Danish Pastries (Wienerbrød)
Wienerbrød Say it: VEE-ner-bruhl
Wienerbrød, literally 'Vienna bread', is Denmark's great laminated pastry, a craft brought by Austrian bakers and perfected in Danish shops. A simple yeast dough is wrapped around a slab of butter and folded again and again, so the oven turns it into dozens of shattering, honeycombed layers. The bakery classic is the spandauer: a swirled round filled with remonce of almond paste, butter and sugar, a spoonful of vanilla custard, then iced and scattered with almonds. Eat one warm with strong coffee.
Danish Pastries (Wienerbrød)
Wienerbrød
Pronounced VEE-ner-bruhl
- Serves
- 6
- Prep
- 1 hr
- Cook
- 18 min
- Total
- 1 hr 18 min
- Level
- Medium
Allergens: contains gluten, milk, egg, nuts. Check labels on packaged ingredients.
Ingredients
Amounts are scaled. Cooking times and pan sizes stay the same.
For the dough
For the butter block
For the remonce filling
For the custard
To finish
Method
Whisk the flour, sugar, yeast, salt and cardamom in a large bowl. Add the cold milk and egg and mix to a shaggy dough, then knead for 5 minutes until smooth and only slightly tacky. Flatten into a 1-inch (2.5 cm) thick rectangle, wrap and chill for at least 1 hour.
For the butter block, lay the cold butter between two sheets of parchment and pound it with a rolling pin until pliable, then roll into a neat 7-inch (18 cm) square. Keep it cold in the fridge while the dough chills.
Roll the chilled dough on a floured surface into a rectangle about 10 x 14 inches (25 x 35 cm). Set the butter square on the lower half, fold the top half over it and pinch all the edges firmly so the butter is completely sealed inside.
Roll the package into a 1/2-inch (1 cm) thick rectangle, then fold it in thirds like a letter. Wrap and chill for 30 minutes. Repeat this roll-and-fold twice more, chilling 30 minutes each time, for three folds in total.
Meanwhile make the remonce. beat the soft butter with the sugar until creamy, then stir in the grated almond paste until spreadable. For the custard, whisk the sugar, cornstarch and egg yolk with 2 tbsp of the milk in a small bowl.
Heat the remaining milk until steaming, pour it slowly into the yolk mixture while whisking, then return everything to the pan. Cook over medium heat, whisking, for 2-3 minutes until thick as pudding; stir in the vanilla and cool with a sheet of plastic pressed on the surface.
Roll the rested dough to 1/4 inch (6 mm) thick and cut into twelve 4-inch (10 cm) squares. Fold each corner into the centre and press to seal, making a small round nest, and set them on two lined baking trays.
Cover loosely and let the pastries proof at room temperature for 1 to 1 1/2 hours, until visibly puffed and the dough springs back slowly when pressed with a fingertip.
Press a deep hollow in the centre of each pastry with the back of a spoon. Put a heaped teaspoon of remonce in each, then a teaspoon of custard on top, and bake at 400°F (200°C) for 15-18 minutes, until deep golden and the folded edges crisp.
Cool for 10 minutes, then stir the powdered sugar with the water to a thick glaze and drizzle it over the pastries. Scatter with sliced almonds while the glaze is still wet and leave to set.
Regional variant: Poppy Seed Pastries (Tebirkes)
Roll the finished dough into one large rectangle, spread the remonce thinly over two thirds, fold into thirds and roll to a 1/4-inch (6 mm) thick strip. Cut into 3-inch (8 cm) wide bars, brush with beaten egg and press the tops into poppy seeds, then proof and bake at 400°F (200°C) for about 15 minutes. Glaze with powdered sugar icing while warm.
Cook's notes
- Work cold: if the butter starts to squish out of the dough at any point, slide everything onto a tray and chill for 20 minutes before carrying on.
- The dough can be made and folded the day before; keep it wrapped in the fridge and roll it out straight from cold.
- Use a scale for the flour and butter if you can, and toast the sliced almonds for 3 minutes in a dry pan for a deeper flavour.
Serve with
Strong black coffee or tea, and a glass of cold milk for children.
Make ahead and storage
Shaped, unfilled pastries freeze well for up to 2 months; thaw overnight in the fridge and add 5 minutes to the baking time. Baked pastries keep 2 days in an airtight tin and refresh in a 350°F (175°C) oven for 5 minutes.
