Danish pastry

PJ Hamel’s Danish pastry for King Arthur folds unsalted butter into an enriched yeast dough to create flaky layers. This version uses the recipe’s own cream-cheese-and-cottage-cheese filling, egg-white wash and a sugar glaze, with optional cardamom and crushed nuts.

Two tablespoons from the measured butter are worked into flour, sugar, instant yeast and salt, with optional ground cardamom. Vanilla, cold milk, lukewarm water and two eggs make a sticky dough, which rests under plastic wrap while the remaining butter is rolled into two rectangles.

The butter rectangles are enclosed in the dough, which is rolled and folded through successive turns. Flour dusting and refrigerated rests separate the stages, and the wrapped dough then chills for the longer rest before shaping.

Cream cheese, cottage cheese, a separate sugar portion, one egg and salt are mixed until smooth. The dough is divided into rounds with thinner centres and raised edges, placed on parchment and risen under greased plastic wrap before the cheese filling is spooned into the wells.

The exposed dough is brushed with egg white mixed with cold water, then baked until golden and transferred to a rack. Icing sugar, salt and water make the drizzled glaze; optional crushed nuts finish the pastries, which Hamel offers warm from the oven.