How to make Danish pastries

Follow our step-by-step guide to mastering the art of how to make Danish pastries – they’re well worth the effort. As you bite into the warm, butter-rich dough, crisp with almonds or melting with vanilla custard, you’ll thank us.

Can I freeze the dough?

You could make the master recipe for the dough up to the end of step 7, then roll up between two sheets of baking paper (with the paper inside), into a sausage shape, wrap in cling film and foil and freeze for up to a month. Defrost fully before using.
If you’re cooking the finished Danish pastries from frozen, bake them for 5-10 minutes longer than the recipe until golden brown and cooked through.
For a cheat’s version, use a 500g block ready-made all-butter puff pastry instead of making your Danish pastry dough – it’s not quite the same but still tastes great.

how to make danish pastries

Activated yeast mixture: use fresh yeast if possible

Tricks to getting perfect Danishes every time

It is best to start the dough recipe the night before so the pastry is chilled and rested before assembling the pastries.
Roll the pastry in one direction, as this distributes the butter evenly, and helps to create the light, flaky layers.
Ensure the butter is softened at room temperature, so that it spreads evenly throughout the pastry. If the butter is too hard it will make the pastry streaky.
It is important to roll out the pastry to a long rectangle 4 times, to evenly spread out the butter and create lots of layers of light, flaky pastry – otherwise the pastry will be heavy and dense.

how to make danish pastries

How to prepare chocolate and vanilla custard buns

how to make danish pastries

How to prepare a classic almond pastry

Danish pastry dough

Make this Danish pastry recipe from scratch then, using it as a base, make Chocolate and vanilla buns, Cinnamon and raisin swirls or Classic almond pastries.

Chocolate and vanilla custard buns

These delightful buns – made using a Danish pastry recipe – are full of creamy vanilla custard and a generous dollop of chocolate.

Cinnamon and raisin swirls

This classic cinnamon and raisin swirls recipe uses home-made Danish pastry dough, though you can buy puff pastry if you're short of time.

Classic almond pastries

This almond pastries recipe uses home-made Danish pastry; alternatively, you can buy puff pastry.

Comments

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pollyflinders28

March 16

If I can't get 'fresh' yeast, how much dried yeast should I use instead?

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Isobelmat

October 19

I have tried, many times, to get fresh yeast from supermarket bakers, and none of them will let me have some. It's something to do with not being allowed to 'sell on' certain produce - or so they say. I get mine from my local, friendly, independent bakers shop; they give it to me for nothing, which means I always go to them for my bread. Not the supermarket. Win/win!