How To Make Danish Pastry | Good Housekeeping UK

Make perfect Danish pastry from scratch for a special breakfast, using our step-by-step video.

1. Put flour and lard in a food processor with sugar, salt and yeast. Pulse to mix ingredients together. Add eggs and milk then pulse to form a soft dough.

2. Lightly flour work surface. Knead dough for 5min until smooth. Put dough in a bowl, cover with cling film and leave to rest for 10min.

3. Put butter between some sheets of baking parchment and roll into a rectangle about 1cm (½in) thick.

4. Put butter between two sheets of greaseproof paper and roll into a rectangle about 1cm (½in) thick. Make sure your butter is chilled but pliable. If it’s too cold, it will be hard and break pastry layers you’re trying to create. If it’s too warm, it will ooze out as you roll dough and make croissants greasy.

5. Lightly flour work surface, and roll dough into a large square, about 1cm (½in) thick. Lay unsalted butter across centre of dough at a diagonal angle. Fold four corners of dough into middle of butter, so that butter is encased.

6. Lightly flour worktop. Using a rolling pin, gently press dough to flatten, this helps butter to spread out evenly when rolling. Roll out dough to a rectangle, about 20.5cm x 40.5cm (8in x 16in). Fold bottom third of dough into middle. Fold top third over top, like an envelope. Neaten edges by pressing them with a rolling pin, to make a neat rectangle. Wrap dough in cling film and chill in fridge for 20min.

7. Lightly flour work surface, lay out dough with sealed edge on left side, like a book. Roll out to a rectangle, about 20.5cm x 40.5cm (8in x 16in). Repeat folding process again, neaten edges and return to fridge for 20min. Repeat this process of folding and chilling twice more, then wrap dough in cling film and rest in fridge for 1hr.

8. When making Danish pastries, split dough in portions before rolling to make more than one type.

9. To make swirls, lightly flour work surface and roll out dough into a rectangle about 5mm (¼in) thick or about 20.5cm 30.5cm (8in x 12in). Make regular quarter turns when rolling to get an even thickness. Trim edges of pastry to straighten. Spread your filling of choice evenly over dough, leaving a small margin around edge. Roll dough up tightly from one long end to other, to make a roll. Slice across roll widthways, into 2cm (¾in) slices. Put flat side down on a lined baking sheet.

10. To make pinwheels, roll out dough into a rectangle, about 5mm (¼in) thick. Trim edges to straighten. Cut into even size squares. Take a square and make diagonal cuts from each corner, about halfway into middle of square. Spoon a teaspoon of filling of your choice into middle. Fold every other point into centre and press down to stick them together. Put on a lined baking sheet.

11. For fruit foldovers, roll out dough and cut into squares as per pinwheels. Put 2tsp custard in middle, at a slight diagonal angle. Top with halves of tinned fruit such as apricots or peaches , domed side up. Dot each with a small blob of jam. Pull two opposite corners of pastry over, so that corners meet between fruit halves, and pinch to seal. Put on a lined baking sheet.

12. Once shaped and filled, let pastries rise for 30min until doubled in size. Brush tops with beaten egg and make sure to pinch any edges together again if needed.

13. Bake at 220°C (200°C fan) mark 7 for about 15min, until golden and risen. Serve warm or at room temperature.

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