Blackberry Cream Cheese Danishes

• total time: 10 hours 14 minutes

Ingredients

Dough

• 450g AP flour

• 50g sugar

• 1 egg

• 100g milk

• 80g water

• 150g active starter

• 1 tsp salt

• ¼ tsp cardamom

• 50g butter

Butter Packet

• 250g butter

• 1½ Tbsp flour

Filling

• 113g cream cheese (4 oz)

• 1 Tbsp lemon juice

• ½ Tbsp lemon zest

• 2 Tbsp powdered sugar

• blackberry jam

Egg Wash

• 1 egg

• 1 Tbsp water

Glaze

• 1 cup powdered sugar

• 2 Tbsp blackberry jam

• 1 Tbsp milk

Directions

Instructions

STARTER

In the morning, feed your starter by combing the starter, flour, and water in a bowl and mixing it until well combined. Tip it into a clean jar or glass and let it double.

THE DOUGH

When the starter has doubled, mix all the dough ingredients together in a large bowl to form a sticky dough.

Tip it on the bench and knead it for 5 minutes, pushing it forward and pulling it back until it smoothens.

Shape it into a ball and place it into a clean, greased bowl. Cover the and leave this to proof in a warm spot for 3 hours.

Mix 1 ½ tablespoons flour and 250g softened butter when the dough has been proofed. Spoon the mix onto parchment paper and place another sheet on top. Roll the butter into a rectangle of about 6x8 inches (15x20cm).

Place the butter in the fridge for around 15 minutes, so it is cool. Ensure it is cold but still easily pliable. Aim for the butter and the dough to be similar consistencies.

FOLDING

Roll the dough out on a lightly floured work surface into a 20x40cm(8x16inch) rectangle

Check first that the butter isn't too hard. Then place it in the middle of the dough. Bring the top of the dough down and the bottom of the dough up to meet in the middle, and tuck in the butter.

Turn the dough a quarter turn. Use a rolling pin to push on the dough to help disperse the butter gently. Roll this dough out into a 25x50cm (10x20inch) rectangle, and focus on lengthening the dough rather than making it wider. While rolling, check that the dough isn't sticking to the bench and dust it with flour if it is.

Once it has been rolled out, it's time to fold the dough like a pamphlet. Take one end and fold it into the middle, then take the other end and fold it over the first end.

Wrap the dough in parchment paper or plastic wrap and place it in the refrigerator for 20-30 minutes.

Repeat this process twice, so that’s three turns in total.

If you find that during the rolling out, the butter is shattering, the butter may be too cold. If this happens, leave the dough on the counter instead of the fridge before rolling it out again. Also, ensure the butter does not melt into the dough, or you won't achieve flaky layers. It's a balance that will get easier with practice :)

After the third turn, the dough must be wrapped tightly and refrigerated for at least 8 hours or overnight (HOWEVER I only did two hours this last time because of a time crunch and they turned out great)!!

BAKING

When ready to bake the dough, take the dough from the fridge. Roll the dough into a 16x16 inch / 40x40cm square. Cut the square into 16 smaller squares with a pizza cutter or sharp knife.

Shape the pastries by twirling the ends away from each other and wrapping in a loose wheel, tucking the ends into the rest of the dough.

Place the shaped pastries on baking paper and let them proof for 4-5 hours (at a room temperature of around 25°C/77°F.) They should puff out slightly.

Place a damp cheesecloth or lightweight fabric over the top if they dry out. Alternatively, lightly brush them with water.

Preheat the oven to 190°C/375°F.

Mix together all the cream cheese filling ingredients except for the berries. Add a teaspoon of filling to each Danish, then top with jam.

Mix the egg and water together, then brush the pastry edges with this egg wash.

Bake the pastries for 18-20 minutes until deep golden brown. Bake them in two batches to ensure even baking.

Once finished baking - Drizzle with glaze or top with powdered sugar if no glaze is desired 🥰