There are many reasons to love Daring Bakers, but the requirement to make a recipe that I would probably never make on my own free will is the best reason.
Of course I am creative in my cooking, and bold in my baking, but recipes with three pages of instructions are not my typical cup of tea. A commitment to be Daring makes me decipher layers of procedures that previously would have warranted a quick flip of the page. For that I am grateful to present challenge #2.
The challenge was completed last weekend. I am writing the post on the flight to Oregon, and I will be posting next Sunday (from Oregon!). All of those steps, and I have not peeped a word to you about the Almond Peach Danish Braid that was the challenge for June.
The big challenge of the challenge was the laminated dough. My dough was more like biscuit dough than yeasted dough, but that was really no problem for us in the tasting department.
The instructions left a little to be desired as my fountain of flour turned into a volcano of yeast, milk, and eggs as I poured the wet mixture into my obviously less than sturdy walls. Though there is no picture of proof, take my word for it, there were hasty hands becoming dams along the counters edge. Sticky, sticky mess.
The filling was up to us, as long as it was fruit, and I chose peach with almond. Follow my directions for peeling peaches that I outlined in the Lemon Peach Pie recipe. Peel and slice 6 peaches. Toss them with ¼ cup white sugar, 3 tablespoons cornstarch, ½ teaspoon almond extract, and a pinch of salt. Once you are ready to fill the braid, spread a thin layer of peach preserves across the bottom of the braid, cover with peaches, and proceed with the braid.
So here it is. Another delicious month.
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* I did not use 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 minutes.
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.
APPLE FILLING* I used Peach
Makes enough for two braids
Ingredients
4 Fuji or other apples, peeled, cored, and cut into ¼-inch pieces
1/2 cup sugar
1 tsp. ground cinnamon
1/2 vanilla bean, split and scraped
1/4 cup fresh lemon juice
4 tablespoons unsalted butter
Toss
all ingredients except butter in a large bowl. Melt the butter in a
sauté pan over medium heat until slightly nutty in color, about 6 - 8
minutes. Then add the apple mixture and sauté until apples are
softened and caramelized, 10 to 15 minutes. If you?ve chosen Fujis,
the apples will be caramelized, but have still retained their shape.
Pour the cooked apples onto a baking sheet to cool completely before
forming the braid. (If making ahead, cool to room temperature, seal,
and refrigerate.) They will cool faster when spread in a thin layer
over the surface of the sheet. After they have cooled, the filling can
be stored in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. Left over filling can
be used as an ice cream topping, for muffins, cheesecake, or other
pastries.
DANISH BRAID
Makes enough for 2 large braids
Ingredients
1 recipe Danish Dough (see below)
2 cups apple filling, jam, or preserves (see below)
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 Wash
Whisk 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.
P.S. As I am now posting from Oregon, I can confidently say that when I return I will post pictures of the coast that will make your mouth hang open.
