Danish Puff Pastry Recipe (2024)

FAQs

What is the difference between puff pastry and Danish pastry? ›

DIFFERENCE PUFF PASTRY

First of all Danish pastries contain a high level of fat: 40%. The second difference is that Danish dough contains yeast and that isn't the case for puff pastry. This is the reason that after baking, puff pastries contain a more airy structure and a more crispy bite.

Always preheat your oven for a minimum of 15-20 minutes before baking, because Puff Pastry depends on even heat to rise and puff. Place pastries 1 inch apart. If you want a flaky thin and crispy pastry that's not very puffy, prick the unbaked Puff Pastry all over with a fork, which lets steam escape while baking.

In Danish, Norwegian, and Swedish, the term for Danish pastry is wienerbrød (or wienerbröd), meaning "Viennese bread".

If a puff pastry brand is called for specifically in a recipe, it's likely Dufour. This is because the brand uses simple ingredients (butter, flour, salt, lemon juice, and water) and is totally painless to work with.

Heat is the enemy of Puff Pastry—it handles best when cold. So avoid working with it on hot, humid days, in a stifling hot kitchen or next to your oven.

Egg wash is the most reliable but it can be very thick and sticky. Milk wash will go on more evenly but it can soak into pastry and make it weaker. Melted butter works nicely after the crust has set but it can make the crust greasy and weaker.

The Los Angeles Times notes that butter can still be used as a "wash," but it yields different results than egg: Instead of imparting color or crispness, it offers a more luxurious flavor and softness.

But there's no yeast, baking soda, or baking powder in puff pastry, so what makes it ascend to these heights of puffy glory? The secret is steam and hundreds of paper-thin layers of dough.

To create a tart with an extra puffy crust: take a knife and score two lines around the edge, then prick the area inside this border with a fork. Puff Pastry fillings should be at room temperature. If they're hot, they can begin to melt the pastry layers, which will affect the pastry's ability to rise and puff.

Can I use oil instead of butter in puff pastry? ›

Puff pastry is mainly made by 3 important ingredients, flour, water, and fat (butter or oil). Unfortunately, I learned that butter and oil, consist of 100% fat. I've successfully created puff pastry using oil in a pan before. It works!

What Is a Danish Pastry? A Danish pastry, often known as simply “a Danish”, is a layered, sweet pastry baked with Danish pastry traditions. This type of baking involves using yeast-leavened dough or puff pastry with added ingredients such as butter, eggs, milk, cream, and sugar to make the pastries richer and sweeter.

The "national dish of Denmark" is stegt flæsk - pieces of pork, fried until crisp, and then served with boiled potatoes and parsley sauce. Ironically, the tasty frosted pastries known to much of the world as "Danish" are not Danish at all.

From Italy, the recipe spread to the Austrians, who introduced it to Denmark during a strike by Danish bakers. It was imported as 'Viennese bread', and eventually Danish bakers who emigrated all around the world brought with them this recipe and today we know this delicious thing as Danish Pastry.

For example, puff pastry dough is made up of flour, water, and salt; croissant dough is prepared with flour, sugar, yeast, salt, and milk; while Danish dough includes the same ingredients as a croissant dough but adds eggs to the mix. An all-purpose flour can be used or a bread flour blended with a soft cake flour.

Phyllo dough can be a great substitute for puff pastry in dishes like spanakopita and baklava [2].

While not “authentic,” using puff pastry to make Danish is so convenient, and I can't think of anyone who doesn't think it's delicious! It's a flakier, lighter dough than traditional Danish, and makes for a super fun and satisfying baking experience. Here's how it's done.