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Step 1
If your time is limited, you can buy frozen Danish pastry in the shop. In this case you will only have to make the cream. But if you have enough time, do try to make the pastry yourself. If you observe all the rules, it will take you 3 days. On the first day remove 40 g butter from the fridge and wait till it is at room temperature; then make the dough. Combine all the ingredients but cold butter in a mixer bowl, i.e. flour, water, milk, yeast, 1 tsp salt, sugar and soft butter. Knead with a hook on a slow speed about 3 minutes. The dough will become soft and homogeneous. Using your hands make a dough disc (not a ball!), wrap in cling film and refrigerate overnight. Cut the cold butter (280 g) in 1 cm slices and make a 15 cm square on a parchment sheet. Cover with another parchment sheet and roll slightly to get a bigger square. Refrigerate till using. Note: if your butter is crumbling or is too soft, you cannot use it. The right butter should be cold and soft, and the fat content should be at least 82%.
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Step 2
Next day roll the dough into a square. Put the cold butter on the dough at 45°.
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Step 3
Fold the edges to the centre, like an envelope.
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Step 4
Carefully roll the dough in one direction till you get a 60 cm sheet.
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Step 5
Put your dough horizontally and three-fold it: first fold the right third to the centre and then cover them with the left one. Refrigerate for 20 mins. On cooking websites this is often called triple folding.
6. You have to repeat the procedure three times. Each time roll your pastry in a different direction. That means the following steps: roll the dough into a 60x20 cm sheet, three-fold, refrigerate for 20 mins. Remove from the fridge, make a 90° turn, roll into a 60x20 cm sheet again, three-fold, refrigerate for 20 mins. And again, remove from the fridge; make a 90° turn, roll into a 60x20 cm sheet, three-fold but this time leave the pastry in the fridge overnight. Soak the raisins in rum and leave overnight.
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Step 6
You have to repeat the procedure three times. Each time roll your pastry in a different direction. That means the following steps: roll the dough into a 60x20 cm sheet, three-fold, refrigerate for 20 mins. Remove from the fridge, make a 90° turn, roll into a 60x20 cm sheet again, three-fold, refrigerate for 20 mins. And again, remove from the fridge; make a 90° turn, roll into a 60x20 cm sheet, three-fold but this time leave the pastry in the fridge overnight. Soak the raisins in rum and leave overnight.
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Step 7
Next day prepare the custard. Combine milk and 20 g sugar, vanilla seeds and the pod in a small saucepan. Bring to the boil, remove from heat, cover and leave for 15 mins. After that remove the pod (you will not need it later), and put the milk to the heat again. In a separate bowl combine the egg and the remaining sugar, whisk till the mixture is pale, and add the cornstarch, mix. Add apr.1/3 hot milk to the egg mixture, mix and pour back to the hot milk in the saucepan.
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Step 8
Boil at medium heat constantly stirring till the custard thickens. Pour the cream into a bowl, cover and leave to cool. The custard is ready.
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Step 9
Remove the pastry from the fridge and roll it into a 30x90 cm sheet. Spread an even layer of the custard, sprinkle with raisins and make a roll.
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Step 10
Cut the roll in 1-1,5 cm slices. Line a baking sheet with parchment, put the slices onto the baking sheet and leave to proof. To do this bring water in a small saucepan to the boil and put it onto the bottom of a cold oven. Put your swirl buns into the oven. The temperature should not exceed 30°C, otherwise the butter will melt and flow out of the pastry. Leave the buns to proof for 1 hour or till they double in size.
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Step 11
Remove the buns from the oven. Preheat the oven to 170°C and bake the swirl buns till golden, about 20 mins.
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Step 12
If you want, you can brush your buns with some apricot jam to make them glossy. Puff pastry swirl buns with raisins are ready! Enjoy your meal!
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