Ingredients

600g  milk
100g  sugar
25g   yeast, instant dry
1125g flour AP
10g   salt
4     eggs
900g  butter, kerrygold, cold, cut in 1 inch cubes
100g  flour AP

Day 1: Prepare the Detrempt

Place milk, sucrose, yeast, flour, salt, and eggs in the bowl of the Hobart. Using the dough hook, mix on speed 1 for 1 minute. Stop the mixer, remove the bowl, and scrape the sides, bottom, and dough hook well.

Return the dough to the Hobart, and mix on speed 2 for 10 minutes.

After the dough has mixed for 10 minutes, transfer to an oiled bowl, and proof at room temperature for approximately 1 1hour, until the dough doubles in size.

When the dough has doubled in size, punch it down, and transfer to an oiled half sheet pan. Wrap with plastic wrap, and retard in the tall boy overnight.
 

Day 2: Prepare the Butter Slab. Enrobe the Danish

On the second day, prepare the butter slab. Place the butter and flour in a kitchen aid bowl. Mix with a paddle on speed 3 until the butter and flour just form a homogenous mass. Do not over work the butter, no air should be added, and it shouldn’t warm up.

Transfer the cold butter to a floured surface and shape it into an 10  by 14 inch rectangle, working quickly to prevent the butter slab from softening. Transfer the butter slab to the refrigerator.

When the butter slab has been prepared, remove the detrempt from the refrigerator and transfer it to a floured counter. Punch the dough down and roll it into a 16 by 20 inch rectangle.

Working quickly, remove the butter slab from the refrigerator, fit it on the left 2/3’s of the detrempt, leaving an even boarder around the butter slab. Fold the un-buttered right 1/3 of the dough over the butter slab, then fold the left third over the right third, creating a letter fold.

Perform 3 letter turns on the dough, resting 20 minutes between each turn. After the final turn, transfer to a floured sheet pan, wrap the dough, and let it rest for 8 hours, or overnight.
 

Day 3

Sheet the Dough

Cut the dough in 4 even pieces. Working with one piece at a time, and leaving the remaining dough in the refrigerator, roll each piece to the size of a half sheet pan, an 18 by 12 inch rectangle. Layer rolled sheets between parchment and freeze if not shaping immediately.

Shape the Dough

For cardamom rolls, Brush the dough with melted butter, and sprinkle with 75g of cardamom sugar. Working with the wide end, roll the Danish tightly into a log, brush the end with water and secure it to the log to seal it. Transfer the log to the freezer, and repeat with the remainder of the dough.

When the dough is firm enough to work with, cut the logs of Danish in 2 cm pieces, lay flat in a fish tub layering with parchment as needed, cover with a lid, and transfer back to the freezer for storage.

To Bake the Danish for service

Transfer the Danish rings to a parchment lined sheet pan, leaving 2 inches between each piece. Cover with plastic and proof.

When proofed, bake at 350 low fan for 8 turn 6 minutes. Remove Danish from the oven and transfer the pan to the speed rack to cool.

Formulation courtesy of The Pastry Department