Chefshell posted 02-10-99
Chefshell's Delicious Delightful Danish (Streudel)
YEAST MIXTURE:
1 cup milk
5 tsp. (2 envelopes) active dry yeast
DRY MIXTURE:
4 1/2 cups unbleached all purpose flour
1/2 cup sugar
1 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. ground cinnamon (or to taste)
4 Tbsp. cold butter (unsalted)
3 eggs
BUTTER LAYER
1/3 cup unbleached all purpose flour
14 oz. (yes, that's 3 1/2 sticks!!!!) cold, unsalted butter (it's all in
the proportions!)
In a small saucepan, over low heat, heat the milk until it feels warm,
about 110 degrees. Pour into a small bowl and whisk in the yeast. Set aside.
Put the dry ingredients in the bowl of a food processor or by hand and
combine.
If using processor, pulse until
smooth. By hand, mix with hands until combined.
Add the 4 tbsp. of butter & pulse until butter is absorbed and the
mixture looks powdery.(By hand, same thing, more work).
Add the eggs and set aside yeast mixture & continue to mix
until the dough forms a ball(if the dough refuses to form a ball, beat
it! and add up to 3 tbsp. of flour; a tbsp at a time until it yields to
your every whim!
Put dough into an oiled bowl. Cover bowl w/plastic wrap & allow to rest
for 5 min.
Turn dough out onto a floured
surface (may need a scraper here), & fold dough over on itself 6 to 8
times.
Sprinkle dough with flour (up to 3 tbsp.) if dough is VERY
soft. Wrap dough and refrigerate from 1 to 8 hrs.
To prepare butter layer: scatter flour on the work surface. Remove
butter from the fridge, unwrap it, & roll butter in the flour to coat.
Pound the butter with a polling pin,gently at first, (turning it often
to keep it coated with flour). It will become soft & malleable, but not
begin to melt.
Press occasionally with fingertips to be sure that
the consistency is correct ( cool & pliable).
Flouring hands with flour from board, quickly knead butter into a solid
mass & set aside. (If warm, refrigerate butter.)
Scrape any butter bits stuck to work surface and flour lightly.
Remove dough from refrigerator and turn the dough out in one piece onto surface using rubber spatula.(Make
sure it does NOT roll over on itself, it will be too elastic to roll).
Lightly flour top of dough and, using the palm of one hand, press & pull
it into a 6"X12" (inch) rectangle.
Divide the softened butter into 8 fairly equal sized pieces and press
each quickly between palms if hands to flatten.
Distribute flattened pieces of butter in a 6"X 9" rectangle over the bottom 2/3 of dough.
Fold the top (unbuttered) 1/3 of dough down over the middle (buttered)
1/3. Then fold the bottom 1/3 (buttered) 1/3 up over the other layers,
making it a 5-layered package of dough and butter.
Position dough on board so fold is on the left. Lightly flour work
surface & dough, and with a rolling pin, press a
seris of horizontal lines in the dough to flatten it gently.
(GENTLY IS THE KEYWORD HERE)
No butter squeezing out the sides or dough becoming thinner at edges.
When dough is approx. 1/2 inch thick, roll it, without rolling over edges
to make a 12"X24" rectangle.
Fold the 2 narrow ends of the dough to within 1/4 inch of the middle
leaving a 1/2 inch space between their ends.
Fold over again at the space to make 4 layers.
Repeat step 8. Loosely wrap dough in plastic wrap. Slide into large
plastic bag to allow room to expand.
1. Lightly flour work surface and dough using a rolling pin to press the
dough (with gentle horizontal strokes) into a 6"X12" inch rectangle.
Keep a fine dusting
of flour on both work surface & dough to prevent dough from sticking.
Add
more flour if necessary. Use back and forth strokes (without pressing too
hard) or rolling over edges so no butter
squeezes out, to roll the dough into a 12 inch square.
Slide onto cookie sheet, cover with plastic wrap, & refrigerate
while preparing filling.
Filling:
Combine butter, sugar, and cinnamon (for filling) in a bowl and mix until
smooth. Add the walnuts until finely
chopped(but not ground). Scrape into bowl and add raisins or
currants.
Remove dough from refrigerator and spread evenly with filling (using
offsrt spatula).
Beginning at the end closest to you, roll dough
around the filling.
Seal the roll by pinching the long against the cylinder. Cut dough into
12 slices and arrange them, cut side down, on the prepared pans.
Flatten each pastry slightly with the palm of your hand.
Cover with plastic wrap & allow to rise at room temperature until they
begin to puff slightly, about 30 minutes.
Meanwhile, set racks in top 1/3 & bottom 1/3/ of oven & preheat to 400
degrees.
Bake for about 20 minutes or until pastries are well risen and deep
golden brown and feel light for their size when lifted from pan.
Remove to racks to cool.
Icing:
Make icing by combining all ingredients in a small pan. Stir with
a wooden spoon until smooth. Place over lowheat, stirring constantly,
until the icing is warm, about 110 degreees. Drizzle or brush icing on
cool pastries.
Filling:
3 tbsp unsalted butter
1/4 cup granulated sugar
1 tsp. ground cinnamon (to taste)
1 cup (about 4 oz.) walnut pieces
1 cup raisins or currants
ICING
3/4 cup confectioners' sugar
1 tbsp. water
1 tsp. vanilla extract
Yield= 12 3 to4 inch round pastries.