For the first time I read the new recipe for the month of The Daring Bakers, I got excited. No fancy schmancy cakes with lots of layers and different fillings or bizarre frozen cheesecake lollies. No, this challenge’s end result I was actually keen to eat. Unfortunately, it had to wait a while because we went to Ireland and then Gabriel didn’t let me get any normal (nightly) sleep for more than a week. The day before the reveal date I finally baked it and I dare say it was enjoyable. Let’s get on with it.
The dough itself was easy to make with my new Kitchen Aid. Okay, it’s 5 months old by now but it still feels new to me and has a proud place in my kitchen. Believe me, if I could bonk it, I would have done so long ago. sigh Maybe in the next life I’ll come back as a kitchen appliance, or better yet as a paddle or a hook and we can have fun times mixing things in the bowl. (Hmm, what a bizarre train of thought. Can you tell it is past midnight and it’s been a long day for me?) The dough came out sticky, very sticky. The recipe stated I could add a bit of flour to help make it more manageable. A total of 4 cups of flour ended up in the mixture when I drew the line and picked up the blob to chill in the fridge for a while. The butter block was easier than I thought it would be. In my mind’s eye I could see the butter pouring out of the layers as I rolled it out, but it didn’t. Bloody hell, I’m getting good at this. Although I had to go through the motions every 30 minutes, it was fun.
Instead of halving the amount of dough, I divided it into thirds. The first third was used to make the apple braid. The rest was transformed into plain croissants and pains au chocolat. In the end there were so many pastries that I gave some to the neighbours yet again. For a first try I was quite pleased with the results. It could probably be improved upon; just maybe I’ll try making this in a while again. THE END While I thought it was the end, until the next day the one neighbour came back with our plate and said it was lovely, but she had a few pointers that her husband told her to give me. Oh shit. Why didn’t anyone tell me we lived next to a 6th generation baker???? Here I am pottering about with not the best baked goods and giving them away as if they are. Anyways, some good did come out of it. The lesson I learnt was that I shouldn’t have added all those extra flour to the mix when I first made it. I should have let it carry on being sticky and by some weird chemical process the gluten will relax and the dough will become more manageable. Now I know….
Print📖 Recipe
Apple & Pistachio Danish Braid
Ingredients
for the dough (detrempe)
- 1 ounce fresh yeast or 1 tablespoon active dry yeast
- ½ cup whole milk
- ⅓ cup sugar
- Zest of 1 orange, finely grated
- ¾ teaspoon ground cardamom
- 1-½ teaspoons vanilla extract
- ½ vanilla bean, split and scraped
- 2 large eggs, chilled
- ¼ cup fresh orange juice
- 3-¼ cups all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon salt
for the butter block (beurrage)
- ½ pound (2 sticks) cold unsalted butter
- ¼ cup all-purpose flour
Instructions
method – for the 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.
method – butter block
- 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.
- 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.
- 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.
- 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.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 142g
- Calories: 527
- Sugar: 39 g
- Sodium: 503 mg
- Fat: 26 g
- Saturated Fat: 7 g
- Carbohydrates: 68 g
- Fiber: 3 g
- Protein: 8 g
- Cholesterol: 162 mg
Rose
Absolutely stunning looking dish!
★★★★★
Pamela
Looks amazing!
Pamela
What a lovely dessert!
Jeanne
OMG that looks incredible!! I love the combination of flavours and well done you for that perfect braid shape 🙂 A daring baked indeed!
Ashley
Oh wow I love the addition of pistachios! What a great combination (apple and pistachios). Looks beautiful.
Deeba
Pisatchio lovers of the world reunite...FABULOUS!! Can't stop gazing at your very beautiful Danish & the lovely pictures! WOW Michelle...your Danish is tunning. 6th generation bakers...hmmm, now that's tough! Cheers
Meeta
See this I want to make it all over again!! Looks simply divine and you know my crazy madness for pistachios!
Rosa
A delicious braid! I love that gorgeous combination!
Cheers,
Rosa
Clumbsy Cookie
I like that! I like that a LOT!
marika
Pistachios and apple sounds awesome 🙂 Beautiful pics!
Rebecca
The pistachios look lovely! Great job.