) squares.
- Divide the squares between the trays, cover loosely and proof until visibly puffy and airy. At approximately 75°F (24°C), this takes around 2 hours. Cooler rooms may require 2 1/2 to 3 hours or longer. Keep the pastries below 79°F (26°C) so the butter does not melt. The pastries should wobble slightly when the tray is moved, and a light indentation should spring back slowly.
Fill and bake
- Heat the oven to 400°F (200°C) conventional. Whisk together the egg and water.
- Press a small, flat-bottomed glass gently into the center of each proofed square to create a deep indentation. Brush the edges of the pastry lightly with egg wash.
- Divide the cold apple filling between the centers. Sprinkle the edges with turbinado sugar.
- Bake for approximately 18 minutes, until deeply golden brown. If baking one tray at a time, refrigerate the second fully proofed tray while the first tray bakes.
- Transfer to a wire rack. Once cool, dust with powdered sugar or drizzle with vanilla glaze.
Optional vanilla glaze
- Whisk together the powdered sugar, 1 tablespoon milk and vanilla. Add more milk a little at a time until thick but pourable.
- Drizzle over the cooled Danish and allow it to set.
Notes
Apple custard variation: Make a half batch of my vanilla custard and let it cool completely. After proofing, pipe approximately 15 g custard into each center. Top with a tablespoon of apple filling.
Filling temperature: The apple filling must be completely cold before it is added to the proofed pastry.
Make ahead: The laminated dough and apple filling can both be prepared the day before and refrigerated separately.
Storage: Keep apple Danish without custard at room temperature for up to 2 days. Refrigerate apple custard Danish for up to 2 days.
Nutrition
Serving: 1DanishCalories: 330kcalCarbohydrates: 43gProtein: 4gFat: 16gSaturated Fat: 10gPolyunsaturated Fat: 1gMonounsaturated Fat: 4gTrans Fat: 1gCholesterol: 65mgSodium: 133mgPotassium: 111mgFiber: 2gSugar: 19gVitamin A: 525IUVitamin C: 2mgCalcium: 30mgIron: 2mg
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