Danish Dough Spirals – Rollos de pasta danesa

Click here to go to printable recipe:  Danish Dough Spirals

Danish dough is a very versatile medium to create all sorts of pastries, both savoury and sweet.  Although in Denmark this type of pastries are called Vienna Bread (wienerbrød), since Austrian bakers introduced them there in the 1840s, they have become popularly known worldwide as Danish pastries.   French and other European bakers established in Mexico around the same period, started creating these pastries a few decades later, and nowadays, pasta danesa (Danish dough) is considered traditional in several types of pan dulce (Mexican sweet bread), such as the classic rollos (spirals or rolls) shown above, with raisins or a dollop of apricot jam.  

Danish dough presents a flaky texture after baking  due to the rolling and folding of the dough with some butter placed in between layers, similar to puff pastry and croissant dough.  However, unlike puff pastry, Danish and croissant doughs contain yeast, which adds a fluffy component to the texture, and Danish dough also calls for at least one egg in the mixture, for a more bread-like crumb.  A quick way to prepare Danish dough is to mix cold pieces of butter to the dough before – instead of during – rolling and folding; the layered effect is still obtained, and the flavour is identical.

Quick Danish Dough – Pasta danesa rápida

Printable recipe:  Quick Danish Dough

Ingredients (for approximately 24 pieces)

Starter
¾ cup warm water (around 104°F-40°C)
1 tbsp (10g) instant yeast
¼ cup flour
Dough
2 ¼ cups flour
1 tbsp granulated sugar
1 tsp salt
1 cup plus 2 tbsp unsalted butter
1 large egg
½ cup milk

Prepare starter: mix warm water, yeast and flour in a bowl or large cup (photo below, left), until uniform; it should start creating bubbles right away (photo below, centre).  Allow to rest from five minutes; it will continue bubbling and increasing in volume, acquiring a spongy texture (photo below, right):

Meanwhile, place milk, egg, sugar, and two tablespoons of butter, in a large mixing bowl:

Mix lightly with a spatula or with electric mixer.  Add spongy starter (photo below, left), then flour and salt (photo below, right):

Mix until wet and dry ingredients are incorporated.  Continue mixing, adding the rest of the butter gradually, and occasionally scraping down with a spatula (photo below, left).  Continue mixing (approximately three more minutes if using electric mixer), until the dough becomes elastic, but chunks of butter are still visible (photo below, right):

Cover the bowl with a clean kitchen towel (photo below, left), and allow the dough to rise for half an hour to forty five minutes, to roughly double in volume (photo below, right): 

Wrap dough in plastic and place in the fridge, to chill for at least two hours.

Transfer chilled dough to a lightly floured working surface:

Using a rolling pin, form the dough into a rectangle 18×10 in (45×25 cm, photo below, left).  Mark the middle of the long edge, and bring the short ends from left and right to the mark (photo below, centre).  Fold over one more time, for a four-layered  rectangle 4.5×10 in (11.25×25 cm, photo below, right):

Wrap block with parchment paper or plastic (photo below, left), and chill in the fridge for one hour.  Place dough on working surface, and roll again into a rectangle 18×10 in (45×25 cm, photo below, right):

This time, fold into thirds, to form a three-layered rectangle 6×10 in (15×25 cm, photo below, left).  Wrap again (photo below, right):

Return to the fridge for one hour.  Transfer to working surface, roll to a rectangle 18×10 in (45×25 cm) one last time, then fold into thirds (photo below, left), to form a rectangle 6×10 in (15×25 cm, photo below, right)

Notice how, with each roll and fold, the chunks of butter are less and less visible.  Wrap dough again, and keep refrigerated for up to three days, or freeze, until needed.

This is enough dough for 24 buns; I divided the dough into quarters, conveniently portioned to make half-dozen batches:

Danish Dough Spirals – Rollos de pasta danesa

Printable recipe:  Danish Dough Spirals

Ingredients (for six pieces)

¼ batch Quick Danish dough
1 tbsp butter; melted
2 tbsp sugar
1 egg, for brushing; lightly beaten
½ cup raisins or ¼ cup apricot jam

Prepare a baking tray by lining with parchment paper.  

Roll dough into a rectangle, 12×6 in (30×15 cm, photo below, left).  Brush the whole surface with melted butter (photo below, right):

Spread raisins (if using) on top of butter (I used a quarter of a cup on half the dough, photo below, left).  Starting at one of the short ends, roll into a tight spiralled log (photo below, centre).  Mark one-inch (2.5 cm) sections, and slice into six pieces (photo below, right):

Lay each slice horizontally on prepared tray, and tuck in the end of the spiral underneath:

Continue with the other five slices; I had three plain and three with raisins.  Cover with a clean kitchen towel, and allow to rise on the counter for one and a half hours, until roughly doubled in size (photo below, left).  Preheat oven to 375ºF (190ºC).  Add a dollop of apricot jam (if using, I had three) to the centre of plain spirals, and brush spirals with egg (photo below, right):

Bake for 25 minutes to half an hour, until the spirals have turned a rich golden-brown tone:

Let cool down to room temperature.  These Danishes are best when enjoyed the same day, but may be kept in a paper bag for up to three days:

Although requiring a long time and careful preparation, the spirals meet and surpass expectation, with their flaky texture, and delicious buttery taste.

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I am bringing my recipe to Full Plate Thursday #676 with Miz Helen @ Miz Helen’s Country Cottage.

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I am also sharing my post at Thursday Favourite Things #642, with Bev @ Eclectic Red Barn, Pam @ An Artful Mom, Katherine @ Katherine’s Corner, Amber @ Follow the Yellow Brick Home, and Linda @ Crafts a la Mode.

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I am joining Fiesta Friday #519  with Angie @ Fiesta Friday.

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I am sharing my recipe at What’s for Dinner? Sunday Link-Up #454 with Helen @ The Lazy Gastronome.