Apricot Orange Danish Pastry

These Apricot Orange Danish Pastries are exactly what you might imagine a Danish pastry should be. They are super flaky with just the right amount of sweetness, and are filled with an intensely flavored apricot and orange jam in the center. Then they are topped with two glazes! 

You can make these apricot and orange Danish pastries! I promise! While they look like they might be difficult, they are actually pretty easy to make. They just take a little time and patience.

These Danish pastries begin with a croissant dough, also known as laminated dough. What is laminated dough? It's a dough that is filled with butter, folded over itself, and rolled out in many layers. That's how you get the flaky layers after baking.




After a lot of frustration with past attempts at making laminated dough, I've finally settled on this formula and method as my absolute favorite. First, it only takes one overnight rest for the dough. Second, with this method, I didn't have any problems with the butter popping out from the dough as I rolled it out like I have in the past.

How to Make and Shape this Laminated Dough: 

The first step in making laminated dough is creating a butter block between two layers of plastic wrap. 

Next, roll your prepared and refrigerated dough out to 12 1/2 inches by 6 1/2 inches and place the butter block to cover half of the dough. 

Fold the other half of the dough over the butter block and seal the edges. Next, roll the dough out to a 16 inch by 9 inch rectangle.

Next, fold the dough like a letter, and let it rest in the refrigerator for 20 minutes. Repeat two more times, letting the dough rest each time. You now have 81 layers of dough and butter!

Roll the dough out to a 9 inch by 24 inch rectangle, and cut the dough into strips.

Finally, twist each strip and then form them into a coil.

By the way, you can also use this dough to make croissants as well as other Danish pastry shapes. Just use your creativity.

Sounds pretty easy, right?

I topped these with a homemade orange and apricot filling that was scented with orange blossom water. Finally, I brushed them with a hot glaze and then drizzled them with a white fondant glaze. They were so fragrant, flaky, and pretty much habit forming.

This recipe yielded about 18 Danish pastries for me. It really depends on how you cut and shape the dough.

To revive and re-crisp leftovers of these pastries, preheat your oven to 350 degrees F and heat the pastries for five minutes.

You can also shape and then freeze these pastries before filling and baking. To bake the frozen Danish, remove them from the freezer about 3 hours before baking to let them thaw. Fill them and then bake them per the recipe instructions.

These things were amazing.

This month’s Bread Bakers is being hosted by The Schizo Chef with the theme of Floral Flavored Breads. Before the recipe, be sure to check out everyone else's bread with flowers.

I used orange blossom water to flavor the apricot filling, which added such a lovely scent.

I recommend finding orange blossom water from Middle Eastern grocery stores. It's milder than U.S. brands. If you're adventurous, you can also add a half tablespoon of the water to the dough like with this Fouace Nantaise. It will add an amazing fragrance and the faint taste of orange blossoms.

Floral Flavored Breads from the Bread Bakers:

• Karen's Kitchen Stories | Apricot Orange Danish Pastry
• Sneha's Recipe | Basil Flower Mini Bread Rolls
• Cook with Renu | Eggless Gulkand Muffins
• Food Lust People Love | Blossom Tea Honey Buns
• A Day in the Life on the Farm |Hibiscus Sweet Bread
• Palatable Pastime | Lemon Calendula Scones

Apricot Orange Danish Pastry

Yield: 18 pastries

Author: Karen Kerr

ingredients:

For the Dough

• 21 ounces (4 2/3 cups/595 grams) bread flour
• 1 3/4 teaspoons (11 g) Kosher salt
• 2 ounces (1/4 cup/56.5 grams) sugar
• 1 T (9 grams) instant yeast
• 7 ounces (3/4 C plus two Tablespoons/189 grams) cold milk
• 1 C cool water
• 2 T melted unsalted butter

Butter Block

• 1 1/2 C cold unsalted butter
• 2 T flour

Apricot Orange Filling

• 1 1/2 cups dried apricots
• 1/2 cup orange juice
• 1/3 cup lemon juice
• 1/4 cup orange marmalade
• 2 tablespoons granulated sugar
• 1 teaspoon orange flower water (optional)

For the Hot Glaze

• 1/4 C water
• 3/4 C sugar
• 1 T apricot jam

For the Fondant Glaze

• 4 C/12 ounces powdered sugar
• 2 T light corn syrup
• 1 tsp vanilla
• 1/2 to 3/4 C milk

instructions:

How to Make Apricot Orange Danish Pastry

To Make the Dough

1. In the bowl of a stand mixer, combine the dry ingredients.
2. Pour in the milk, water, and melted butter.
3. Mix with the paddle on low for one minute, then adjust the flour and water if necessary. The dough should be on the sticky side.  Mix on low another 30 seconds.
4. Mix on medium for 10 to 15 seconds. 
5. Place the dough into an oiled bowl that is twice the volume of the dough and cover with plastic wrap. Refrigerate overnight or up to 2 days.

For the Butter Block

1. On baking day, make the butter block. Cut the butter into 16 pieces and place them into the bowl of a stand mixer. Add the flour.
2. Mix on low with the paddle for one minute. Increase the speed to medium high until all the lumps are gone.
3. Mist plastic wrap with spray oil. Pile the butter onto the plastic wrap and spray the top with spray oil. Cover with plastic wrap.
4. Shape the butter into a 6 inch square (about 1/2 inch thick). Square off the edges. Refrigerate while rolling out the dough.

To Make the Apricot Filling

1. Combine the dried apricots, orange juice, lemon juice, marmalade, and sugar in a small saucepan and bring to a simmer over low heat. Simmer uncovered for 10 to 15 minutes. Watch closely to prevent browning. 
2. Remove from the heat and allow to cool completely. Process the mixture in a food processor until smooth. Set aside. 

To Assemble the Danish Pastries and Prepare the Glazes

1. Generously flour a large work surface, set the dough on top of the surface, flour the top of it, and roll the dough out to a 12 1/2 inch by 6 1/2 inch rectangle.
2. Place the butter block on top of one side of the dough and fold the other half of the dough over the butter. Seal the edges. If the dough begins to stick to the counter, dust more underneath.
3. Dust the top of the dough with flour and roll the dough out to a 16 inch by 9 inch rectangle. Be sure to square off the corners.
4. Fold the dough into thirds, like a letter. Transfer the dough to a quarter sheet pan or a large plate, cover with plastic wrap, and refrigerate for 15 to 20 minutes. Repeat two more times.
5. After the final rest in the refrigerator, transfer the dough back to the floured surface and roll into a 24 inch by 9 inch rectangle.
6. Cut the dough into 1 inch by 9 inch strips, twist, and coil, tucking the ends under.
7. Place the rolls on two parchment lined baking sheets, cover with oiled plastic wrap, and let rise for 2 to 2 1/2 hours.
8. Preheat the oven to 450 degrees F
9. While the oven is preheating, prepare the fondant glaze. Whisk the milk into the rest of the ingredients until it is about as thick as pancake batter, so you can drizzle it easily but it holds together.
10. When ready to bake, press the center of each Danish with your thumb and add about a tablespoon of filling.
11. To prepare the hot glaze, combine the ingredients in a saucepan and bring it to a boil and then simmer. While it is simmering, place the Danish in the oven, one sheet at a time, and lower the temperature to 400 degrees F. Bake the Danish for about 12 to 15 minutes. Repeat with the second baking sheet. 
12. After removing the Danish from the oven, brush with the hot glaze.
13. Once the Danish has cooled for about 5 minutes, drizzle with the fondant glaze and remove them from the pan to a cooling rack. Let cool for about 45 minutes before serving. 

https://www.karenskitchenstories.com/2019/05/apricot-orange-danish-pastry-breadbakers.html

Karen's Kitchen Stories

Danish pastry, Pastry, croissants

Bread, Pastry

French

Created using The Recipes Generator

The dough and laminating method are adapted from Artisan Breads Everyday by Peter Reinhart

 #BreadBakers is a group of bread loving bakers who get together once a month to bake bread with a common ingredient or theme. You can see all our of lovely bread by following our Pinterest board right here. Links are also updated after each event on the BreadBakers home page. We take turns hosting each month and choosing the theme/ingredient.