Homemade Cream Cheese Danish (Print-Friendly Version)

Soft, flaky pastry filled with tangy cream cheese and a touch of fruit. Ideal for breakfast or dessert.

# Ingredients You'll Need:

→ Danish Butter

01 - 226 grams salted butter, at room temperature
02 - 44 grams all-purpose flour

→ Danish Pastry Dough

03 - 500 grams all-purpose flour
04 - 2 tablespoons instant yeast
05 - 315 ml hot water (approximately 120°C)
06 - 1 large egg
07 - 1 teaspoon salt
08 - 0.5 teaspoon almond extract
09 - 50 grams granulated sugar

→ Cream Cheese Filling

10 - 454 grams cream cheese (softened)
11 - 200 grams granulated sugar
12 - 0.5 teaspoon almond extract

→ Additional Ingredients

13 - 240 ml prepared fruit filling of choice (optional)
14 - 1 large egg, beaten (for egg wash)
15 - 50 grams granulated sugar (for sprinkling)

→ Simple Glaze

16 - 141 grams powdered sugar
17 - 30 ml water, room temperature

# How to Make It:

01 - Combine softened butter and flour in a medium bowl until thoroughly blended. Spread this mixture onto one half of a 30x40 cm piece of parchment paper.
02 - Fold parchment over the butter mixture and flatten with a rolling pin into an even layer. Wrap and freeze on a flat surface until very firm, about 1-2 hours, or overnight.
03 - In a bowl, whisk together flour and instant yeast. In a separate large bowl, mix egg, salt, almond extract, and sugar. Pour very hot water over this mixture, then add the flour-yeast blend.
04 - Stir with a sturdy spatula until dough is stretchy and uniform, about 5 minutes. Let it rest at room temperature until it cools slightly.
05 - Transfer the cooled dough onto a generously floured surface. Lightly press into a rectangle without kneading. Roll into a 30x45 cm rectangle.
06 - Remove firm butter block, discard parchment, and place onto half of the rolled dough. Brush dough edges with water. Fold dough over butter to enclose.
07 - Rotate dough 90 degrees, roll to a 25x40 cm rectangle. Brush edges with water and fold into thirds. Repeat lamination process three more times, resting dough as needed to keep cool.
08 - Transfer dough to a lightly oiled baking pan, loosely cover with plastic wrap, and refrigerate overnight for slow fermentation.
09 - Blend softened cream cheese, sugar, and almond extract in a mixer until smooth. Refrigerate until ready for use. Prepare fruit filling if desired.
10 - Remove dough from fridge, cut in half. Roll each half into a 36 cm circle on a floured surface, dusting as needed. Cut each circle into 8 triangles.
11 - Spread 2 heaping tablespoons cream cheese filling, or 1 heaping tablespoon each of cream cheese and fruit filling, on the base of each triangle. Brush edges with water, then roll dough up from the wide end, enclosing the filling.
12 - Place rolled pastries seam-side down on a parchment-lined baking tray, spacing at least 5 cm apart. Brush with beaten egg wash and sprinkle with sugar. Allow to rise for 1 hour or until doubled in volume.
13 - Preheat oven to 165°C. Bake the pastries for 20-30 minutes, until puffed, golden, and flaky throughout.
14 - Combine powdered sugar and water in a bowl, whisking until smooth. Drizzle glaze over warm pastries before serving.

# Extra Information:

01 - Freeze unbaked pastries after the final rise; thaw overnight before baking for fresh results.
02 - Avoid overworking the dough during rolling to maintain delicate, flaky layers.

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