Apple and sultana Danish pastries
Yeast pastry layered with butter, folded around a soft apple-and-sultana centre and brushed with apricot glaze. Start the dough the day before and keep it cool while rolling.
Method
01 · Mix the dough and chill
65–70 minUse: Plain flour; Granulated sugar; Fine salt; Instant dried yeast; Unsalted butter for the dough; Whole milk; Water; Beaten whole egg
Mix the dough flour, sugar, salt and yeast. Rub in the 14 g dough butter, then add the cold milk, water and dough egg. Mix and knead gently for 3–5 minutes, until cohesive but still slightly tacky. Flatten into a thick rectangle, wrap and refrigerate for 1 hour.Ready when: No dry flour remains; the chilled dough is cool and firm without being frozen.
01 Mix and chill the doughMix a cohesive dough, wrap and chill until cool and firm. 02 · Enclose the layering butter
10–15 minUse: Unsalted butter for layering; Flour for rolling
Between two sheets of baking paper, pound the 213 g layering butter into a 15 cm square. It should bend under pressure without cracking or becoming greasy. Lightly flour the worktop and roll the dough to 16×32 cm. Put the butter on one half, leaving a narrow border; fold the empty half over and pinch the edges shut.Ready when: One complete butter block is sealed inside the dough, with no exposed butter. Dough and butter feel similarly pliable.
02 Enclose the butter onceEnclose the single pliable butter block and seal the dough edges. 03 · Make three letter turns and chill overnight
560–805 minUse: Flour for rolling
Roll the packet gently to 20×45 cm. Brush off loose flour. Fold one short end over the middle third, then the other end over it, like a letter. Wrap and chill for 30 minutes. Turn the packet 90 degrees and repeat this rolling, folding and 30 minute chill once. Turn it again and make a third letter fold in the same way. Wrap securely and refrigerate for 8–12 hours. Chill earlier if butter starts to soften or escape.Ready when: After three letter folds the packet is neat and cool, with the butter still enclosed. No extra butter is added during the turns.
03 Make the letter turnsGive three letter turns with chilling, then rest overnight. 04 · Cook and chill the apple filling
15–45 minUse: Prepared apple; Sugar for the filling; Ground cinnamon; Water for cooking the apples; Sultanas
While the dough chills, cook the apple, filling sugar, cinnamon and filling water in a small saucepan over gentle heat for 8–12 minutes, stirring until the pieces soften and loose liquid evaporates. Stir in the sultanas. Spread in a shallow container, cool promptly, then cover and refrigerate until needed.Ready when: The filling is soft but holds a spoonful without a puddle of juice. It must be cold before touching the pastry.
04 Cook and chill the fillingCook away loose liquid, add sultanas and chill the filling. 05 · Cut twelve squares and fill
15–20 minUse: Flour for rolling; Prepared apple; Sultanas
Line two 30×40 cm trays. On a lightly floured surface, roll the dough to 30×40 cm, about 6 mm thick. Trim only ragged edges if needed, then cut a three-by-four grid of 10 cm squares. Fold each corner toward the centre and press the overlapping tips together. Place six pastries on each tray. Divide 300 g of the cold filling between the centres, 25 g each; keep any extra filling separately.Ready when: There are twelve pastries with clear folded corners and compact centres. Filling does not run onto the cut edges.
05 Fold and fill twelve squaresFold the corners and add 25 g of cold filling to each centre. 06 · Proof gently and heat the oven
60–90 minUse:
Cover loosely and leave at 20–24°C for 60–90 minutes. Keep them away from direct heat so the butter stays inside the layers. Heat the oven to 200°C conventional during the final 20 minutes. When both trays are puffy, refrigerate the second tray while the first bakes.Ready when: The pastries are visibly fuller and light-looking, with distinct layered edges and no pool of melted butter.
06 Proof without melting the butterProof gently until fuller, with the butter kept inside the layers. 07 · Brush and bake one tray at a time
38–47 minUse: Beaten egg for brushing; Water for the egg wash
Mix the separate wash egg and water. Brush exposed dough lightly, avoiding the cut layered edges. Bake the first tray for 18–22 minutes, then bake the second for the same range. Lift a pastry carefully to check its base.Ready when: The pastry is golden on top and underneath, with set layers around the filling rather than a wet dough band.
07 Bake one tray at a timeBrush exposed dough and bake one tray at a time until golden underneath. 08 · Glaze and cool
30–35 minUse: Smooth apricot jam; Water for the glaze
Warm the apricot jam with its glaze water until smooth. Brush a thin layer over each warm pastry and move it onto a rack. Cool for at least 30 minutes before serving.Ready when: The glaze makes a light sheen and the pastry centre is set; the apple filling is warm rather than scalding.
08 Glaze lightly and coolBrush with a thin apricot glaze and cool before serving.
What to look for
| Stage | Look / feel for | Needs attention |
|---|---|---|
| Mix the dough and chill | No dry flour remains; the chilled dough is cool and firm without being frozen. | |
| Enclose the layering butter | One complete butter block is sealed inside the dough, with no exposed butter. Dough and butter feel similarly pliable. | |
| Make three letter turns and chill overnight | After three letter folds the packet is neat and cool, with the butter still enclosed. No extra butter is added during the turns. | |
| Cook and chill the apple filling | The filling is soft but holds a spoonful without a puddle of juice. It must be cold before touching the pastry. | |
| Cut twelve squares and fill | There are twelve pastries with clear folded corners and compact centres. Filling does not run onto the cut edges. | |
| Proof gently and heat the oven | The pastries are visibly fuller and light-looking, with distinct layered edges and no pool of melted butter. | |
| Brush and bake one tray at a time | The pastry is golden on top and underneath, with set layers around the filling rather than a wet dough band. | |
| Glaze and cool | The glaze makes a light sheen and the pastry centre is set; the apple filling is warm rather than scalding. |
Troubleshooting
| If you see this | Likely cause | What to do now | Next time |
|---|---|---|---|
| Butter breaks into hard pieces while rolling. | The butter is colder and firmer than the dough. | Pause briefly until the packet becomes pliable, then roll gently. | Match the firmness of butter and dough before enclosing. |
| Butter smears out through the dough. | The packet warmed too much or was pressed too hard. | Cover and refrigerate until firm, then continue gently. | Work in a cool room and keep the inter-turn chilling periods. |
| The centre stays wet. | The filling was too watery or the pastry was underbaked. | Return to the oven until the surrounding dough and base are set, shielding the top if needed. | Cook away loose filling liquid, use it cold and check the pastry base. |
Storage: Best on the day. Once cool, refrigerate in a covered container for up to 2 days. Reheat at 160°C conventional for 8–10 minutes to refresh the pastry. Freeze cooled pastries for up to 1 month and thaw in the refrigerator before reheating.; Contains: wheat, milk, egg, sulphites if present in the dried fruit.; This Nepedia version has not been kitchen-tested.
Other approaches to this recipe
| Cook / recipe | Use | What differs |
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The working ingredients and method form one recipe. Different formulas are compared without averaging their quantities or rise schedules.